Drop Ball Drill

[riseball]

Yes, it is called a cannonball. It is solid rubber and acts like a giant superball. You can order them at Softball.com
Great ball for this dropball drill and have a riseball spin drill I use this for. Just have to be careful with young non-physically mature girls....the ball is heavy and does create a lot of distraction forces......definitely don't use it as a speed builder for throwing full out.

My DD used it often and loved it. Especially working your drill on her rise.

 

[drc9805]

My DD used it often and loved it. Especially working your drill on her rise.

Is the riseball drill posted on youtube as well?

 

[riseball]

Is the riseball drill posted on youtube as well?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMadEZX4vzY

 

[wave_twister]

A little demo of the "Crossfire Cannonball" dropball drill I recommend. The keys to this drill are:
1. Catcher takes a step to the right and pitcher takes a step to her right setting up a relatively significant angle. Note that the pitcher does not stride toward the catcher...rather she strides straight ahead.....this forces the fingers and wrist to do all the work in throwing across.
2. The pitch is simply a fastball (do not encourage the pitcher to force a rolling over action) thrown into the ground a little less than half way to the catcher.
3. The release action is what you will want for a great 12-6 dropball.

Hope it's alright to reuse this thread...

I'm curious about this drill and wondering how the pitcher adjusts to throwing "crossfire" to going back to throwing "straight" let's just say, down the middle with a regular ball? Or is this easy as just throwing fastball, flipping the hand with IR, and the drop spin happens more or less naturally after you've perfected the CF cannonball drill? I was wondering more or less if the girls you've trained (younger, starting/inter) ingrain the snap over in the fastball or it's something they always have separated; fastball and snap over.

Just picked up a cannonball and gonna give it a try before practice tomorrow. Input from anyone who has done this and even better still using this from the original posts would be cool.

 

[SoGASoftball]

I'm certainly not an expert, but DD got in with Rick Pauly a couple years ago, and this drill helped her with the low and outside spot that she was having trouble hitting. She does a few reps with the Cannonball once in a while, but uses a regular ball in nearly every warm up. DD doesn't necessarily have a fastball. Her Drop is the fastball. If she wants it low in the zone, she hinges more upright at the waist. Spine angle more toward vertical. She has no problem going from the crossfire drill back to the rubber. Hope this helps.