Drop Ball Questions
- Thread starter uncdrew
- Start date
Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch
Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.
Of course, it can. Any pitch where a batter is expecting it to be one place and by the time it gets there it's a lot lower and falling more quickly than anticipated is very effective.
Gravity, velocity and release angle will play as big a role in it dropping as tight spin will so go ahead...drop away. IT will work fine for 10U at 35
Gravity, velocity and release angle will play as big a role in it dropping as tight spin will so go ahead...drop away. IT will work fine for 10U at 35
- Aug 21, 2008
- 2,388
- 113
uncdrew, in my experience.... the hardest part of the dropball is it's simplicity. I realize that is a paradox. But FAR too many people try to complicate the drop with a pull up motion or even a snap/turn over motion which are completely unnecessary. Throw it like a "fastball" but release it before the leg. If you have straight spin, it will go down.
Bill
Bill
Our instructor likes to teach it as the third pitch a girl learns for that exact reason, I believe.
We just noticed at the last lesson that much of the "effect" is more noticeable when pitching at 40 feet than 35. My daughter has a full year of 10U (35 feet) and the pitch was more impressive at 40 feet (12U).
We just noticed at the last lesson that much of the "effect" is more noticeable when pitching at 40 feet than 35. My daughter has a full year of 10U (35 feet) and the pitch was more impressive at 40 feet (12U).
Trust me, I get your point but I like my chances with a botched drop ball WAY more than with a screwed up rise ball that didn't rise!At 10U - my hitters are much more likely to chase a high fastball. So there's always that to fall back on until you get to 40'. But like with a riseball - don't miss your spot!
At 10U - my hitters are much more likely to chase a high fastball. So there's always that to fall back on until you get to 40'. But like with a riseball - don't miss your spot!
High fast balls are so effective at 10U that I have a pitch call just for that.
Start practicing the different pitches now the ones that go up down move wherever. when she can control them add them to the game. My dd has a great curve spin comes in smooth and straight no way I want her throwing it in a game.
I love this. The drop is released earlier (the turnover is just another way to cause an early release) and the fact that the ball is not released with the hand moving slightly up as it moves forward to release (which is typical of the fastball) means gravity has a more dramatic effect on the ball released flat and earlier (drop ball) than on the fastball which is thrown more uphill! - Did that make any sense?
P.S. That's why uncdrew's DD's drop is more effective at 40' than 35'. It's just running out of gas the last 5 feet.
- Aug 21, 2008
- 2,388
- 113
I still maintain that 99.99999% of people who claim to throw a turn over drop actually peel it off their fingers, then make the unnecessary movements of acting like they do this "turn over" thing afterwards. Once again proving my point that the simplicity of the drop is what makes it work, not some pull up action (as if starting a lawnmower) or a turn over action. 99% of pitchers who throw a turn over drop are told to do a significantly shorter step when they pitch. All this action does is alters the release point and angle which helps it drop. Personally, I don't think anyone needs to step short in order to teach themselves where to let the ball go. Why alter my mechanics? Just release it sooner! One of the problems is: the word "peel" in PEEL DROP makes people think they need to do that pull up motion. It's another fallacy perpetrated by the Pitching Coach Mafia.... which is a criminal organization and needs to be locked up under the federal RICO laws!!!!
Bill
Bill
