dropball@ 35 ft?

[gvm]

someone told me that's it's impossible to throw a drop at 35 ft? that there is not enough time for the ball to drop? to much speed, not enough distance? TRUE OR FALSE ???

 

[sluggers]

GVM: assuming their is sufficient spin and the axis of rotation is correct, the ball will drop, but not as much as it would from 43 feet. The amount of force down on the ball is proportional to the speed of the ball, and the angle of the axis of rotation, and the spin rate.

Other than nerdy engineers like me, who cares? At her age, she should be "playing" with the ball and attempting to make the ball move.

Whether it does or not is irrelevant, except for Crazy Daddies trying to win the coveted 10U trophy at the Sasquatch Softball Invitational and Gourd Festival in Dog Run, Idaho.

 

[NVfishing]

Wow, what do you have against Dog Run Idaho? LOL! I think it's possible but like Sluggers said there won't be much.

 

[tojo]

10 and unders are the only age group I am aware of that pitchs from 35' any longer. With a lot of 10u's, the ball will drop due to gravity and lack of speed regardless of spin.

 

[NVfishing]

I think it all depends on where the pitcher is at in development. I will be working other pitches into my youngest DD's pitching routine probably next year, still 8u. When DD starts hitting 90% of pitches where she should I'm going to work in the change and possibly adjust her release a little back so she throws a drop via the Hillhouse video. It might not drop at all but I want her to understand the mechanics of the pitch.

The distances that the girls pitch seems too short for the younger ages. My DD prefers being back at 35 ft now. Throwing 30 ft seems short. At 10U 35 feet is probably going to feel short.

 

[gvm]

10 and unders are the only age group I am aware of that pitchs from 35' any longer. With a lot of 10u's, the ball will drop due to gravity and lack of speed regardless of spin.

there's no gravity or lack of speed here? she's thrown with hillhouse 3 times and he said" she's already throwing a drop, but she doesn't realize how she doing it" and then he took care of that! and now this coach says there's no such thing at 35?

 

[tojo]

there's no gravity or lack of speed here? she's thrown with hillhouse 3 times and he said" she's already thowing a drop, but she doesn't realize how she doing it" and then he took care of that! and now this coach says there's no such thing at 35?

I was not referring to your DD specifically but more the average 10u in the local rec leagues that have not been pitching long. There is gravity and it affects all pitchs unless you are in outer space.

 

[stephanie]

well, I really don't want to read through all the pitching jargon, but my 10U can throw a fast ball that stays in a straight line to the mitt, and a drop ball that sinks right over the plate. I don't think gravity chooses the pitch it wants to pull down...

 

[chinamigarden]

well, I really don't want to read through all the pitching jargon, but my 10U can throw a fast ball that stays in a straight line to the mitt, and a drop ball that sinks right over the plate. I don't think gravity chooses the pitch it wants to pull down...

Really, a straight line right to the mitt at 10U. She must be incredible, because a ball thrown at 60 MPH has an arc of something like 8 inches. I can only imagine how fast a ball must be going for it go straight.

Its hard to really judge from the catchers position how much the ball is arcing, because the mind does the calculation and your hand puts the mitt where it needs to be without conscious thought. So it seems as if the ball is going flatter then it is.

 

[sluggers]

Geez....have to pull out the old physics books.

Assuming that DD throws 50 mph, it takes the ball about .47 seconds from her hand to the plate. If DD throws the ball perfectly horizontally, the ball will drop about 3.5 feet over the 35 feet distance. In order for her to throw a fastball for a strike, she will have to throw the ball at a slight upward angle of around 5 degrees.