Help! Lack of Drop Ball Bite

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Jan 28, 2017
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Don't think Hillhouse teaches curve at all. From what I understand the curve ball is more a SE thing than in other areas and it seems to be taught first in the SE or at least in my area. Personally if you are going to teach curve ball at any point it makes more sense to me to teach which ever is more natural between the curve and rise first.
 
Aug 21, 2008
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Mr. Hillhouse, this is tremendously helpful. Regarding release point, any recommendations on how to dial that release point in better? We've started using the pitching straps that were recommended earlier to create the right height of tunnel after release. Seems to be helping a bit but once we take them down we're back to where we started.

On over pitching, have to say never would have thought about that. Always operated under the assumption that throwing harder is better but what you describe makes complete sense. We'll experiment with the idea.

Finally, I understand you're in Pennsylvania? Maybe after the summer season concludes we'll see about making a trip out for some lessons? Would be a great road trip for DD and the old man.
Last thing first, I live in Omaha these days. I'm originally from PA, I don't live there now. But you're welcome to come to Omaha any time, I can get the facility I do lessons in easily. I also do lessons in Lincoln.

The best thing to do to help find the release point is warm it up slowly. If she goes right into throwing full speed after the warm ups, that doesn't give her a chance to find her release points. So, have her start throwing the dropball at 50%, then slightly up tick the speed until she's got the release point at any and all speeds. that's that I used to do, it worked pretty well.
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
Don't think Hillhouse teaches curve at all. From what I understand the curve ball is more a SE thing than in other areas and it seems to be taught first in the SE or at least in my area. Personally if you are going to teach curve ball at any point it makes more sense to me to teach which ever is more natural between the curve and rise first.
I have said this before, I've come around a little bit on the curve. For some reason, I have no idea why, but girls don't seem to hit the curve. So while that pitch is as useful as a screendoor on a submarine in men's fastpitch, in the girl's game it works. And if it works, then it's something that needs to be used. I know some guys who teach pitching (that came from the men's FP world) who still refuse to teach it and work with it but, I think that's their ego in the way. So it's the last pitch I have my pitchers work on but I have come full circle on that.
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
Don't think Hillhouse teaches curve at all. From what I understand the curve ball is more a SE thing than in other areas and it seems to be taught first in the SE or at least in my area. Personally if you are going to teach curve ball at any point it makes more sense to me to teach which ever is more natural between the curve and rise first.
I forgot the other part... yes, I would work on a rise first. In my experience, teaching a curve first makes the rise even harder. But teaching a rise first makes the curve very easy.

Please note: I'm talking about an actual curveball not one of these pitches where the pitcher steps way over their power line then simply throws the ball outside on a RHB. That's as much of a curve as a slow-pitch pitcher is throwing a drop with their pitch.
 
Jan 28, 2017
1,662
83
Ok. Well the guy that coached my DD originally pitched against Hillhouse but wasn't as established. He teaches curve ball first and teaches rise last. One of his DD is a college coach (not sure where she pitched) and the other pitched in the ACC. Does that make him wrong and the others automatically correct? No. IMO, you teach the pitch that's more natural and that doesn't make me correct either. My DD most consistent pitch is curve ball. Drop is her best when on. DD tends to let her fingers drop on curve and the ball has more downward movement than some that throw curve balls. Common with good drop ball pitchers, IMO. Working like crazy on her rise but her worst pitch.

Other pitcher that is very similar to my DD with the original coach, can't throw a curve ball to save her life (taught first). She has the best rise spin I've seen.

Third pitcher only throws curve and at all angles with great spin and break. About half rise and everyone talks about how great her rise ball is. She doesn't throw one ever on purpose. I actually hear this a lot in our area and they are not throwing rise. Parents walking to the car- we just couldn't hit her rise.

Since I have started doing lessons- I have them throw rise and curve on the first night that I'm introducing a new pitch. Most have better rise spin but a few have better curve spin. Limited kids. Most of the girls that I work with already throw rise and curve when I get them so it's never an issue.
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
Ok. Well the guy that coached my DD originally pitched against Hillhouse but wasn't as established. He teaches curve ball first and teaches rise last. One of his DD is a college coach (not sure where she pitched) and the other pitched in the ACC. Does that make him wrong and the others automatically correct? No. IMO, you teach the pitch that's more natural and that doesn't make me correct either. My DD most consistent pitch is curve ball. Drop is her best when on. DD tends to let her fingers drop on curve and the ball has more downward movement than some that throw curve balls. Common with good drop ball pitchers, IMO. Working like crazy on her rise but her worst pitch.

Other pitcher that is very similar to my DD with the original coach, can't throw a curve ball to save her life (taught first). She has the best rise spin I've seen.

Third pitcher only throws curve and at all angles with great spin and break. About half rise and everyone talks about how great her rise ball is. She doesn't throw one ever on purpose. I actually hear this a lot in our area and they are not throwing rise. Parents walking to the car- we just couldn't hit her rise.

Since I have started doing lessons- I have them throw rise and curve on the first night that I'm introducing a new pitch. Most have better rise spin but a few have better curve spin. Limited kids. Most of the girls that I work with already throw rise and curve when I get them so it's never an issue.
Well, he clearly doesn't know what he's talking about if he does things even 1% differently than me!!!! ha ha. That was a joke peeps, lest anyone think I'm actually being serious.

A lot of times, the rationale for teaching the curve first is because the rise is SOOOO freaking difficult and it can literally take years to do it (do it correctly). So, with it taking so long, many coaches will work a curve ball in an effort to give the pitcher something new and a different pitch. I know from experience that kids (and parents!!!!) will ask about working a curveball because they feel they have to have something, anything new in their arsenal. But, the #1 reason they want to work on a curve is because Sally Jones who also pitches on her team is learning 8 pitches from her pitching coach. Sally has a rise, a curve, and a rising curve!!!! And that speaks nothing of Sally's "backdoor rising screwball!"

For me, and the kids I work with, the rise comes first. And not only that but, I don't let their ball spin to just be "ok". We work on backspin. And when you don't let the kid slack with throwing bullet spin and simply throwing the ball high, it takes more time. It's normal to become impatient, and frustrated. I too became impatient and frustrated when learning the rise, so I can relate.
 

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