Help with increasing spin rate

[MandM]

DD is doing well with getting ball rotation in correct direction for movement pitches but spin rates are on the low side, at least as measured at recent camp and she would like to add this as goal for improvement for this season. Can anyone suggest a program or drill series that have worked for them in getting spin rates up?

Thanks!

 

[coach james]

Practice, practice, practice!!!
If the rotation and mechanics are correct, then she just needs a ton more reps. Have her focus on "feeling" the finger prints at the release point.

 

[starsnuffer]

If she doesn't walk every where with a ball in her hand spinning it constantly, she's not a pitcher.

-W

 

[Jojo]

I tell my pitchers t o have a taped ball in the house. If they are standing around waiting on something or watching TV, then they should be spinning that ball.

I tell them one day they'll be as addicted as me because I always get caught spinning produce in the grocery store.

 

[halskinner]

MandM,

Youve been on this board for awhile. Surely you have noticed when folks ask a very 'Generic; question, they get a very generic reply.

Exactly what movement pitches are we talking about here? Tell us exactly what mechanics she uses, what wind up she uses, etc.

There are specific training methods to increase spin rate. However, it is thye correct advice for one pitcher and not good advice for another.

There is more than one way tpo throw a drop, a rise, etc. Depending on the mechanics, pitching style, wind up and folloow through, the correct advice for one can be the exact wrong advice for another.

Give us specifics and we will have a better chance of giving the right advice.

 

[MandM]

That stung a bit, Hal but OK. The reason I asked for generic advice- is because it is a generic problem, her spin speeds for all pitches have room for improvement (below average for HS; although her speed is a little above average) and while her mechanics have room for improvement, she currently gets good instruction from a coach whose style is in line with the mechanics discussed on this site. So I think this is more of an issue in that there were other higher priority things she needed to focus on (e.g.posture, arm circle etc), that now fixed, allow us to look at this issue more closely. I think that the fact that it is an across the board problem reflects that it has not been a priority area. I am interested in what approaches others have taken to improve spin speed, whether simply adding time to practice where she pitches just focusing on the ball coming off her fingers or having her walk around the house spinning a ball, use a spinner, wrist rollers, sand bags what ever- or maybe as someone has recommended based on their experience, just keep practicing and focus on it now and it will improve. So that is definitely Step 1. As a sophomore in HS, DD is running out of runway in terms of time for continued improvement, so I am just trying not to reinvent the wheel. Again, she does not have lofty aspirations, but would like to pitch varsity this year.

 

[halskinner]

Didnt mean to come across lecturing, sorry.

I have had to say that MANY times on this board.



"whose style is in line with the mechanics discussed on this site." Which mechanics are you referring to?

 

[MandM]

do you really want me to open that can of worms... I am not falling for it.

Let me just say that I have diligently followed posts on mechanics, and watched the expert videos posted, and then extrapolated from that to come to a conclusion as to the appropriate mechanics that are common to high level pitchers.

 

[starsnuffer]

MandM, make sure she understands that the fingers are what spin the ball, not the arm or the wrist or anything else. She may need to re-examine her grips.

Often times, kids are taught grips early on, and they continue to use the same grip for years and years as they grow. They probably aren't taking advantage of the fact that their hands and fingers are longer and stronger if they are doing this. Encourage her to experiment a bit with her grip, with the understanding that she should try to grip the ball in such a way where only her finger tips are in contact with the ball, and that she wants as many fingertrips leveraging a seam as she can, all while maintaining the correct orientation and direction of spin.

I was just playing around with the revfire and found that I could vary my spin RPS by about 10 just by how "deep" in my hand I held the ball while trying to throw at the same spin rate and speed.

That's probably the only advice I can give that suits the generic nature of the request, other than the "practice practice practice" advice already mentioned.

-W

 

[Madsdad]

Spinning a ball over and over. Not just while they pitch but whenever possible. You can experiment with this as well. Spin a ball for a few weeks whenever you have a chance. It becomes more and more comfortable. The spin rate increases and the finger control get better. Your fingers get quicker and stronger. I have also weighted a ball for dd to spin. There is nothing magical about it, practice, practice, practice