How many pitches?

[GunnerShotgun]

Nothing goes further than a hanging curve ball so there is that. Also the number of kids that can throw a real screwball are rare; much like a riseball. An inside pitch is not a screwball.

I am a big fan of Hillhouses north/south theory on missing bats. Having said that I would go with your daughters strength (curve ball). Throw at it at three different speeds (and vary locations if possible).

 

[Legendsmom]

She has had 2 homeruns hit off of her. 1 was off a curve the other a rise but for the most part her curve is where she gets her strikeouts. I understand that an inside pitch isn't a screwball but I just think she should focus on her strengths.


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[Rocketech1]

Teach her to the throw the drop ball inside (the coaches won't know the difference).

 

[CoachJD]

Hillhouse's one video discusses what I believe he calls a cutter that actually has something of a screwball movement (in on RHB from RHP). I think he does it by just adding finger pressure with the index finger (or maybe it's middle finger; it's been a while since I watched that video) in a 4-seam grip.

This seems easier to learn (maybe not, I don't know for sure), and has less potential to screw up a pitcher's mechanics.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

Hillhouse's one video discusses what I believe he calls a cutter that actually has something of a screwball movement (in on RHB from RHP). I think he does it by just adding finger pressure with the index finger (or maybe it's middle finger; it's been a while since I watched that video) in a 4-seam grip.

This seems easier to learn (maybe not, I don't know for sure), and has less potential to screw up a pitcher's mechanics.

I prefer this approach as well for the reasons riseball mentioned previously.

 

[Classof2020]

Teach her to the throw the drop ball inside (the coaches won't know the difference).

This is exactly what I was going to say. If the coach is anything like 90% of the coaches we've had just say sure she is working on it. And when he calls it throw the rise low and inside or the drop. They will probably have no idea and I'm not joking.

Our team got chewed out this weekend for not hitting more off a pitcher who our coach said "is no better than any you've faced you're just swinging the bat" this girl was head and shoulders better than other pitchers we've faced. She had great control, a sweet rise ball and a FB or DB that seems to tail off. It was really great to watch except it was against us. But it blew my mind that a guy standing at 3B couldn't see ANY of this. Give a little credit where it's due when it's a good pitcher it's a good pitcher. But yes our batting sucked.

 

[JAD]

My DD throws a curve and screw as her "go to" pitches, but if I had to do it all over again we would spend more time on the fastball, change, drop and rise. College level umpires are more forgiving up/down than they are east/west and batters are more disciplined to lay off balls.

 

[Rocketech1]

My DD throws a curve and screw as her "go to" pitches, but if I had to do it all over again we would spend more time on the fastball, change, drop and rise. College level umpires are more forgiving up/down than they are east/west and batters are more disciplined to lay off balls.

Good point, not too many top pitchers in D1 that dominate with a screwball or curve. The last great screwball pitcher that I can remember is Meg Langenfeld (2010 MOP WCWS) now an AC at Stanford.

 

[JAD]

Good point, not too many top pitchers in D1 that dominate with a screwball or curve. The last great screwball pitcher that I can remember is Meg Langenfeld (2010 MOP WCWS) now an AC at Stanford.

Kaylee Carlson at Auburn throws a lot of screwballs, or maybe they just look like screwballs because she steps out so far. I also think the new pitcher at Ole Miss that was such a surprise last season threw a lot of screwballs.

 

[Crystal Brown]

FWIW - I have found that the best progression to a screw is often via the rise. Or you can learn to tail your FB in and out with pretty much the same effect.

DD screwball is thrown as a low inside riseball. It doesn't hurt her elbow as much as when she was doing the hitch hiker move. Last lesson with Pauly, this was the pitch she asked for help with. It was once her 2nd weakest pitch but now it is her best. She struck out more batters throwing a low inside rise.

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