If you are watching a game, it helps to know how to identify a rise, a drop and a fastball.
Here is a helpful way to "see the pitches".
First, focus on the flight path of the ball from the pitcher to the plate as seen from 3B.
The flight path of a fastball is a uniform curve. It has an initial trajectory up and ends slightly down from the initial release.
The flight path of a drop ball has an "inflection point". There is a point where the ball seems to suddenly start moving down.
The flight of a riseball is parallel as the pitch crosses the plate. (This is assuming the pitcher is throwing less than 70 MPH.)
If you want to practice identifying drops and fastball pitches, watch this video. She mainly throws drops, off-speed drops and fastballs.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w2f8RtCJDhw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Here is a helpful way to "see the pitches".
First, focus on the flight path of the ball from the pitcher to the plate as seen from 3B.
The flight path of a fastball is a uniform curve. It has an initial trajectory up and ends slightly down from the initial release.
The flight path of a drop ball has an "inflection point". There is a point where the ball seems to suddenly start moving down.
The flight of a riseball is parallel as the pitch crosses the plate. (This is assuming the pitcher is throwing less than 70 MPH.)
If you want to practice identifying drops and fastball pitches, watch this video. She mainly throws drops, off-speed drops and fastballs.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w2f8RtCJDhw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>