How to pitch a...

[Northball]

If this guy could sneak in a replant he may be on to something.

Seriously, I can't buy in to what he's teaching when the sport is ruled by monster hitters, final scores of 28-24 are not uncommon, and many leagues don't require you to round the bases on a home run because it's a waste of time and/or the batter may need oxygen after crossing the plate.

 

[WiLD53]

Once I realized it was slow pitch, my first thought was: the only thing more ridiculous than a fastpitch pitcher thinking they can throw these pitches is a slow pitch pitcher trying to do the same. I mean, really? Movement pitches in slowpitch?

i've told you before that i throw a slider in slowpitch... with a forehand release... I've followed weeknight ace since he started posting and I know he gets what he says he gets... just last night I had 2 people from the opposing team telling me about how my pitch starts out aimed right at them and curves in and hits the mat... i have umpires estimate that I get about 18 inches of movement... and it's all with what you would call yawed bullet spin... i don't blame you for being skeptical because very few pitchers know about it... but you can believe it's true... I've been throwing this pitch for 30 years... so how ridiculous is that?

 

[ArmWhip]

Movement pitches in slowpitch?

I was a skeptic like you but then I saw this.... to cut through the BS to the visual proof go to 9:00 minutes.

 

[WiLD53]

If this guy could sneak in a replant he may be on to something.

Seriously, I can't buy in to what he's teaching when the sport is ruled by monster hitters, final scores of 28-24 are not uncommon, and many leagues don't require you to round the bases on a home run because it's a waste of time and/or the batter may need oxygen after crossing the plate.

actually, most leagues have homerun rules and monster hitters are not that common... most league players are just guys getting off work and playing ball... and we don't run out home runs to save time since we're on a clock... no doubt about it... slow pitch is a hitters game... but if you don't think a pitcher can influence the outcome at all other than fielding the position and throwing strikes... then you'd be wrong... but again... it's a hitters game... there's nothing anyone can do about that... but if you can make it tougher, then you can influence it... i will never compare how much influence I have over a game compared to a fastpitch pitcher, but movement pitches are a reality in slow pitch... and it makes it harder on the hitters... that's all... not impossible... just more difficult

 

[WiLD53]

I was a skeptic like you but then I saw this.... to cut through the BS to the visual proof go to 9:00 minutes.

you will notice that this does exactly what I say mine does... breaks on the downside... since we play with an arc, if it's oriented down then it won't move until it starts to go down... in fast pitch, you have more of a flat plane to deal with...

 

[Sweet Lou]

I literally got a few minutes into this before I realized it was slow pitch. LOL. At the very first, I was trying to figure out who this guy is.

When I saw all his other pitches at the bottom of the screen, I immediately rolled my eyes. lol. Slider? Knuckleball? Screwball? While I know there are a lot of people who teach young girls that these pitches exist and are part of their 9 pitch arsenal so at first I didn't realize this was slow pitch.

Once I realized it was slow pitch, my first thought was: the only thing more ridiculous than a fastpitch pitcher thinking they can throw these pitches is a slow pitch pitcher trying to do the same. I mean, really? Movement pitches in slowpitch?

I remember showing up to a game one night, on another field at the complex was a men's slow pitch game. I remember this vividly because I can remember how hard I laughed out loud... it was the last inning or so, the offense had a runner or 2 on base. The pitcher, again this was a slow pitch game, was very animated and really wanting to win this game. In the process of trying to pump up his infield and team to get the final out, he said out loud: "I need to bear down and get this guy!!!!" I laughed so hard at that my legs got wobbly. How does someone bear down in slow pitch pitching? I don't remember the outcome, I was too far gone in hysterics.

Nice find RAD.

Yeah but millions of folks still play slow pitch softball. I mean every town in my area has multiple leagues on multiple nights. I'm not sure I'd even know how or where to find men's fast pitch softball game.

Some slow pitch leagues are the level of "can you drink as many beers as innings played". But some are more serious.

I know slow pitch doesn't have the excitement of your typical 1-0 men's fast pitch game but pitchers can and do at least try to disrupt batters timing. It's mostly a losing proposition as there is only so much you can do with slow pitch, but they do try to keep the ball off the sweet spot as much as they can and different spins, arcs, and delivery timing is all they have to do it.

 

[WiLD53]

...different spins, arcs, and delivery timing is all they have to do it.

i disagree... but it's not something most slowpitch pitchers know about, but you can get movement in slow-pitch with yawed bullet spin... and I don't even spin it that much... it just rolls off my hand...

 

[Hillhouse]

Have you ever tried any split grip pitches in fastpitch? Seriously wondering.

I don't know what that is, a split grip. Is it on the video??

I had shut it off when I realized it was slow pitch but, in messaging back and forth with RAD, I promised to go look at it and watch the full thing. And I will do that. But for now, I don't know what a split grip is.

 

[WiLD53]

I don't know what that is, a split grip. Is it on the video??

I had shut it off when I realized it was slow pitch but, in messaging back and forth with RAD, I promised to go look at it and watch the full thing. And I will do that. But for now, I don't know what a split grip is.

it's a grip like a spilt finger fastball... he uses it to get more spin... i think it makes it a tougher pitch than most people can throw... and I doubt you would be able to use it in fastpitch back hand but maybe forehand...

 

[Hillhouse]

it's a grip like a spilt finger fastball... he uses it to get more spin... i think it makes it a tougher pitch than most people can throw... and I doubt you would be able to use it in fastpitch back hand but maybe forehand...

Thanks for the explanation. No, I don't think I'd do that in my own pitching. Not only do I think that'd be hard to control while throwing fastpitch style, but I'd worry that it'd be seen easily by the hitters in advance. It seems like gripping a ball like that would be a fairly simple pick for the opposing team, 3rd base coach, or hitter in the box. Moreover, if I'm understanding it correctly, I think I'd lose a lot of my pitch rotation. I'd rather have a tight spin on the ball. Again, assuming I understand this, it seems like the rotation wouldn't be tight, making the pitch easier to see out of my hand. I know from my own hitting, I could see the ball much easier (and the spin of the ball for whatever pitch) if they weren't using 4 seams.

Also, I'm guessing there really isn't anything new in softball pitching. I'm sure if that was a legit pitch for a pitcher to throw, someone would be throwing it. I don't really think there's any new pitches to be discovered at this point. Of course, that statement excludes the parent who's kid has 10 pitches. But even those cases, they aren't really new pitches, many are just odd combinations of current legitimate pitches, like drop curve. Or curve rise. I'm sure there's plenty more out there like the rising drop change up that has a curve in it. LOL But, those are pitches I never learned. I only used 3 in my games.