Movement Pitches

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Nov 27, 2012
197
18
I don't know how much effective it will be in softball and baseball. In cricket they play with the same ball for the 80 overs, so it makes sense to shine the ball on one side and roughen up on the other side. In softball and baseball you don't play with the same ball and both the teams pitch with the same ball and if there is any damage to the ball they will change it, so it will not be as effective. Also in cricket ball the seam splits the ball in perfect half so you have good chance of the ball swinging due to Magnus effect.
Weather also plays a big part in making a cricket ball swing. The ball will swing more on a cloudy and damp day then on a bright sunny day.

I think in softball the movement is due to the spin of the ball than due to magnus effect. Not a physics major here.
 
Last edited:
Jul 4, 2018
50
8
san diego ca
did you watch the video i posted in #71? it explains how to get this in baseball... and the same should... and does apply to softball... if you look at the movement on some of these slow motion replays you will see bullet spin movement and rpm's and seams can't account for that... this does...

also... part of what the video was talking about is how to sling it with a brand new cricket ball... using the seam and smooth spot only... they talk about a beat up ball later... but thanks for your reply.... i'm getting difficulty even getting anyone to notice this... :cool:
 
Nov 27, 2012
197
18
Getting a new cricket ball to swing or conventional swing is done by pointing the seam towards the direction you want the ball to swing. A new cricket ball will swing easy because the seam is more pronounced. Where as to make the old ball swing you need to have a rough and a smooth side, this is called reverse swing. The ball will swing towards the shiny side.

The problem with softball is both the team use the same ball is used by both the teams and the ball is changed often so you cannot maintain the condition of the ball to get the magnus effect to swing the ball. You cannot have a perfect smooth area and a rough side.
 
Feb 17, 2014
7,152
113
Orlando, FL
did you watch the video i posted in #71? it explains how to get this in baseball... and the same should... and does apply to softball... if you look at the movement on some of these slow motion replays you will see bullet spin movement and rpm's and seams can't account for that... this does...

also... part of what the video was talking about is how to sling it with a brand new cricket ball... using the seam and smooth spot only... they talk about a beat up ball later... but thanks for your reply.... i'm getting difficulty even getting anyone to notice this... :cool:

Not sure what there is to notice? The mechanics and physics with respect to a 2 seam fastball are nothing new. And of course it applies to softball. It was my DD's bread and butter while playing at fairly high level in college and I teach it to every one of my pitchers. Do not understand your comment in #71 about bullet spin as none of the examples in the video were bullet spin. In fact the reason bullet spin does not move, only drifts and retains more velocity is due to the aerodynamic efficiency of bullet spin.
 
Last edited:
Jul 4, 2018
50
8
san diego ca
Not sure what there is to notice? The mechanics and physics with respect to a 2 seam fastball are nothing new. And of course it applies to softball. It was my DD's bread and butter while playing at fairly high level in college and I teach it to every one of my pitchers. Do not understand your comment in #71 about bullet spin as none of the examples in the video were bullet spin. In fact the reason bullet spin does not move, only drifts and retains more velocity is due to the aerodynamic efficiency of bullet spin.

i understand that bullet spin is when the spin is facing directly forward so i apologise if i don't use the exact terminology you guys use... what i mean is a bullet spin that's offset or yawed about 1 inch in any direction... i saw a slow motion replay of rachel garcia that showed the kind of spin i'm referring to... at the stop points you can see her pinky on the smooth spot and if you follow the logos on the ball you will see she releases it with that same smooth spot facing forward but yawed a bit... this drift you speak of is actually due to this effect... if i'm not mistaken, a ball with precise bullet spin on it should not move at all since everything balances out...plus, if you throw this pitch without a smooth spot forward, then i don't see the movement i see when it is...

i've looked through a lot of the threads here on movement and what is see is you guys have this basically figured out but you don't know that the physics is there to support what you think... knowing the physics should help you refine everything... keep in mind that i pitch in slow pitch softball and i get a lot of movement using this... however, when it comes to fast pitch, i'm new to all this pitching stuff...

anyway... thanks for responding... i'm just trying to help out... :cool:

https://i.makeagif.com/media/5-25-2018/76kq2G.gif
 
Jul 9, 2016
240
28
i understand that bullet spin is when the spin is facing directly forward so i apologise if i don't use the exact terminology you guys use... what i mean is a bullet spin that's offset or yawed about 1 inch in any direction... i saw a slow motion replay of rachel garcia that showed the kind of spin i'm referring to... at the stop points you can see her pinky on the smooth spot and if you follow the logos on the ball you will see she releases it with that same smooth spot facing forward but yawed a bit... this drift you speak of is actually due to this effect... if i'm not mistaken, a ball with precise bullet spin on it should not move at all since everything balances out...plus, if you throw this pitch without a smooth spot forward, then i don't see the movement i see when it is...

i've looked through a lot of the threads here on movement and what is see is you guys have this basically figured out but you don't know that the physics is there to support what you think... knowing the physics should help you refine everything... keep in mind that i pitch in slow pitch softball and i get a lot of movement using this... however, when it comes to fast pitch, i'm new to all this pitching stuff...

anyway... thanks for responding... i'm just trying to help out... :cool:

76kq2G.gif

..........
 

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