Old School pics

[Hillhouse]

This legal for girls fastpitch? Similar to "submarine" pitcher in baseball (Quisenberry, Tekulve).

Part 2

These videos are called "modified pitch", which is mostly played on the East Coast. There are 2 types of "modified softball", 9man and 10man. In 10man, obviously the team gets an extra outfielder. But the pitcher is also extremely restricted on movements. Basically, the pitcher has to throw with HELLO ELBOW style of pitching, without the windmill motion. The elbow has to be straight, body not allowed to turn, now snapping anything, etc. etc. If anyone ever needs a reason why Hello elbow is stupid, just look at a rule book for "Modified pitching" and you'll see the same principals for both. And the restrictions in 10man pitching are put in place to eliminate the pitcher's ability to throw hard, make the ball move, etc. The point is to let the hitter's hit it. So if Hello Elbow makes sense (mechanically speaking) then why does modified have the rules which mirror that same basic principals?

9man modified is basically slingshot fastpitch. No extra outfielder, and the pitcher can throw slingshot to make the ball go up, down, etc. The ASA 9man National championship is usually won by the team with the most money, who will purchase the services of the best fastpitch pitcher they can afford. That pitcher can do whatever he can as long as he doesn't windmill it. A lot of great pitchers have played in 9man modified nationals because the money was so good.

While Slingshot was used by some of the all time greats: Joan Joyce, Herb Dudley, Harvey Sterkel, etc. it's an important distinction to say... they didn't pitch against composite bats and polycore softballs that never go soft. Pop flies were not homeruns in the 1970's. And I think the human understanding of how the body works, generates power, and necessary mechanics required to pitch in today's game is why we don't see many slingshot people anymore. These facts get lost when people compare softball now to yesteryear. I'm sure Joan Joyce was amazing in her time. But I wouldn't wanna throw to Crystal Bustos using slingshot while she's got a composite bat and I'm throwing a Dudley thunder ball. It's a different game now. And also a reason comparing generations and the greatest of all time never works in most sports, including softball.

 

[cnardone]

We only have modified around my parts. I am old now and I miss it. All of our leagues seemed to be 10 man. but most were "open" leagues that don't have the restrictions @Hillhouse mentioned. We played with "Clinchers" in the evening and some awful heavy plastic Dudley for weekend morning games. The clinchers got too soggy in the morning dew.

I am pretty confident that @Hillhouse would still make 99% of us look silly pitching unrestricted modified. The good pitchers are still pretty good. Didn't Pauly estimate 90% velocity from the K position?

The games where the pitching is not very good can quickly look like a slow pitch game, but that can be fun too.

 

[Hillhouse]

We only have modified around my parts. I am old now and I miss it. All of our leagues seemed to be 10 man. but most were "open" leagues that don't have the restrictions @Hillhouse mentioned. We played with "Clinchers" in the evening and some awful heavy plastic Dudley for weekend morning games. The clinchers got too soggy in the morning dew.

I am pretty confident that @Hillhouse would still make 99% of us look silly pitching unrestricted modified. The good pitchers are still pretty good. Didn't Pauly estimate 90% velocity from the K position?

The games where the pitching is not very good can quickly look like a slow pitch game, but that can be fun too.

I played at the modified nationals a couple times, 9 man style. I didn't like it. In men's FASTPITCH, there no restrictions.... one foot on the rubber, pitchers can jump off the rubber, etc. etc. Basically, just don't throw overhand is the only rule. It was frustrating when someone would get a basehit and start beating his chest on 1st base and talking smack. I wanted to reach back and throw one regular to him.

As a favor for a friend, I did 10man modified pitching in a local league many years ago. I did my best to keep myself "legal" under the rules but OMG was it hard. Basically you have to forget everything you know about how to throw the ball hard and move it, keep 2 feet on the rubber, and hope they don't put a ball off your forehead. They did NOT use soft balls, they used hard softballs that never go soft and they still had the composite bats. The opposing team was screaming bloody murder that I was there pitching, and I am not sure they believed I was 100% legal under the rules but I certainly tried to be. This style of play was not fun either.

I've heard someone else say Pauly's estimate about the 90% power from K position too. I am not sure I could disagree with that statement more than I do. I don't know if that's an actual quote of Rick's or not, it might be "fake news". But you aren't the first person I've hard that from, and I don't agree with it regardless of who said it.

Bill