Peel or Rollover drop

[sluggers]

and there is no reason a pitcher can't throw drops (any style) and rises.

Theoretically, no. Practically, for a 21U pitcher, it is very difficult to throw both the rollover and the rise and get good ball movement.

The basic problem is the body position to throw a rollover as opposed to the rise. If the body position relative to the arm isn't right on either pitch, the ball will not move. With a rise, the pitcher has to be back. With a drop, the pitcher has to be forward.

At practice, where the pitcher is throwing 50 drops in a row or 50 rises in a row, you can eventually get the pitcher to throw the desired pitch.

During a game, when the pitcher has to throw each of these pitches several times an inning, the body position gets messed up, and the ball stops moving.

Most are better at one or the other but that is often a matter of working harder at one than the other or using one or the other more based on early success.

If a pitcher has an infinite amount of time, she could throw both. She doesn't.

Most pitchers who try to learn both end up not learning a breaking pitch.

 

[stemcellsrock]

Peel or Roll Over....

I personally was a drop ball pitcher (that was my strongest pitch in my opinion). I threw the peel drop. My younger pitchers, I teach the peel drop when they are at the point to learn a movement pitch. I teach fastball first (I always put emphasis on peeling off the fingers at release for increased spin). This tends to help the pitchers develop a tight enough spin to actually throw their fastball so that it drops, essentially a peel drop.

I teach both roll over and peel depending also on the individual pitcher, but if a pitcher has good mechanics and release, a peel drop can be quickly learned.

I think having both is a great, the peel drop should be one of the fastest pitches the pitcher throws and the roll over tends to loose some speed. So having a fast drop and an off speed drop is only going to be more lethal.

Peel drop, some need to shorten their stride, but not all.... Same grip as a fastball, and I sometimes explain that the girls are going to give an uppercut punch. This helps them to peel off quickly and with as much friction as possible to create the tight downward spin.

There are other mechanical changes that may need to be taught.... weight at release should be forward towards the stride leg (not bent, just weight shifted more towards the stride foot), finger tips must have good grip on seams to peel off of (if a pitcher listens they usually can hear the friction of your fingers against the ball when throwing movement pitches....), release may need to start earlier. Sometimes stride needs to be shortened if the pitcher cannot get their weight towards the stride leg, but I do not encourage this unless all other mechanical changes do not allow for enough break/drop.

Hope that helps a little... at least terms used that I feel help many of my pitchers understand the peel drop release and mechanics.

Drop balls are great, make sure your DD knows why she is throwing a drop... what they are intended to create when hit etc.... (grounders that can be fielded for easy outs and double plays) Of course you can strike out a lot of girls with a good drop, but first and foremost, my goal is to throw pitches that if hit, are not going to be rocked. Having a drop ball hit for easily fieldable grounders is actually being successful!

Good luck!

 

[DOG310]

Sluggers,
In your opinion is there anything wrong with a young (12U/14U) pitcher learning the peel and changing later to the rise when they are older and have enough velocity? Or do you believe that will hinder their eventual mastery of the rise?

 

[sluggers]

No, a peel drop does not interfere with the mastery of the rise. IMHO, a peel doesn't get as much break as a rollover--so, it is a trade off.

This is my DD throwing a rollover:

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My DD had an incredible drop ball. But, the rollover is about as opposite from a rise as you can get. My DD finally learned a rise this year...but, she is 30 YOA and hasn't pitched competitively for 8 years.