Rachel Garcia

[Hillhouse]

For the "low rise" it's a rise that didn't get up most of the time. Why would you want to take pitch at the knees and bring it up to the belt? Seems like kind of a bad strategy.

In a true, low rise, this isn't what happens.

A low rise is most effective when coupled with a very good drop. The premise is to keep the drop ball down, until they stop swinging or the ump stops calling the pitch a strike. Then, the low rise comes in at the BOTTOM of the zone and should cross at the knees. Basically, we want the hitter to think it's a drop but it sneaks into the bottom of the zone for a strike. Most often, it's a "looking" strike not a swinging. Again, this is because of it's deception. A riseball this is "thigh high" or belt high should be murdered, if it's not... the pitcher got away with it but that doesn't mean it was done on purpose or should be repeated!

That said, i can't even listen to the announcers on ESPN anymore. As someone pointed out, anything low is a drop.. anything high is a rise... etc. And don't even get me started on the "step to the left, throw to the right "SCREWBALL". No it wasn't!! Or when they tell you "Jane Doe" has 8 different pitches, even though they all spin the same. NO, SHE HAS 1 PITCH THAT SHE MAY THROW 8 DIFFERENT SPOTS!!! Big difference!! Putting the ball inside on a RH hitter doesn't mean it screwed in. 99.99999999999999999999999999% do not actually make the ball curve inward. Wanna know what a screw ball is? It's a poor man's low rise. It's a ball they can spot inside but doesn't go down.

Bill

 

[coach james]

In a true, low rise, this isn't what happens.

A low rise is most effective when coupled with a very good drop. The premise is to keep the drop ball down, until they stop swinging or the ump stops calling the pitch a strike. Then, the low rise comes in at the BOTTOM of the zone and should cross at the knees. Basically, we want the hitter to think it's a drop but it sneaks into the bottom of the zone for a strike. Most often, it's a "looking" strike not a swinging. Again, this is because of it's deception. A riseball this is "thigh high" or belt high should be murdered, if it's not... the pitcher got away with it but that doesn't mean it was done on purpose or should be repeated!

That said, i can't even listen to the announcers on ESPN anymore. As someone pointed out, anything low is a drop.. anything high is a rise... etc. And don't even get me started on the "step to the left, throw to the right "SCREWBALL". No it wasn't!! Or when they tell you "Jane Doe" has 8 different pitches, even though they all spin the same. NO, SHE HAS 1 PITCH THAT SHE MAY THROW 8 DIFFERENT SPOTS!!! Big difference!! Putting the ball inside on a RH hitter doesn't mean it screwed in. 99.99999999999999999999999999% do not actually make the ball curve inward. Wanna know what a screw ball is? It's a poor man's low rise. It's a ball they can spot inside but doesn't go down.

Bill

Bill,
I'd like you to really study the GIF in the OP... look at this spin. I want your perception of what you're seeing. Some have argued that Garcia is utilizing YAW to achieve her movement by angling the large smooth spot (center of the horseshoe) either up, down, or side to side.... Thoughts?

 

[Hillhouse]

James

Ok, I watched it multiple times. She is not getting backspin on the rise, even with watching it in video and not catching it live I can see that. Her grip looks good.. but she's turning her wrist at the end which negates the grip. The wrist is the riseball KILLER. It turns backspin into bullet spin faster than anything. The thumb needs to stay pointed at 3rd base, regardless of what grip you're doing or the wrist will turn. The curve can be cheated with a wrist turn so the spin looks good and it appears to have a good break on it. The screw is useless... bullet spin and it's simply thrown inside. ANY pitch can be thrown inside!!! Why not make it go up or down inside instead of flat??? And we seriously wonder why college HR numbers are wayyyyy up?

Bill

 

[STRIKE3]

She makes it look so easy........

 

[Phandle]

She makes it look so easy........

That’s an illegal pitch, wonder if she has ever been called for it.

 

[STRIKE3]

My guess is she tightens it up when the batter is in the box and a bit looser inbetween innings like in the video.

 

[Rosey]

Are you talking about when her left toe loses contact with the rubber as she shifts her weight back? That is technically legal. College Rules allow for the toe to lose contact as long as she's just dropping her heal and not taking a step. I believe it was a new rule a few years ago.

 

[Barr110]

Does cupping the ball at the beginning help with ball rotation?

 

[coach james]

Does cupping the ball at the beginning help with ball rotation?

No. Cupping is only relevant throughout the release. Grip, and initial cupping of the wrist are just a couple variables between pitchers.
Sara Pauly has a severe cupped wrist in her back swing and up swing, but it straightens out by 9:00...

 

[Chris Delorit]

Hi James,

From a hitting perspective, the sequencing in the OP is attempted rise, curve and screwball. Same grip and seam location. Differences in ball placement within the hand, inner hand contact at brush and release/follow-through.

The first pitch (rise) is flat, a missed pitch or perhaps it is her competition rise. The distinctive backspin in the neighborhood of 6-12 isn't there on that delivery. In terms of yaw rotation around an axis, I think it's safe to say there's a level of it in that clip.

A couple of things to consider as inhibiting in the examples in the OP ... she's choking off her follow-throughs after contact and as Bill has mentioned, her thumb is non-existant. On any pitch and especially those movement pitches, she could consider involving the thumb ... benefitting two-fold to grip stability and control, and by adding another active ingredient to try to improve the spin torque and increase the rotation.

In an indirect way, you could think about this the same way you see batters who have been taught to point their index fingers in a pre-swing stance. By subtracting 20% of handle contact, there's increased potential to incorporate lower levels of bat control, torque and feel.

Hence, trying to avoid the law of diminishing returns.

Chris