This the second game in which I have watched Keagan Rothrock of Florida. It's pretty clear to me that she uses the fatty grip on all her pitches. She throws the bullet rise (with a touch of backspin) a lot. All the strikeouts and significant contact where they slo-mo replay the pitch have the same spin, if there is a different spin it's too subtle for me to detect on TV. She does throw a pitch with a dipping trajectory but I haven't seen a replay of it.
Rothrock's Grip
- Thread starter ArmWhip
- Start date
Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch
Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.
- Sep 1, 2021
- 123
- 43
I'm coming full circle on this. Almost every really good pitcher throws bullet spin. This, despite almost no pitching coaches teaching bullet spin. I'm wondering if they would be better had we just taught them bullet spin from the beginning.
I’ve often thought same but when DD is hitting, she looks for the dot caused by the spin. See dot, hit dot. Maybe it’s a live by the sword/die by the sword sintubation. Would love to get other’s take…..
- Oct 14, 2019
- 903
- 93
I watch a lot of college softball and bullet spin is the rule, not the exception. The last true backspin riseball I remember is Kelly Barnhill.
When watching college on TV you need to understand you're looking at the top in velocity as well as the best of the best in location etc. I wouldn't worry about spin/movement as much* with my students if they were throwing upper 60's either. My fastest kid is cruising 61/62 so yeah, spin axis is important. Look for the lower level games on ESPN+ if you want to see the girls who can spin it! Yes, plenty of the top pitchers can spin it properly too, but the broadcast seems to only like showing slow mo replays of bullet spin rise Ks.
*I'd still worry about it, because why wouldn't you want to be even better?
*I'd still worry about it, because why wouldn't you want to be even better?
- Oct 14, 2019
- 903
- 93
So the best throw bullet spin and the mid tier really spin it?
I think the idea that most pitches are bullet spin is a fallacy. There are a lot of drop ball pitchers out there not throwing bullet spin.
Perhaps most pitches up in the zone are bullet spin.
@Jeffrey sure having perfect backspin is better in a vacuum. But it often comes at a cost. We have lots of stories here where there is a lose of velocity. Perhaps even worse, less control.
Most of the pitchers we are seeing on TV have elite velocity. Command + elite velo at the top of the zone has long been a winning combination
Perhaps most pitches up in the zone are bullet spin.
@Jeffrey sure having perfect backspin is better in a vacuum. But it often comes at a cost. We have lots of stories here where there is a lose of velocity. Perhaps even worse, less control.
Most of the pitchers we are seeing on TV have elite velocity. Command + elite velo at the top of the zone has long been a winning combination
- Aug 21, 2008
- 2,386
- 113
I've never seen her pitch, nor do I know anything about her pitch grips. But, bullet spin usually doesn't have anything to do with someone's grip. It's about turning the wrist at the release, and that can happen on any pitch with any grip. Bullet spin is most common with riseballs because there are a lot of pitching coaches who teach that pitch using verbiage and phrases like "turn the doorknob". Personally, I don't like that expression and think it causes more harm than good.
I do agree that it's more common than not to see bullet spin at the college level. I think there's a few reasons for this, in addition to what I mentioned above regarding the doorknob. But I don't wanna bore everyone to death with my rant and raving crap.
I do agree that it's more common than not to see bullet spin at the college level. I think there's a few reasons for this, in addition to what I mentioned above regarding the doorknob. But I don't wanna bore everyone to death with my rant and raving crap.
I see replays of K's and HR's showing bullet spin. During the regular season not all broadcasts are clear enough to show the spin, SEC is much better this year as are some of the ESPN games, I don't know about SEC+. Typically you had to wait for the WCWS to get good clear replays.
I find similarities between a pure back spin rise and the overhand curve ball in baseball. When the fingers apply spin to the ball in the direction of it's flight (spin axis at 90 degrees) that reduces the energy that contributes to velocity, you don't see 90+ mph curve balls in baseball for a good reason.
I’d say the fastest do tend toward bullet and the slower girls tend to be really good at location and movement. We’re not talking absolutes here, there’s girls all over the place including fast girls who can spin it and slow girls who can’t…you won’t find the latter on ESPN though! Occasionally I do see a girl on TV like my DD with not top speed, but really good change of speed, which would be another path to elite level pitching without elite speed.
