screw balls in world series

[durwood]

appears that fowlers release when throwing her screw ball, comes across her body toward her left. i maybe wrong. how many ways can you throw the screw ball with IR mechanics. both pitchers do not have the look of stepping way left and having the exaggerated release.

 

[tojo]

I know of two ways to throw a screwball correctly. One that Fowler throws is commonly referred to as a "cut across". Others have their own term but you pull across the body from outside of the ball to inside as you release. The other is the turnout.

 

[stephanie]

I wish I spoke "pitcher"....

 

[CoachFP]

See all of those home runs flying out of the park. Thank the stupid screwball for those. The pitch is an angle pitch. From a right handed pitcher to a right handed batter the pitcher steps left and throws right. The spin on the ball is going in the opposite direction of what one would want to have it go inside. The pitch is slower than other pitches and a hitter who has a quick bat can knock the heck out of it. Weak hitters may succumb to it but the boppers don't.

 

[SoCalSoftballdad]

See all of those home runs flying out of the park. Thank the stupid screwball for those. The pitch is an angle pitch. From a right handed pitcher to a right handed batter the pitcher steps left and throws right. The spin on the ball is going in the opposite direction of what one would want to have it go inside. The pitch is slower than other pitches and a hitter who has a quick bat can knock the heck out of it. Weak hitters may succumb to it but the boppers don't.

UCLA's Megan Langenfeld throws 80% screwballs and seems to have done pretty well in the WCWS this year using it. My question is why do the pitchers only throw the screwball to one side of the plate (low and inside to the catcher's left)whether or not if its a RHB or LHB? Would it not make sense to work away from the batter for a righty?

 

[CoachFP]

Well there you go. 80% screwballs. 5 runs. Seems like a bad formula to me. If you give up 5 runs in top flight softball you are mediocre.

 

[SoCalSoftballdad]

Well there you go. 80% screwballs. 5 runs. Seems like a bad formula to me. If you give up 5 runs in top flight softball you are mediocre.

You can't be serious? UCLA and AZ are in the finals of the WCWS but they have "mediocre" pitchers because they gave up 5 and 6 runs, respectively. Megan is 15 -1 with a 1.29 ERA. She gets the job done. Period.

 

[tojo]

UCLA's Megan Langenfeld throws 80% screwballs and seems to have done pretty well in the WCWS this year using it. My question is why do the pitchers only throw the screwball to one side of the plate (low and inside to the catcher's left)whether or not if its a RHB or LHB? Would it not make sense to work away from the batter for a righty?

A lot of pitchers do throw the back door screwball, but I have not seen alot of that in the WCWS. However, Stacey Nelson did use it effectively in her career.

 

[redhotcoach]

You can't be serious? UCLA and AZ are in the finals of the WCWS but they have "mediocre" pitchers because they gave up 5 and 6 runs, respectively. Megan is 15 -1 with a 1.29 ERA. She gets the job done. Period.

I would agree with you SoCal. What other pitch would you get away with throwing 80% of the time. Last year Mizzou spanked Megan in the second game they played, BUT they admitted that they were just expecting the screw and swinging the bat with hopes of getting lucky. Yes an inside pitch is great for going park, but it seams that it is jamming everyone up. Giving up 5 runs in this years game of long ballin' isn't uncommon.

 

[tojo]

See all of those home runs flying out of the park. Thank the stupid screwball for those. The pitch is an angle pitch. From a right handed pitcher to a right handed batter the pitcher steps left and throws right. The spin on the ball is going in the opposite direction of what one would want to have it go inside. The pitch is slower than other pitches and a hitter who has a quick bat can knock the heck out of it. Weak hitters may succumb to it but the boppers don't.

Are you being serious? I hope not.