Screwball examples?

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Dec 2, 2013
3,410
113
Texas
But that's the point texasheat. 99.99999999999999% of girls that claim to have a screwball simple throw the ball inside. That's hardly a movement pitch. As I said before, if that's a movement pitch then everyone pitching in Slow-pitch throws riseballs because they throw it up high. Stepping to the left and throwing it inside is not a screwball.

Can a 2 seamer move inward? Yes. So can a 4 seamer with the right hand size and finger pressure for release. And I'd much rather have a tight spinning 4 seamer than a loose sloppy looking 2 seam that hitters can identify easier.

There are all kinds of factors that can help a ball to move. Wind, how new the ball is, and dumb luck play a role. Ever watch a 5 day match of cricket??? The ones where they wear the white uniforms, not the multi-colored ones. Anyway, you will see the bowlers (pitchers) constantly rubbing the ball on their uniform trying to shine one side of the ball so it will sway in the wind as it's thrown. Their uniforms get giant red streaks in them from the constant rubbing and shining of the ball. This can be another factor.

So, my overall problem is calling a pitch by ANY name just because it ends up somewhere. And that's what we have in most "screwballs".

Bill
I totally agree with Bill on this. When I was coaching the 10U/12U girls and catching some bullpen to get them warmed up, I was perplexed as to why they were calling their inside fastball a screwball. The ball just came in at different angle. Now, a curve actually curves. Btw, I hate the term back door curve in softball by the announcers. Righty pitcher throwing to a Lefty throws a curve that starts outside and ends up being a strike. And vice versa. Outside curve that comes in....that's a back door curve. Not a pitch that starts at the batter then ends up over the plate. That's called an Inside Curve. Amaright?

Something that I never really thought about when considering the differences between softball and baseball pitches. You may have pointed this out in a different thread. Baseball pitchers tend to start the ball off the plate inside or outside and finishes over the plate. Whereas softball pitchers tend to start over the plate and end up being caught outside the zone hoping to catch an edge.
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
I totally agree with Bill on this. When I was coaching the 10U/12U girls and catching some bullpen to get them warmed up, I was perplexed as to why they were calling their inside fastball a screwball. The ball just came in at different angle. Now, a curve actually curves. Btw, I hate the term back door curve in softball by the announcers. Righty pitcher throwing to a Lefty throws a curve that starts outside and ends up being a strike. And vice versa. Outside curve that comes in....that's a back door curve. Not a pitch that starts at the batter then ends up over the plate. That's called an Inside Curve. Amaright?

Something that I never really thought about when considering the differences between softball and baseball pitches. You may have pointed this out in a different thread. Baseball pitchers tend to start the ball off the plate inside or outside and finishes over the plate. Whereas softball pitchers tend to start over the plate and end up being caught outside the zone hoping to catch an edge.

Your first mistake, listening to the ESPN announcers. OMG they make my teeth hurt just listening to them. I don't know if they are told to fabricate new pitches or if they do it off the cuff. I have done some announcing for men's fastpitch games at the World championships and really liked it. I guess it's debatable if I was any good at the color commentary but, I didn't try telling the listeners/viewers that someone was throwing pitches they actually weren't.

And yes, this "backdoor curve" is just another example of trying to sensationalize pitching and make people think there are 10 pitches in someone's arsenal. Then, every nutcase father in the sport thinks their 9 year old should have 10 pitches.

It's just painful.
 
Feb 6, 2020
100
28
Found this video while poking around. The spin looks right but release looks off from a screwball. It looks a lot like the riseball she throw in the same video. Would this be another example of ESPN getting it wrong? and would the pitch they labeled as a screwball be another examples of a "low rise" that was mentioned by Bill on the first page of the thread? Thanks
 
May 27, 2013
2,353
113
I believe Stacy Nelson from Florida was a big time screwball pitcher. I just remember how much she used to lean though.
 
Apr 12, 2015
792
93
Found this video while poking around. The spin looks right but release looks off from a screwball. It looks a lot like the riseball she throw in the same video. Would this be another example of ESPN getting it wrong? and would the pitch they labeled as a screwball be another examples of a "low rise" that was mentioned by Bill on the first page of the thread? Thanks


Those are beautiful views and you can easily see the spin of the ball.

1. Riseball = bullet spin
2. Screwball = bullet spin

So yeah, they are pretty much the same pitch thrown to different locations. :D
 
May 15, 2008
1,913
113
Cape Cod Mass.
It's nearly impossible to get any decent 'screwball' spin on the ball, that's why it doesn't exist. You might be able to tip your topspin or bulletspin a little but not enough to get the same kind of break you can get on a curveball.
 
Feb 3, 2010
5,752
113
Pac NW
C'mon folks! There's $200 just waiting to give anyone who can post a video of a game-speed screwball that breaks hard away from the throwing arm side. Honestly, if there's anyone I know who could pull this spin off, it would be Hillhouse. 3-9 screw spin is just not possible...
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
C'mon folks! There's $200 just waiting to give anyone who can post a video of a game-speed screwball that breaks hard away from the throwing arm side. Honestly, if there's anyone I know who could pull this spin off, it would be Hillhouse. 3-9 screw spin is just not possible...

Nope. Not possible, and I have tried. I have tried HARD. The ball simply won't move unless the rotation is going in the direction you're trying to move it to, and no "bullet spin" doesn't make it go side to side. It only keeps it from dropping. It's just sad that people promote the lunacy that this is real. The TV announcers are the most guilty of this fallacy.

Fastpitch softball is an extremely difficult game as is. Why do people feel the need to embellish how hard it is by claiming that pitchers can throw 8 pitches? If you've never played fastpitch, it is probably maddening to see someone swing at a ball over their head, or in the dirt and not understand "how could you swing at that?????" But they don't understand the speed of pitching, the distance from rubber to home, wondering if the ball is going up or down while in the batters box during the wind up (unlike baseball where there is no up pitch), AND... not the least of which.... the reaction time needed to hit the ball with a 2 1/4" diameter bat. I think a lot of this crap would end (people believing in 8 pitches) if ESPN would let people broadcast who actually watch what happens, not just where the ball ends up. Then again, I'm not "2 time Olympic Gold Medalist Michele Smith" though so what do I know?

Bill
 
May 16, 2016
946
93
Found this video while poking around. The spin looks right but release looks off from a screwball. It looks a lot like the riseball she throw in the same video. Would this be another example of ESPN getting it wrong? and would the pitch they labeled as a screwball be another examples of a "low rise" that was mentioned by Bill on the first page of the thread? Thanks


The "screw ball" in this video appears to have pretty good break towards batter. It does look like bullet spin, but with camera angle, it could actually be 1-7 or 2-8 spin. If my kid throws that pitch, and wants to call it a screwball... I think I'm gonna let her.
 
Jul 30, 2016
13
3
I don't know enough about pitching to have a dog in this fight. But for giggles check out the video below. Check out the pitch at 0:15. Looks like it gets thrown several times in the game footage as well, but not slow-mo, so can't be certain.


 

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