Much of this is not directed at you, butWould agree that if the screwball requires the opposite spin of a curve...then no one throws a screwball that has enough speed and spin to do anything. However, there are many discussion on this forum that talk about how balls break in different directions that oppose spin direction logic. My DD (righty) throws a rise ball that quite often breaks up and to the right. I know another girl (also a righty) that has consistent right break on her pitches. Her pitches have more of a bullet spin.
So what do you call a pitch from a righty that breaks right but not based on spin direction?
That pitch is probably tilted with an axis about 8:00-2:00 on the clock, and tilted with the 8:00 axis is tilted back just a little; in other words the spin is facing or turned toward the batter a little. Nothing unusual about it. I teach a rise-curve, pulling the release up toward the glove shoulder. Just moves it in on a LH batter a little, or from a Lefty in on a RH batter.
Ask any batter to set a ball on a batting tee to hit it as hard as she can. They will set it approx. waist high. Preferred pitch locations are generally mechanically horizontal. Swings low outside present problems, and pitches on the inside paint at the knees are very problematic as well. Riseballs at the top of the zone are problematic. That is why I believe in focusing on the vertical pitches, drop, change, rise. They for me are foundation pitches you learn to command. And you can survive on only these 3 pitches. Curve-balls are a supplemental pitch. Screwballs thrown regularly become homeruns. If you can't command your pitches then you are a "7 pitch pitcher", in other words you are a batting practice pitcher.
Last edited: