The cutter in softball

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LEsoftballdad

DFP Vendor
Jun 29, 2021
2,838
113
NY
So, at last night's pitching lesson, my daughter's trainer came to the conclusion my daughter doesn't have the wrist flexibility to throw a true curve. She has no issues with a rise or drop, but the wrist bend for the curve gives her fits. She has unbelievably strong arms and grip, so maybe that adds to the issue.

What she determined was that when she tries to throw her curve, she's actually throwing a cutter. Having caught her many times, I can say the pitch moves a lot, so it's not a flat fastball
And, she can control where she wants it on the plate. Her PC said it's where she finishes that's the dead giveaway. She doesn't get that pocket-to-pockets arm movement of a true curve. Try as we might, the wrist doesn't bend up enough to get the true curve spin. Honestly, I don't care. She throws it between 62-64 with movement and location, so what they call it is irrelevant. Heck, the greatest relief pitcher in MLB history made a career out of his cutter.

My question is has anyone else dealt with something similar? I suggested yoga to increase her flexibility, but her PC is convinced this is pitching to her strength. We will still do the yoga, but it looks like it's a cutter for now.
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
Yeah, you work with whatcha got, right?

And I do believe a pitcher is best with 3 (perhaps 4) amazing pitches and at some point just needs to cut bait on the few that aren't working as well. Now knowing which those are and when to cut bait and when to try again and when to tinker and tweak... that I don't know.
 
May 21, 2018
567
93
I'm not the biggest fan of the flat curve anyway, so I'd go with the "cutter." 64 with movement should get the job done whatever it is.
My DD has way more success with what I guess you'd call a drop curve. Unfortunately, this pitch only shows up on occasion.
 
May 27, 2013
2,353
113
I'm not the biggest fan of the flat curve anyway, so I'd go with the "cutter." 64 with movement should get the job done whatever it is.
My DD has way more success with what I guess you'd call a drop curve. Unfortunately, this pitch only shows up on occasion.

I was going to suggest drop curve, as well. My dd threw the palm up curve really well for 2 seasons then all of a sudden lost control of it. Her PC had her switch over to a DC and it was her bread and butter pitch her senior year of HS (along with her CU). They’d both hit the same spots but had about a 15 mph difference in velocity on them.

Now last season in college she lost control of the DC and is back to a palm up curve and throwing it very well. Not sure what made that happen.
 

LEsoftballdad

DFP Vendor
Jun 29, 2021
2,838
113
NY
I know many people argue the ball doesn't have late movement, but the pitch now called a cutter sure seems to move late. Maybe it's my old eyes...
 
Aug 11, 2022
6
3
So, at last night's pitching lesson, my daughter's trainer came to the conclusion my daughter doesn't have the wrist flexibility to throw a true curve. She has no issues with a rise or drop, but the wrist bend for the curve gives her fits. She has unbelievably strong arms and grip, so maybe that adds to the issue.

What she determined was that when she tries to throw her curve, she's actually throwing a cutter. Having caught her many times, I can say the pitch moves a lot, so it's not a flat fastball
And, she can control where she wants it on the plate. Her PC said it's where she finishes that's the dead giveaway. She doesn't get that pocket-to-pockets arm movement of a true curve. Try as we might, the wrist doesn't bend up enough to get the true curve spin. Honestly, I don't care. She throws it between 62-64 with movement and location, so what they call it is irrelevant. Heck, the greatest relief pitcher in MLB history made a career out of his cutter.

My question is has anyone else dealt with something similar? I suggested yoga to increase her flexibility, but her PC is convinced this is pitching to her strength. We will still do the yoga, but it looks like it's a cutter for now.
a fast pitch softball pitch can throw a 2 seam fastball and if your RT handed put pressure on the middle finger amd just lay the index finger on the seam of the ball ball and it will run in if you have medium velocity

vel
 
May 15, 2008
1,913
113
Cape Cod Mass.
I want to know how it spins, that's the key. "Hold it like this and throw it like this" doesn't cut it. I've had numerous girls come to me over the years with spin pitches and they have no clue how it spins or how it's supposed to spin. A two seam fastball has to spin in a certain way to break.
 

LEsoftballdad

DFP Vendor
Jun 29, 2021
2,838
113
NY
I am going to see if I can use the ball with the black lines on it to see the spin of her cutter. I would have used her Diamond Kinetics ball, but I never renewed the subscription.
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
I'm not the biggest fan of the flat curve anyway, so I'd go with the "cutter." 64 with movement should get the job done whatever it is.
My DD has way more success with what I guess you'd call a drop curve. Unfortunately, this pitch only shows up on occasion.

My DD has a nice curve, and if she turns her wrist over just a tad it becomes a drop curve. I agree it's a pretty cool pitch.
 
May 21, 2018
567
93
My DD has a nice curve, and if she turns her wrist over just a tad it becomes a drop curve. I agree it's a pretty cool pitch.
At this point DD is making pitches up on the fly. Here is last weekend's "rise ball'. I think it's thrown with a baseball curve grip. Hard to decipher the mechanics involved. @LEsoftballdad If you would like to know the specifics on how to throw this "pitch" let me know. :LOL:

 

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