Just throw an inside low rise. The pressure off the fingers makes it cut.
The CWS shows bulletspin--rewriting the book on movement pitches
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Bullet spin or variations of less than true 9-3, 12-6 spin may seem like they're working at the college level, but for mere mortals like my 12U daughter, it gets hit a lot more than correct curve/screw/drop/rise spin and draws way fewer whiffs. We were just in Colorado for the Sparkler, and this became very apparent. If the spins weren't on the correct axis, the pitch did not move appreciably. Not surprisingly, we've been working on spins a ton since we got back.
Never forget spin is everything. I mean, I remember a young Cat going against Team USA always talking about her spin. She would say if her spins were right, then her pitching was correct.
I have a late bloomer who is just finally getting her spins. I tell her as well, tell her how awesome it is.
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I have one. Maybe I'll charge it up and look when we pitch tomorrow. Of course, it will also say daughter is throwing 74 MPH, so take it with a grain of salt.
She’s also in the elite and rare 70+ group where spin can take a backseat to spin.
Here is a link to Kershaw's page on Baseball Savant. He throws his slider 44% of the time and it's almost pure bullet spin. One of things that puzzles me is that a slider (bullet spin) has a good amount of horizontal break, yet in softball there's basically zero break. I think it has to do with the height of the mound and the high overhand release generating some Magnus Force on the bottom side of the baseball due to the downward trajectory.
Could it be as simple as an overhand throw is never actually "over the top" (as in coming straight down from 12 o'clock)? Maybe that angle allows for more break.
The slider is still basically a bullet spin (or gyro as they say in baseball) pitch with little to no side spin. Baseballs appear to break a lot more than softballs, it would be interesting to have a decent baseball pitcher throw a softball from their mound to get a comparison.
For getting Movement...and I am NOT a physicist LOL so these are guesses...
In favor of a pro pitcher pitching a baseball:
Lighter Ball
Thrown farther
Travelling faster
Spinning faster
From a higher release point
In favor of a softball pitcher:
Ball is bigger??? Bigger laces???
It's yellow?
I remember it mentioned here before - think about revolutions per foot between the two. An elite softball pitcher will throw a ball that rolls over what 10 times between release and home. An elite baseball slider will double that. I think the surface area of the softball will help, but with all the other things helping out the baseball pitch it's a losing battle.
In favor of a pro pitcher pitching a baseball:
Lighter Ball
Thrown farther
Travelling faster
Spinning faster
From a higher release point
In favor of a softball pitcher:
Ball is bigger??? Bigger laces???
It's yellow?
I remember it mentioned here before - think about revolutions per foot between the two. An elite softball pitcher will throw a ball that rolls over what 10 times between release and home. An elite baseball slider will double that. I think the surface area of the softball will help, but with all the other things helping out the baseball pitch it's a losing battle.
