My DD has been pitching with a four-seam fastball grip for about one year. Her PC suggested that she also learn to pitch with the two-seam grip (fingers with the narrows instead of across the seam "C") in order for the ball to either run in to the batter or out, depending on the grip pressure at release. What is your experience with the two-seam grip, is it an effective pitch and should you alternate back and forth the different fastball grips during the game?. One of my concerns is that she has experimented with the two-seamer and the pitch is not as fast, at least right now.
Two-Seam vs Four-Seam Fastball
- Thread starter SoCalSoftballdad
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My DD will switch between the two seam and four seam. Her two seam tails away from right handed batters a bit more than the four seam and she will use it to on a 2 strike count with less than 3 balls trying to get that outside strike. The two seam is 2 - 4 mph slower but with more movement. In general I see more ground balls with the two seam on the right handed batters than the four seam. I would encourage her to try both.
- May 13, 2008
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My experience with the grip is the same as SoCalDad. What is nice is you'll end up with two different pitches by changing nothing other than the grip on the ball. It can be a very effective out pitch or waste pitch.
When you say it has more movement, are you talking about horizontal movement (runs in or out more) vs. vertical movement than the four seamer? Also, it seems that the two seamer might be a grip that is only used for certain pitch counts and not necessarily as the primary fastball grip?
The horizontal movement is more pronounced. There is some vertical drop but that is more due to the reduction in speed. With a right handed batter the ideal pitch will clip the outside corner of the plate and tail away about a foot when caught by the catcher.
For your DD, does it always tail away to the outside or did she just experiment with different release pressures and found the outside pitch to be more effective (than inside)?
With her natural release the two seam is her most effective outside pitch with the RH batters. When she goes inside to RH she typically uses the CU or Drop. She will throw the inside two seam to LH batters as it is quite effective. She has tried adjusting the two seam to an inside pitch for RH but the results have not been great. Tends to tail into the center of the plate and then it becomes very hittable. On Monday's scrimmage she did not throw a single four seam in 3 innings, only two seam, CU and drops. During warm-ups between innings,however, she only threw the four seam. Kept them off balance the entire 3 innings.
How old is she? Because with the young girls that I teach, I can't see any difference in the pitches. But, they aren't experimenting with finger pressure, either. They are 8-11 YO.
Amy - she is young 8 yo and only pitching one year but has pretty good speed and location for her age. The best hitters can catch up to her fastball so we are experimenting with two seam and a c/u since the better hitters are aggressive at the plate and can be "fooled". As you know, pitching is a work in progress and she needs to take baby steps to get better.
redhotcoach
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- May 8, 2009
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My dds first pc showed her both from the start and said that she didn't care which she did. Whichever was more comfortable. She showed me both, (pc was fresh out of college) and her two seam would trail away but not a ton and her four seam was a good drop. She said it would be a few years before dd would get enough spin to get either to move much anyway. She went with the four seam, because I know I can hit a ball trailing away much easier than a drop ball.
