USA v Japan softball observations.

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Apr 5, 2013
2,130
83
Back on the dirt...
Monica Abbot is a beast! I think most PC’s would make some changes to her pre-windup based off of what I have read here. Seems like most want to limit the low, forward lean that she uses but it is very effective. She spins the heck out of the ball.

Japan’s catcher has a two piece mask and helmet. I am guessing the rules for international play are different here?
 
Mar 28, 2014
1,081
113
I think most PC’s would make some changes to her pre-windup based off of what I have read here.
if you're talking about the PC's that post here then you're correct, but you have to realize that is an extremely small percentage of the PC's in this country. There is more than one way to succeed as a pitcher. Don't let one philosophy talked about here make you think that is the only way to do things. Far from it.
 
Aug 20, 2017
1,474
113
Her premotion stuff is used to cause timing issues for the hitter and it seems to work. Not sure about the big, low forward lean but she comes out of it quickly. It’s definitely funky but what pitching coach would tell Monica Abbot to stop doing something lol
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
Monica Abbot is a beast! I think most PC’s would make some changes to her pre-windup based off of what I have read here. Seems like most want to limit the low, forward lean that she uses but it is very effective. She spins the heck out of the ball.

Japan’s catcher has a two piece mask and helmet. I am guessing the rules for international play are different here?

Most of the PC's here don't care much about a pre-motion unless it is effecting the actual motion. Abbott has done all sorts of weird stuff in her pre-motion over the years (she was doing some sort of pre-pitch squat about 24 months ago if I remember correctly) - but her actual pitching motion is not much different to how it has always been. She genuinely throws really, really hard with great form and is really tall, lanky and left handed. Tough combination.

Nothing really stopping catchers wearing a two piece mask and helmet in the USA - it is just that no one does and it is not easy to find a legal version being sold in the USA. The rules say that as long as it meets NOCSAE standard and has the NOCSAE seal you can wear it - the caveat being that you MUST have dual ear flaps which means the skull cap/mask combo is not OK. Japan has always gone different in some of their equipment - there is a distinct 'Japanese' style mask which a number of umpires like.

What I most noticed was that the 220' fences to all fields made a difference at this level.
 
Dec 11, 2010
4,713
113
1) Monica Abbott is indeed a beast. Wow, just wow.

2) She is also extremely left handed, lol

How does anyone get a bat on her?
 
Apr 12, 2015
792
93
Kelly Kretschman once said the only way to get a solid hit off Abbott was to either pick the pitch in her pre-motion or guess where it was going and be right. If you took the time to read the pitch after it was thrown it was already in the catcher's glove by the time your brain processed any information.

I'll have to dig around and find the exact quote. It was pretty interesting.

As for Abbott's pre-motion....I don't know of a pitching coach in the nation that would teach a new, young pitcher something similar. As has been said, Abbott has made several changes to it over the years. And of course her success gives her the liberty to be unorthodox. But if you take a new 9yo girl and tell her this is the pre-motion you are going to use....well, you wouldn't be much of a pitching coach in my opinion.
 
Apr 28, 2019
1,423
83
Monica Abbot is a beast! I think most PC’s would make some changes to her pre-windup based off of what I have read here. Seems like most want to limit the low, forward lean that she uses but it is very effective. She spins the heck out of the ball.

Japan’s catcher has a two piece mask and helmet. I am guessing the rules for international play are different here?
Abbott has been the best pitcher in the world for several years now.
Japan hits her pretty well. She plays for a club team when she’s not throwing in the NPF.
They see her quite a bit no surprises. She dominates everybody else. She has funky pre delivery movement. Seems to change every few years.
Osterman has better spin but Abbott bests her by a good 10MPH with the high octane.
Osterman pitched well today. Just the one HR on a good pitchers pitch. The batter just went down and got it. Maybe could have been off the plate a little more but that’s being super critical.
Got the “W” that’s all that matters. Quite a few HBP’s today. Commentators said both teams respect the hell out of each other. Maybe some bad blood brewing heading into Olympic prep.
 

Staff online

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,477
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top