Welcome to Bulletspin Season!

[Ken B]

Madi Balk, a little bullet/curve spin along with back spin, but it floats. I wonder what kind of velocity it has.

@javasource or @Rosey would know for sure.

 

[Jeffrey]

Madi Balk, a little bullet/curve spin along with back spin, but it floats. I wonder what kind of velocity it has.

I saw her pitch last year. It was low 60s. It really floats, but with girls at that level regularly seeing upper 60s I could see how she might struggle to her in the circle. It’s sad to see a girl who worked so hard to master her craft not get to play. I certainly hope it was her choice and she’s happy with it.

 

[JayW]

The announcers in the SEC tournament keep calling a bulletspin fastball a curveball. Because it "spins".

 

[sluggers]

The announcers in the SEC tournament keep calling a bulletspin fastball a curveball. Because it "spins".

"It curves! It drops! It rises! It dices! It's the new Ronco Bulletspin Pitch! With scientific rotary action to make the ball cut like never before! Get yours today! $1999.99 plus shipping and handling."

 

[Bonesaw]

I don't know if I've seen a backspin rise ball since Barnhill.

Keely Rochard had a pretty good one.

 

[PharmerBrown]

Keely Rochard had a pretty good one.

VT could sure use her right now. They have the bats. I'm still not sure what happened with Gillis.

 

[Ken B]

If you get a chance, watch UCLA’s Tinsley throw her backspin rise. Floats in almost magically at around 50.

Katie Burkhart led the Sun Devils to a WCWS throwing junk from the lower 50’s to the lower 60’s. Cat Osterman was another well known spinner with amazing, offspeed backspin.

Sadly, many schools poopoo on offspeed backspin in favor of speed. Both are effective. I suggest training for full backspin and know that as you get closer to bullet, speed increases which means gravity has less time to pull.

 

[Ken B]

Ally Walljasper, Paige Parker and Megan Kleist also come to mind as backspinners. Chelsea Wilkinson is one of my favorites.

 

[Gambler Bob]

As a general rule I think there is a trade off between back spin and velocity, the more of one the less of the other. Kelly B was a rarity. I'm not sure how effect a slow riseball would be at the higher levels.

IMO, I would agree with what you said. My DD pitches for High School but plays SS for her travel team, she is a far better SS. She throws a Riseball but in all honesty it is very inconsistent. Every now and then she can throw a really good riseball and that pitch will have bullet spin but it is spinning like very fast. Sometimes she will throw a riseball with almost perfect 6-12 spin but it is slow and not spinnig as many revolutions from what i can see with my eyes.

 

[ArmWhip]

I watched some video of a Va Tech vs Alabama game. Rochard's rise was about half back, half bullet which is enough to give it a good float. It was about 60 mph, her fastest pitch, a drop, was 63 at best. It also looked like she threw a pretty good palm up curve at about 60. Fouts however threw her bullet rise at 70+, so there's a real world comparison. I think I heard one of the announcers say they were one and two in strikeouts at that point, Fouts was one.