What are the pros and cons of slingshot?

[hammer44]

I also come from the 70's era and pitched slingshot and I can tell you from experience that one is not better than the other. There are slingshot pitchers that could hold their own with any windmill pitcher of today. Today it is looked down upon because it is not used by the big name players in the game and that is OK until a young lady throwing the slingshot is not taken seriously because she is different. I had one of my students that took to the slingshot over the windmill and her school coaches would not even look at her in tryouts because she was pitching "illegally". They lost out due to their ignorance but, unfortunately, this is not uncommon.

As for mixing the styles, windmill using the slingshot as another pitch is an awesome combination I teach to any student that can make the transition for a strike but it is another pitch that should be used only on occassion. If done properly and used sparingly it is a very effective tool. The slingshot pitcher mixing in a windmill is not only less effective because the batter has time to see what is happening but it is also more apt to cause an injury unless the pitcher has worked both styles consistently through her training.

I pitched slingshot in the military traveling leaque is korea in 1986 . I was 7 and 0 . strike out per was 7 . I could only throw the dropball . I am windmill
pitcher . if I could have thrown a good riseball I would had kept pitching
slingshot . throwing windmill I have a very good rise , drop , and nasty
knuckle ball when I change speeds it float .
where in NC are you at . I played majorand class A from 1975-1977 when I was station at Fort Bragg .

 

[ponytailpower]

Hammer44,
I am in the Charlotte area. I never mastered the rise either with slingshot but I had solid unpredictable movement laterally as well as a killer drop and what they call a knuckleball now.

 

[redhawkridge]

slingshot delivery

I recall seeing the slingshot used by some of the top male pitchers in the 60's, including one fella on the Clearwater Fla Bombers. He threw the most devastating rise I ever saw. With the slingshot, he would dip his pushoff leg down low and sweep under the ball -- the release point was maybe a foot off the ground. And the ball just kept rising right thru the strike zone. It was a neat delivery to watch.
It was pretty commonly used around here in Western Wis.
jim

 

[hammer44]

I recall seeing the slingshot used by some of the top male pitchers in the 60's, including one fella on the Clearwater Fla Bombers. He threw the most devastating rise I ever saw. With the slingshot, he would dip his pushoff leg down low and sweep under the ball -- the release point was maybe a foot off the ground. And the ball just kept rising right thru the strike zone. It was a neat delivery to watch.
It was pretty commonly used around here in Western Wis.
jim

I have been thinking about going back to slingshot , plus coming up with a delivery like that . I was wondering if it would work out . Now that I have
written prove that it will work , I will add it to my workout.
will let you know , how it goes. I will know by monday evening .
thanks
hammer

 

[hammer44]

Hammer44,
I am in the Charlotte area. I never mastered the rise either with slingshot but I had solid unpredictable movement laterally as well as a killer drop and what they call a knuckleball now.

ponytail ,
Pass through Charlotte many time on the way to shelby to play in the 4th of july firecracker tournament , don't if you follow men fastpitch in the seventy.
there was many good pitchers in NC. Shelby has jim stanley and luther nickalson . Granite falls have bert jones ,reliegh have wade garret , and canton had dave anderson .
Canton with dave use to dominate the major state tournament ,during the 1960 and 1970 , but couldn't get out the region . they drop down to Class A
and finished 3rd in the national 1975 and 1976 .
Our Ft Bragg team was sponsor by Schaefer beer , we can out the loser
bracket in 1977 to beat dave and canton for the Class A championship .
I play firstbase because we had three pitcher and me .lol

 

[ponytailpower]

Hammer,
Do not follow mens fastpitch much but would not be familiar with your era since I am too young, sorry. Back then I was living in Ct. also. It takes all I have to keep up with the girls I coach and try to get to some of their games. Doesn't leave much time for anything else. Would love to come watch you play if you ever make it to this area nowadays. Shelby is just up the road.