Welcome to Bulletspin Season!

[JayW]

The fact that we have to stretch to find examples of pitchers from bygone years throwing backspin pretty much proves the point that elite college pitchers mostly throw bulletspin "riseballs".

 

[jfitch12]

I think we are still in the stone age on this whole issue. My sense is that absolute movement (as measured by a Rapsodo, for example) is really the relevant question, and until that data is more systematically linked with consistent video of spin pitches, it remains tough to know what will work and why except through trial and error. The “consistent video” is important because I have been surprised by how much it matters where you view the pitch from. I have caught a lot of riseballs that appear to be basically straight back spin from the catcher’s perspective and yet look a lot more slanted if I see the same pitch from the side or at an angle. Riseballs are not like drops; they can be effective with much less than 100% spin efficiency. That fact, together with the location of most centerfield cameras (which are usually at an angle, and never in exactly the same place), can often increase the appearance of bullet spin. It is no coincidence, in my view, that some of our best video examples of “true backspin” are from behind the catcher.

Below is one illustration. From the centerfield camera, Dolcini’s pitch appears to have a very high gyro component (almost entirely bullet spin). But from behind the catcher (albeit also at an angle), the pitch is clearly backspin, though slightly tilted, the way almost all right handers rises are. The catcher’s view is what I think you see in most really good riseballs, and I would not describe that as bullet spin, although it appears that way from the centerfield camera.




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[Ken B]

Another blast from the past with back spin.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

My daughter's PC uses a small football to illustrate how to get backspin on the ball. The football looks like it would on a clean field goal attempt, you're imparting backspin on the ball. If it wobbles like crazy, then you are not getting under the ball. Clearly it's not a perfect way of teaching it, but my daughter's previous riseballs were nothing but fastballs thrown up in the zone. Once she started using the football for training purposes, her rise started to behave differently and float much more than the previous iteration of the pitch.

 

[Hillhouse]

You would think we would see a true back spin pitch thrown as a change up/off-speed to compliment the bullet spin.

I would think that's the exact opposite of what you'd want.

 

[Hillhouse]

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

When I worked with her and caught for her a few years ago, I didn't notice a significant difference in her rise/drop speeds. It's hard to say what changes would've been made at FSU. To be honest, I don't really understand how or why they do things with pitching that they do lately.

 

[Chilixa]

I would think that's the exact opposite of what you'd want.

Could you expand upon that thought. Why wouldn’t they compliment each other well if the release is similar and the speed is 10-12 mph different? Thanks


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[tomorrow]

I would think that's the exact opposite of what you'd want.

I am just looking at the fact that basically no top pitchers throw with a true rise ball spin. I know these pitchers that I see on TV have practiced true rise ball spins but we don't see them. The evidence of what I have seen on TV they will not even try and throw a true rise ball spin at any count or any time.

 

[bsbs]

I guess we just need to teach our daughters to throw 70mph+ with bullet spin, easy peasy.

 

[Chilixa]

I guess we just need to teach our daughters to throw 70mph+ with bullet spin, easy peasy.

That is the tricky thing with all of this. Our kids all want to do it like the best pitchers they see in College. But the reality is our DD’s all have a genetic ceiling. It doesn’t mean they can’t be good pitchers with a a lot of hard work. But to be one of the top pitchers in college you have to work hard and be blessed with God given abilities you just can’t teach. Sometimes the God given abilities are more important than perfect form as well. When you have physical limitations it is more critical to have perfect form.


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