Teaching how to properly hold a softball...

[_MIA_]

Yikes at least it's been some years since I've seen a baseball coach trying to teach Fastpitch defenses to double tap the ball in their glove often taking an extra step before getting rid of it yikes visually painful LOL

Yeah those baseball coaches, or just people who played baseball in general, are idiots..

In baseball, just like softball, you are taught to gauge the speed of the runner along with the speed of the ball and then take the appropriate measures..just so happens in baseball you often can take an additional step.

 

[Nuwin]

I could never make a softball move like a baseball when throwing so the value does seem diminished. But depending on what we're doing, we do use a 4 seam grip on purpose. Particularly early on just playing catch. We use a consistent grip on the seams to simplify reading the spin of the ball to make sure it did what she intended.

And I did mention many times that in a game, she likely won't have time to find a 4 seam grip.

 

[CoachJD]

If you teach kids to always throw with a 4 seam grip you're asking for trouble. When they have to throw using a random grip with the smooth parts of the ball under their fingers, or a partial seam grip instead of a 4 seam, the chances of the throw being wild go up considerably. I have never purposely thrown a ball with 4 seam grip.

There is a lot of wild stuff in this thread I don't have time to reply to, but this is... hard to believe. Especially the last part.

It takes literally zero additional time to get a 4-seam grip on most fielded balls. And your throw is going to be faster and more accurate if you're throwing with a 4-seam grip. I can't imagine not teaching it as a preference when possible, and I can't imagine a person who has been taught properly who has played for any significant time has never purposely found the 4-seam grip when making a throw. Since it requires no extra time, I don't know why someone wouldn't.

This thread is honestly kind of baffling. You just find the grip during the transfer as your arm comes up to throw. It doesn't require stopping or looking or doing anything weird.

Yes, it's probably not that easy for 10-year-old. But it won't be easy for them when they're 18 if they don't start working on it early.

 

[RADcatcher]

Since sorting the seams is an added event (thinking, feeling and adjustment /application)
to make a defensive play,
then there is an added mechanical moment in that transaction.

So I will ask these questions of you JD

It takes literally zero additional time to get a 4-seam grip on most fielded balls.

Can you explain how/ why it would *not take extra time?

Can you explain the difference of 'most fielded balls' and why you think there would be a difference?
Why would it be different from the glove sometimes?

How would you teach players to find the seam grip you are referring to?
Do you teach to look at the ball in their glove to figure it out each throw?
Or
Do you teach randomly spinning the ball in their glove until they think they got it right and then throwing?

 

[Gambler Bob]

I feel like this is a April Fools joke but it is August. Position players using 4 seams to throw is covered in Baseball 101. Have a hard time believing some of you people coach young kids.

 

[Byron]

I like how you ignore questions you aren't comfortable answering. Go ahead and study some film/pics of *fastpitch softball* players in real games at any level you choose. What you think happens...doesn't.

 

[RADcatcher]

I feel like this is a April Fools joke but it is August. Position players using 4 seams to throw is covered in Baseball 101. Have a hard time believing some of you people coach young kids.

Because the original post is about
*holding the ball correctly
Like to ask you,
Do you think *holding the ball correctly can be taught correctly without bringing in how to throw using seams?

 

[Gambler Bob]

Because the original post is about holding the ball correctly
Like to ask you,
Do you think holding the ball correctly can be taught correctly without bringing in how to throw using seams?

No, because throwing with 4 seams is part of holding the ball correctly.

 

[Byron]

There is a lot of wild stuff in this thread I don't have time to reply to, but this is... hard to believe. Especially the last part.

It takes literally zero additional time to get a 4-seam grip on most fielded balls. And your throw is going to be faster and more accurate if you're throwing with a 4-seam grip. I can't imagine not teaching it as a preference when possible, and I can't imagine a person who has been taught properly who has played for any significant time has never purposely found the 4-seam grip when making a throw. Since it requires no extra time, I don't know why someone wouldn't.

This thread is honestly kind of baffling. You just find the grip during the transfer as your arm comes up to throw. It doesn't require stopping or looking or doing anything weird.

Yes, it's probably not that easy for 10-year-old. But it won't be easy for them when they're 18 if they don't start working on it early.

I guess then you should have no problem posting some videos of players doing what you claim is easy when fielding balls at real game speed?

 

[_MIA_]

I guess then you should have no problem posting some videos of players doing what you claim is easy when fielding balls at real game speed?

Just out of curiosity do you have some showing they aren’t..that’s fair right?