About the Drop

[smiley1511]

Interesting question. DD is 2nd year 12u. In games her fastball has more 12-6 dropping action. I'm not saying it's perfect 12-6, but the ball generally drops a decent amount. Her drop ball, which is her go to pitch right now, drops considerably more, but is a bit slower. (It's a rollover style pitch, and yes I know that's a whole different discussion)

She had a lot of success this fall, even when playing up in 14u tournaments, but the last top level 12u team we played started figuring her out the third time through the order and hitting her hard. This is when I would have liked for her to have a bullet spin fastball that finished up around the numbers. Would it be better to have a good 6-12 rise ball? Sure, but we haven't even started working on that yet, and I'm starting to wonder if a fast bullet spin rise ball isn't plenty effective. Especially when paired with mostly dropping pitches.

A riseball is far more desireable than a bullet spin pitch and far more effective in the long run. It is a lot of work but definitely worth it.

 

[smiley1511]

The drop thrown correctly should be as fast as the fastball unless they are using a rollover drop that they are prematurely rolling the wrist and turning it into an off-speed drop

 

[radness]

Again fastball does NOT mean its the fastest pitch.

EVERY PITCHER i caught had other pitches equal the speed of a fastball and most had other pitches that were faster.
Usually rise and drops.

In my experience fastball least called pitch.

I would NOT use a fastball as a set up pitch. NOR another pitch to then set up a fastball.
did i mention i like the drop?!

( while there are different levels of softball hence different strategies, i'm speaking to competitive teams 12u and up...top tier of age brackets have better hitters)

Think better goal than fastball are pitches that move which can be thrown for a strike and off the plate.
Also drops thrown sharp, drop sooner
Or drops that go deeper
Also offspeed drops.
And can be thrown for strikes.
Very Versital Pitch.

Drop is a Devastating pitch inside to lefty run/bunt/slap/hitters.

Another bonus is because of the spin they usually are the easier of dirt pitches for the catcher to handle!
Bounce straight.

 

[Quasimodo]

I do not teach a peel drop, only the turnover drop. I focus on a speed differential of 3-5 mph because the bat on any swing goes from shoulder to shoulder, and that 3mph gets to the hitting zone later, and the bat is already on the upside path of the swing, typically swinging over the pitch. So the ball movement and the bat path because of timing differential work together. But I also like RADcatcher's idea of two speeds, one approaching a changeup in speed. The only issue being that pitch has to be "lifted" some to get near the strike zone. Maybe I am not good at teaching the variation, but what I do do, is teach a change-curve which is almost as slow as the horse-shoe or back-flip change. Timing is the foundation of hitting!

 

[Quasimodo]

Again fastball does NOT mean its the fastest pitch.

EVERY PITCHER i caught had other pitches equal the speed of a fastball and most had other pitches that were faster.
Usually rise and drops.

In my experience fastball least called pitch.

I would NOT use a fastball as a set up pitch. NOR another pitch to then set up a fastball.
did i mention i like the drop?!

( while there are different levels of softball hence different strategies, i'm speaking to competitive teams 12u and up...top tier of age brackets have better hitters)

Think better goal than fastball are pitches that move which can be thrown for a strike and off the plate.
Also drops thrown sharp, drop sooner
Or drops that go deeper
Also offspeed drops.
And can be thrown for strikes.
Very Versital Pitch.

Drop is a Devastating pitch inside to lefty run/bunt/slap/hitters.

Another bonus is because of the spin they usually are the easier of dirt pitches for the catcher to handle!
Bounce straight.


View attachment 20042

Agreed, but there are too many macho dads who think a fastball and fastball command can be pushed aside to focus on the DD's bullet-spin rise ball. The fastball is important in development.

 

[Hillhouse]

Agreed, but there are too many macho dads who think a fastball and fastball command can be pushed aside to focus on the DD's bullet-spin rise ball.
Totally agree with this.

The fastball is important in development.

Totally DISagree with this.

 

[Bonesaw]

This term "fastball" is driving me nuts.

Ms. Rad what spin does a "fastball" have?

Q, do you mean "fastball" as just the first pitch they learn? What spin should that have? Or at least be close to.

 

[Hillhouse]

This term "fastball" is driving me nuts.

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!! Welcome to my world, I've been having this "discussion" for almost 20 years. I can vividly remember the first lesson I ever did at a clinic: A young lady was pitching her heart out in warm ups, and I asked her what pitch she was throwing. "A fastball!" she replied. I must've looked her like she had 3 heads because she started laughing at my expression. I had never heard of such a thing in softball. They were equally puzzled that I'd never heard of that pitch either and probably thought "Does this clown know ANYTHING about pitching and why are we here????????" lol. I still chuckle at that.

 

[radness]

This term "fastball" is driving me nuts.

Ms. Rad what spin does a "fastball" have?

Q, do you mean "fastball" as just the first pitch they learn? What spin should that have? Or at least be close to.

Thats a great question!
Lets chat first point~ is that the pitch they learn?
Hmmm? When pitchers start usually the word fastball is used. Is it fast?
Like ZOOOM? no, its just trying to get to the plate with some sort of accuracy. What other word can it be called? Well since even the dictionary says fastball is a pitch at or near pitchers fastest pitch...
fastball is accurate word.
*The word FASTBALL in itself does NOT describe movement!
*Movement is determined by other factors.
*Notice Pitches intended for movement are called such with a directional word.

As for what spin~
Can say a variety of spins can be thrown pretty much flat and straight.
Including mistakes!
That happen because of several reasons slow rotation speed, release, mechanics.
Have experienced pitchers throwing bullet spin and somewhere between that and 10-4 spin
or(slighty sideways)
So drop spin 6-12 is visually different...
But again can be thrown with little movement - mistake.

The goal of pitchers is to make batters miss.
When the pitchers throw a mistake, less/no movement, obviously becomes easier to hit. And btw mistakes often get hit.

Why then would anyone intentionally throw a pitch thats straightest, flatest, and not faster? It may be intentional...imo its a mistake!

*I like this question to ~
When people say throw fastballs, ask WHY? Is there anything that makes it better?

People say, my dd throws a fastball that drops.
Very funny answer.
Because we know almost every pitch falls a little- gravity.

What then is the determining factor?
Drops have top spin that aid in assistance of droping the ball more.
The spin also reacts at bat contact generally can force more grounders.

Like drop also because it moves away from most batters bat path.
Especially those that are back in the box.

( to this same point,
Some notice a curve, while it can move east/west, can also stay flat. -some dont like the flat part- totally get that!
However it is stll moving away from bat path forcing batter to make some adjustment.
Important factor!

Especially note a curve can also be thrown - with a twist- adding up or down trajectory-
again batter needs to makes another adjustment.

These two pitches can work well back to back only because there is different adjustments the batter needs to make!)

ANYTHING that does not force the batter to make an adjustment, is imo a mistake.

 

[radness]

MAYBE fastball is something that pitchers learn and cling to like their binky blanket. LOL

At some point they need to grow out of it ....