Best and easiest Screwball

[ArmWhip]

For me it’s not as much about the one plane versus two planes, as it is about the direction of the plane. For all practical purposes, the barrel has more surface area in the horizontal plane, so vertical movement has less of a chance of hitting it than horizontal movement.

That's a great concept and that's what the whole one plane vs two plane, east-west vs north south thing is all about. But in reality if you study hitting you see that it doesn't stand up. Here is a video with some great shots of Trout, how many horizontal, east-west, swings do you see?

 

[Tatonka]

Mixing a good drop and then curvedrop can be delightful.
Especially with a pitcher who can also control the height and depth of their drop.
Now lets add off-speed in the mix...
Fun

First off, I'm agreeing with most of what's being said here. But just to add my .02 cents I have to say it's the rare pitcher who can intentionally and consistently control and adjust the "depth" of their dropball. The height yes, but the depth? I am assuming you mean the amount of vertical drop they are getting on the ball. In learning this pitch more is always better regarding this movement and pitchers will work tirelessly to find that release, spin and everything that goes into getting that break. If the pitch being called is not for a drop ball or one with a smaller, less deep break then just call a fastball to that spot and it'll "drop less". In a game situation it'd be great to call with confidence and accuracy a drop that breaks down 10" and then follow it up with one that breaks only 5" but is that reality for 99.9% of the hurlers out there? Maybe.

 

[radness]

First off, I'm agreeing with most of what's being said here. But just to add my .02 cents I have to say it's the rare pitcher who can intentionally and consistently control and adjust the "depth" of their dropball. The height yes, but the depth? I am assuming you mean the amount of vertical drop they are getting on the ball. In learning this pitch more is always better regarding this movement and pitchers will work tirelessly to find that release, spin and everything that goes into getting that break. If the pitch being called is not for a drop ball or one with a smaller, less deep break then just call a fastball to that spot and it'll "drop less". In a game situation it'd be great to call with confidence and accuracy a drop that breaks down 10" and then follow it up with one that breaks only 5" but is that reality for 99.9% of the hurlers out there? Maybe.

Depth is another location to control.
Could be...
Possibly not everyone considers purposely throwing pitches in the dirt.

Good to consider with change ups in the dirt as well!

 

[Tatonka]

Depth is another location to control.
Could be...
Possibly not everyone considers purposely throwing pitches in the dirt.

Good to consider with change ups in the dirt as well!

Not sure I understand...location is different than depth in my way of thinking about a breaking pitch.
Yes, dirt pitches have their place and time for sure just like a far outside pitch.

 

[Fury_Mike]

Not sure I understand...location is different than depth in my way of thinking about a breaking pitch.
Yes, dirt pitches have their place and time for sure just like a far outside pitch.

I think of depth as front of the box versus back of the box. Hitters start or move up in the box to hit a ball earlier or before it breaks. It’s critical that a pitcher learns how to adjust to the batters depth. I also agree that dirt pitches have done value

 

[radness]

Not sure I understand...location is different than depth in my way of thinking about a breaking pitch.
Yes, dirt pitches have their place and time for sure just like a far outside pitch.

As you mentioned dirt pitches have their place.

A location is Pitching to the dirt = where the drop drops is also a location.
Like inside and outside is a location.

I have to say it's the rare pitcher who can intentionally and consistently control and adjust the "depth" of their dropball. The height yes, but the depth?

By depth i was commenting about pitchers controlling where the drop drops.
Infront of plate
At the plate
Behind the plate.

Mixing a good drop and then curvedrop can be delightful.
Especially with a pitcher who can also control the height and depth of their drop.
Now lets add off-speed in the mix...
Fun

Good to do this with change ups also.
Some come in as a low strike.
Some change ups come in and trickle down
Befor or at the plate. Intentionally to go into the dirt.

 

[Hillhouse]

I think of depth as front of the box versus back of the box. Hitters start or move up in the box to hit a ball earlier or before it breaks. It’s critical that a pitcher learns how to adjust to the batters depth. I also agree that dirt pitches have done value

As a pitcher, I would always feel extra confident when I see a hitter move up in the batters box. The idea of hitting pitches before they move by moving up in the box rarely works with a good pitcher. Quite the opposite actually, moving up means they are trying to hit the ball when it's at the point of it's break. That actually seems counter productive to me. I know I never did that myself, regardless of who I was batting against. Riseballs in particular become even harder to hit by moving up. You will NEVER EVER EVER EVER see this at the top level of men's fastpitch. In fact, in the same manner that slappers kick out the front of the batters box to try blurring the line for them being out of the box during contact, every other hitter would kick out the back of the box. Usually by the 3rd inning, catchers for both teams have to get the umpire to stop letting hitters creep back further and further.

Now that I think of it, I don't think I've ever seen a baseball hitter anywhere but the back of the box. At least not at the professional level. But again, I've never played baseball so I'm only speaking of what I've seen at games I've been at and seen on TV.

 

[radness]

As a pitcher, I would always feel extra confident when I see a hitter move up in the batters box. The idea of hitting pitches before they move by moving up in the box rarely works with a good pitcher. Quite the opposite actually, moving up means they are trying to hit the ball when it's at the point of it's break. That actually seems counter productive to me. I know I never did that myself, regardless of who I was batting against. Riseballs in particular become even harder to hit by moving up. You will NEVER EVER EVER EVER see this at the top level of men's fastpitch. In fact, in the same manner that slappers kick out the front of the batters box to try blurring the line for them being out of the box during contact, every other hitter would kick out the back of the box. Usually by the 3rd inning, catchers for both teams have to get the umpire to stop letting hitters creep back further and further.

Now that I think of it, I don't think I've ever seen a baseball hitter anywhere but the back of the box. At least not at the professional level. But again, I've never played baseball so I'm only speaking of what I've seen at games I've been at and seen on TV.

I stand at the front of the box. Back foot at front of plate.
Pitch starts as a strike out of the pitchers hand and moves/spins away from the strikezone.
Prefer to cut it off befor it reaches greater/farther away. = less adjustment.

Actually this is same with framing while catching.
Cut off pitch from moving away.

*simply hitters have individual preferences.

Its notable that in Baseball the pitch starts out of the strike zone (overhand) and comes into the strikezone.
Back of the box may be the tighter cluster of strikes?

 

[Fury_Mike]

I stand at the front of the box. Back foot at front of plate.
Pitch starts as a strike out of the pitchers hand and moves/spins away from the strikezone.
Prefer to cut it off befor it reaches greater/farther away. = less adjustment.

Actually this is same with framing while catching.
Cut off pitch from moving away.

*simply hitters have individual preferences.

Its notable that in Baseball the pitch starts out of the strike zone (overhand) and comes into the strikezone.
Back of the box may be the tighter cluster of strikes?

Agreed. This is what I meant by depth adjustments. Bill I was referring more to any pitch accept the rise. The best strategy to hit the rise is not to swing

 

[radness]

Agreed. This is what I meant by depth adjustments. Bill I was referring more to any pitch accept the rise. The best strategy to hit the rise is not to swing

Like how you added paying attention to where the batters are standing!
Good to share details like these! Added depth to the conversation

I will hit anything the pitcher wants to throw including not strikes.