Bulletspin finally recognized

[WiLD53]

View attachment 29898

Ken, the reason I make mine that way is so the pitcher can see the backside which helps them adjust. The front side is normally what the catcher sees which does the pitcher very little good except when the coach is there explaining it. But even the explanation goes further if the pitchers can see for themselves how the ball is oriented.

That one on top with the big dot looks like it would make a fine backside marking since it appears to be about 1 inch from the seam but make sure there is another big dot on the other side centered in the horseshoe that the catcher can see.

How have these been working out for you?

 

[Ken B]

How have these been working out for you?

They work well for demoing and teaching pitchers, parents, coaches and catchers to see spin/axis. I use the dotted or striped balls to demo the spin direction and axis. Once they understand how spin direction and orientation of the axis affects spin, then we move to a darkened seams ball which creates either yellow or black dots. This awareness translates directly to a regular ball where they begin to see the yellow and red dots.

When fine tuning spins, we use the dot or striped balls to help understand which finger(s) come off the ball last. I use the big dot balls for low light or when we're trying to narrow down the key finger.

 

[WiLD53]

They work well for demoing and teaching pitchers, parents, coaches and catchers to see spin/axis. I use the dotted or striped balls to demo the spin direction and axis. Once they understand how spin direction and orientation of the axis affects spin, then we move to a darkened seams ball which creates either yellow or black dots. This awareness translates directly to a regular ball where they begin to see the yellow and red dots.

When fine tuning spins, we use the dot or striped balls to help understand which finger(s) come off the ball last. I use the big dot balls for low light or when we're trying to narrow down the key finger.

I can see why that works better for you. Consider adding a backside dot so the pitcher can see as well.

 

[RADcatchers]

They work well for demoing and teaching pitchers, parents, coaches and catchers to see spin/axis. I use the dotted or striped balls to demo the spin direction and axis. Once they understand how spin direction and orientation of the axis affects spin, then we move to a darkened seams ball which creates either yellow or black dots. This awareness translates directly to a regular ball where they begin to see the yellow and red dots.

When fine tuning spins, we use the dot or striped balls to help understand which finger(s) come off the ball last. I use the big dot balls for low light or when we're trying to narrow down the key finger.

the forward AND reverse makes it funner!

 

[WiLD53]

They work well for demoing and teaching pitchers, parents, coaches and catchers to see spin/axis. I use the dotted or striped balls to demo the spin direction and axis. Once they understand how spin direction and orientation of the axis affects spin, then we move to a darkened seams ball which creates either yellow or black dots. This awareness translates directly to a regular ball where they begin to see the yellow and red dots.

When fine tuning spins, we use the dot or striped balls to help understand which finger(s) come off the ball last. I use the big dot balls for low light or when we're trying to narrow down the key finger.

it sounds like you're using these as hitting tools as opposed to pitching tools. In which case you wouldn't need the backside dots.

 

[RADcatchers]

it sounds like you're using these as hitting tools as opposed to pitching tools. In which case you wouldn't need the backside dots.

Yikes!!!

Please include teaching both the offense and the defense whenever we can!

 

[Ken B]

it sounds like you're using these as hitting tools as opposed to pitching tools. In which case you wouldn't need the backside dots.

Hadn’t thought about using them for hitting. They are marked the same on both sides. I use them to teach spin awareness to pitchers, catchers, coaches and parents.

 

[Hillhouse]

That’s also how a screwball is thrown. Not with spin, but using laminar and seam orientation.

I admit, I'm not as smart as most other people. But, isn't "seam orientation" the same thing as spin?

 

[Hillhouse]

That is called a helicopter (at least when it is autorotating).

I spoke with Rick Pauly the other night for my pitching coach training and lo and behold we talked about the large dot gyro spin on the riseball caused by mechanics breakdown due to sheer velocity of the throws.

I'm sorry, I don't understand this. Sheer velocity causes the pitch to have bad spin? If that's true, please have Rick explain why male pitchers don't have this same issue. Do all men throw their rise with correct backspin? Of course not. But some of the riseballs thrown by some of the all time great men's pitchers are in the mid-upper 80's mph. That's at least 15mph, maybe more, than what the top or fastest women's pitcher has ever thrown.

I'm not trying to make a referendum on male vs. female pitchers. I would just like an explanation of how her velocity is the cause of having faulty spin.

Bullet spin is caused by the belief that the release of the riseball is like "turning a doorknob". That mentality will give you bullet spin because bullet spin is caused by too much turning of the wrist at the release. The wrist is really not your friend when it comes to the riseball, it's usually the #1 cause for bulletspin.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

I'm sorry, I don't understand this. Sheer velocity causes the pitch to have bad spin? If that's true, please have Rick explain why male pitchers don't have this same issue. Do all men throw their rise with correct backspin? Of course not. But some of the riseballs thrown by some of the all time great men's pitchers are in the mid-upper 80's mph. That's at least 15mph, maybe more, than what the top or fastest women's pitcher has ever thrown.

I'm not trying to make a referendum on male vs. female pitchers. I would just like an explanation of how her velocity is the cause of having faulty spin.

Bullet spin is caused by the belief that the release of the riseball is like "turning a doorknob". That mentality will give you bullet spin because bullet spin is caused by too much turning of the wrist at the release. The wrist is really not your friend when it comes to the riseball, it's usually the #1 cause for bulletspin.

Bill, I read that as trying to throw the ball with maximum velocity caused the mechanics to breakdown. That's just a guess, though.