Need More Than 3 Pitches?

[Rolling Hard]

Rise 62 mph, Drop 63 mph, Change 53 mph. Great! But if a pitcher can add another pitch, maybe a drop curve or float rise that is thrown around 57 mph and have command over three speeds she will be greater.

 

[RADcatchers]

Really like one of my favorite pitching instructors Bill Owens. Caught for many of his pitchers in lessons and games.

He taught all his pitchers to also throw what he called half a buck. So you threw your hard curve or drop, then you took some off it, = half a buck. Aka: Reduced speed.
Bada Bing two separate useful pitches!
From this ?
It is not hard to come up with six pitches that would all have their own pitch calling signal.


Curve @ 2 speeds = 2 pitches
Drop @ 2 speeds = 2 pitches
Change slower than those = 1 pitch
Thats already 5 pitches!

Add the 6th ~ Straight hard pitch-
(pretty much all pitchers have that because they learn how to find the strike zone doing that)
so we got that straight pitch also...
will call that the fastball.
( even though it's not always faster than the other pitches.)


Add locations BAZZZZINGAAAA!!!


Always use mixing speeds during pitch calling. You can throw back to back curves if you change the speeds will definitely be more effective. Back to back drops change the speeds definitely more effective. Mix in a change up. Definitely more effective.

Woohoo! Go defense!

 

[RADcatchers]

Curve @ 2 speeds = 2 pitches
Drop @ 2 speeds = 2 pitches

I do consider these four separate pitches because
just because a pitcher can have a curve or a drop that moves does not mean they can control it at different speeds.
So controlling it and being able to deliver it at different speeds defines its difference from itself.

 

[JayW]

Avoidance of mistakes (i.e. miss in the middle of the plate) is a lot more importartant than a big bag of pitches.

 

[Rolling Hard]

Hitting is timing your barrel to square up the ball.
Pitching is disrupting the hitters timing by changing speeds, locations and movement.
That being said, if the batter swings under first pitch rise ball by 4 inches then she might just get two more rise balls. Pitch callers have to keep it simple sometimes. Save your off speed pitches for when you need them against the better hitters.

 

[mmeece]

While I agree that most pitchers don't NEED more than 3 effective pitches, how do you find out which pitches they are if you don't try to learn almost every type of spin/pitch? DDs first pitching coach wouldn't teach her a new pitch/spin until she "mastered" the current one. I understand the concept, but how do you figure out what you're best at if you don't try it all? In his method she would never have learned the rise because she couldn't move past the curve (which she never really "mastered" by his method anyway). I don't think there is anything wrong with teaching pitchers how to spin the ball in all of the important directions from the beginning. Not necessarily even teaching pitches, but spin. Then focus on what seems most natural.

 

[canyonjoe]

You need as many pitches as you can throw effectively. If you can't command any you have none.

 

[CoachCeetar]

Hitting is timing your barrel to square up the ball.
Pitching is disrupting the hitters timing by changing speeds, locations and movement.
That being said, if the batter swings under first pitch rise ball by 4 inches then she might just get two more rise balls. Pitch callers have to keep it simple sometimes. Save your off speed pitches for when you need them against the better hitters.

or the hitter picks up on that and is ON the rise ball next time. It's a cat and mouse game. Sometimes a 5th pitch doesn't even have to be good if the batter is looking for something else completely, it's why eephus type pitches work sometimes.

 

[Hillhouse]

Rise 62 mph, Drop 63 mph, Change 53 mph. Great! But if a pitcher can add another pitch, maybe a drop curve or float rise that is thrown around 57 mph and have command over three speeds she will be greater.

I would add a curve, not a dropcurve. As I said before many times, I play the percentages. Trying to make the ball do 2 things, drop and curve means you're taking away from one of the 2 movements. Moreover, if that pitch doesn't do 1 of those 2 things, you're very likely in trouble by hanging a ball over the plate. For me, if I want the effects of a "dropcurve" then I'll throw an outside dropball (assuming RHP to RHB). If it doesn't go down, then you still have it on the outside and less likely to be squared up. There's less chance of the pitch being flat when it only has to do 1 thing vs. 2 things. Obviously location would be important too but that's also true of the dropcurve.

I know, I know. I'm going to get messages about how someone's 9 yr old has an unhittable drop curve. This type of email is likely to descend into the age old argument of confusing good pitching with bad hitting.

Yes, I realize some girls have some success with this. Great. More power to you. And Yes, I could throw that pitch too myself. All I'm saying is, I wouldn't take the chance of the drop or curve not doing what it's supposed to. For me personally, I'd throw an outside dropball instead.

@Rolling Hard I know you just picked that pitch as an example, not necessarily advocating for that pitch. I was speaking in general terms also.

 

[Hillhouse]

You need as many pitches as you can throw effectively. If you can't command any you have none.

All due respect, that's an interesting take. Especially when you consider the delusion so many parents are under about how good their kid is, how many pitches she throws, and if they're confusing good pitching with bad hitting or not. Far too many parents (and lets be honest, this is MOSTLY a Dad thing), believe their kid is on her way to Oklahoma and is incredible because they strike out 10 per game at 10u. They don't stop to consider that at 10u, 90% of the girls are afraid to swing, they hope for a walk so if a pitcher can throw simple strikes they're likely to get a lot of strikeouts just by doing that alone.