Teaching how to properly hold a softball...

[Gambler Bob]

All this time wasted teaching players to find seams and throw with seams when you fully recognize they aren't going to do either in a game. Teach skills that can be used in real game situations.

Are you really telling me ball players don't try to throw with 4 seams when throwing? I understand there are situations on slow rollers or other plays that finding the seams to throw a ball might not happen but I would estimate that position players throw with 4 seams more than 75% of the time. It takes a couple tenths of a second to find a 4 seam grip on a infield grounder or a pop fly.

 

[Gambler Bob]

Holding the ball correctly doesn't have to involve the seams.

Teaching seams is for pitchers.

Pretty surprised that you believe that teaching seams is for pitchers only. Position players generally try to throw with 4 seams so the ball goes as straight as possible. In your opinion how the a position player throw the ball in terms of seam placement?

 

[ArmWhip]

Pretty surprised that you believe that teaching seams is for pitchers only. Position players generally try to throw with 4 seams so the ball goes as straight as possible. In your opinion how the a position player throw the ball in terms of seam placement?

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.

 

[RADcatcher]

Pretty surprised that you believe that teaching seams is for pitchers.

Pitchers have time to set a particular grip, before the ball needs to go in motion, for what they are going to do.

. In your opinion how the a position player throw the ball in terms of seam placement?

Time efficiency is a giant factor in defensive plays tenths of a second matter.

Teaching how to hold the ball correctly and throw accurately with speed (mph)
does *not have to include the seams.

I never fix/grab the seams in a particular way in my hand to throw accurately. And I am an extremely accurate thrower. Never have taught students/teams/players to fix grab seems in a particular way to throw accurately. ( Have stopped players from wasting time sorting the seams doing that, and they found throwing accurately without the need for seam adjustment. Then included a more efficient defensive play being made)

Throwing the ball straight has to do with getting the rotation accurate, (and throwing mechanics)
that can be done without holding the seams in any particular way.

Catchers work on pop times and in the same way the defense works on a (so to speak) pop-time during the quickness of a play.

Efficiency transitioning and firing the ball is very important!

 

[Byron]

Are you really telling me ball players don't try to throw with 4 seams when throwing? I understand there are situations on slow rollers or other plays that finding the seams to throw a ball might not happen but I would estimate that position players throw with 4 seams more than 75% of the time. It takes a couple tenths of a second to find a 4 seam grip on a infield grounder or a pop fly.

I would estimate that your estimate is wildly inaccurate. In the context of this thread, it's also a terrible idea to try to teach young players.

 

[_MIA_]

Throwing the ball straight has to do with getting the rotation accurate, (and throwing mechanics)
that can be done without holding the seams in any particular way.

How the seems are oriented matters too but it probably doesn't matter as much in fastpitch as a SS throwing the ball 90 mph from 5-6 hole in baseball..

 

[RADcatcher]

How the seems are oriented matters too but it probably doesn't matter as much in fastpitch as a SS throwing the ball 90 mph from 5-6 hole in baseball..

What I know with certainty is tenths of a second matter greatly in fastpitch.
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Perhaps You being an elite math person. To convey how time efficiency is relevant Comparatively you could crunch the numbers of the two different sports. The field size, base distances and speed of the game differences. Ball size and throwing speeds. All crunched.

Noticeably in baseball see the defensive double tap of the ball in the glove. Where in Fastpitch that would ruin getting outs.
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

 

[_MIA_]

Perhaps You being an elite math person. To convey how time efficiency is relevant Comparatively you could crunch the numbers of the two different sports. The field size, base distances and speed of the game differences. Ball size and throwing speeds. All crunched.

Noticeably in baseball see the defensive double tap of the ball in the glove. Where in Fastpitch that would ruin getting outs.
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

I just said that it is less important in fastpitch to get a 4 seam grip...Yes IF in baseball typically have more time and they are also throwing the ball longer distances with higher velocity (and hence the ball would move a lot more with a two seam grip for example)

 

[RADcatcher]

I just said that it is less important in fastpitch to get a 4 seam grip...Yes IF in baseball typically have more time and they are also throwing the ball longer distances with higher velocity (and hence the ball would move a lot more with a two seam grip for example)

Yes more time bb!

 

[_MIA_]

Yes more time bb!

My original point was that spin isn't the only factor in ball movement..