Pitching

Pitching Gurus,

Can someone tell me what a "cutter" pitch is and how it is thrown? Also, how does it move? Thanks for any help.

 

sorry.....

......but i have never known a fastpitch pitcher to throw a "cutter". Baseball pitchers throw a cut fastball. Not sure how it would be thrown or what type movement you would get. Sounds like a good question for WNDMLLR. If it can be thrown, he would know about it!!

 

A cutter is...

I asked this question once myself. A cutter is a term for a cut fastball that cuts slightly as it approaches the batter. It is similar to the slider baseball pitchers throw and, no, it is not the same as our curveball.

How it is thrown? Beyond me.

 

We throw it

We have our pitchers throw it because it adds movement to a fastball. We have 1 pitcher that throws it for her curveball. It doesn't have the same spin as curveball and breaks later and quicker. Curveball will have a "dot" for the batter to recognize, the cutter doesn't. She was second in the country in era last year as a freshman. It also takes the pressure off of the shoulder and elbow if mechanics are not proper on the curveball. It is also easier to throw because their is no change from the fastball just grip. Every pitcher I have showed this pitch too picked it up within 10 throws with movement. Pm me if you have questions or [email protected]

 

I'm no pitching guru either. But I have never, ever, heard of a "cutter" in fastpitch. At any level, ever. Again, JMO, but I think it may be a case of "a fish by any other name is still a fish".

 

Chipola is right on, I would only add that you need to use a 2 seam grip, this is what makes it tail in or away. It will break later and sharper unless your curve has reall good speed. I don't see the dot on the curve in fastpitch. It should be spinning like a top whcih would put the dot on the top of the ball and you really don't have a good view of the top of the ball as it's coming toward you.

 

...you need a bigger boat...

because it appears that you are fishing in a very small pond...

Ever top men's major pitcher throws this pitch, and most top level college and pro women also.... They may call it something different, but the action and grip are always the same...
Darren Zack, probably the most dominating men's pitcher the last 10 years, uses it as his "out" pitch. Hard on the hands, with late breaking action.
Lisa Fernandez throws it inside at the hands..Most people assume it is a FB... It is at FB speed, but it's gonna move..
Michele Smith, who will be at Peace Weds and do a clinic with me Weds night at GS, 3/12/08, uses it as a full speed breaking pitch...

I throw it with a 2 seam fastball grip, but at release, the hand angle actually is similar to " shaking hands " with someone, opposed to the traditional 2-seam 6-12 downward rotation... Spin of the ball comes out with a right to left axis, at approx a 2 to 8 rotation... At release, arm follow-through should end up on opposite shoulder (left shoulder is you are right-handed)
with fingers pointed up.

Pitch is most effective thrown inside, on the chalk, traditionally after
to FB or screw ball.... Action will be late, down and in toward the strike zone...

Same grip can be used to throw a rising FB up and away.
Rotate hand angle slightly forward, and pull seams up and through the zone... Should be a 10-4 rotation.

 

My Best Knowledge Or It Appeared

A fastball that resembles a curveball / slider at the plate, and yes there was kid that we played a couple of years ago that threw one or at least it seemed to be a slight moving away from the right hand batters.


This is the only slider I can accomplish !!!


Guru

 

Reply to post titled, Bigger boat.....

......yep that boat that I would have if I had all the money we've spent on fastpitch! And as for the "cutter? Thank God for my money going to softball because with that bigger boat the only "cutter" I'd be calling is the Coast Guard Cutter!

 

ChristyHChipola is right on, I would only add that you need to use a 2 seam grip, this is what makes it tail in or away. It will break later and sharper unless your curve has reall good speed. I don't see the dot on the curve in fastpitch. It should be spinning like a top whcih would put the dot on the top of the ball and you really don't have a good view of the top of the ball as it's coming toward you.

She is right with the across the body over or under delivery. We try to stay away from this delivery because of the extra pressure applied to the shoulder. And with the studies comming out now about softball shoulders we try to use more wrist, fingers and grip. We had a pitcher last year that won over 30 games for us, NJCAA All American, 2 runs against Virginia Tech, 1 hit Valdosta, by throwing a fastball, change up and cutter.