Required reading for . . . . .

anyone who thinks the rise ball really 'jumps' or curve balls break a foot:

Click here and read through the thread.

 

thanks for the link.

 

Though I’m not one to argue with scientific fact, let me say this. My DD had the opportunity yesterday to catch Ashley Czechner, freshman pitcher for the Maryland Terrapins (who was an ACC co-pitcher of the week this past season). I stood near my DD and watched Ashley go thru her pitches warming up. WOW! Let’s just say that if her pitches weren’t moving a foot, they certainly messed with my mind. She is the real deal and struck out 27 (of 36 outs) in 12 innings of work. Kudos to the kids that put the bat on the ball off her!

 

Maybe I missed something. What in here says a curve ball cannot break a foot?

Oh, and I quite agree that a rise ball does not rise above the straight line that is the initial trajectory of the ball when released. But I do believe the spin disrupts the timing and the normal curve that would be taken absent the increase spin enough such that the batter swings under where the ball ends up.

 

No question the curve moves

What most people seem to ignore how little movement is required. Given the diameters of the bat and ball and the accuracy required to actually 'hit it on the nose' it's amazing anyone ever does. A couple of inches of "late break" is that is required to make the batter miss. I see a lot of kids that look great in the bull pen (and I suspect at pitching lessons) with big, sweeping breaking pitches. Then the game starts and things don't go so well. That's the rub I have with a lot of pitching coaches that never see the kid actually pitch a game. Many are just training great bullpen pitchers.

 

I wouldn't argue that it needed to break that far to be effective. I just know that curveballs can easily break 12 inches or more.

Especially deadly is the well-thrown drop curve.

 

We'll have to disagree on this one

Don't think any female can throw softball with enough spin to create a 12" break on a horizontal plane. A drop is different. There you have gravity helping out.

 

I respect your opinion as a pitcher's father and know that you've spent more than your share of time on a bucket.

Perhaps my perception of what the original course of the ball would have been was off, but I have been behind the plate watching balls come in that I would swear would have crossed over one edge of the place get caught near the other edge. This from at least two different pitchers.

 

Until I see a high speed video of a pitched ball breaking a foot, I will have a hard time buying it.

A lot of what happens is that the brain is fooled into thinking one thing and it will actually make the ball appear to move. No doubt a ball can have a curved path caused by the spinning but to move from a straight line 12" in 30-35 feet in .25 seconds... not buying it.

 

You'll never see it

At least not that kind of break on the horizontal plane. If it were to occur from the front to the back of the plate that would require a force vector direction change of close to 45 degrees. Not happening; not on this planet, anyway