softball pitching instructor,fastpitch,pitch softball,softball pitcher,softball pitching coach,power line, line of force, arm whip, wrist snap, peel drop, rollover drop, stride, Gerald Warner, pitching lessons, softball pitching instructor, rise ball, curve ball, screw ball, crow hop, leap, drag, pitching coach, circle change, flip change, Colorado, Highlands Ranch
   She's 11-years old - Throwing a Rise Ball?
PitchSoftball HomeBeginning Pitchers1st-2nd Yr. PitchersAdvanced PitchersCoaches & ParentsRecent QuestionsProducts & WebsitesE-Mail Us

by Gerald Warner, Softball Pitching Instructor

pitch softball logo 2.png

 

 

It’s a great dream…a young pitcher throwing the infamous rise ball.  Pitchers and their parents like to brag about how many pitches they throw…even though all of them often look alike with no movement at all.  A true rise ball is not merely a pitch that is released low and thrown to a chin-high spot.  We discuss the correct spin direction, the very fast spin speed, and fast pitch speed required for a “legitimate” rise ball.  In 20 years of training scores of pitchers of all ages and observing thousands more we are yet to see a pre-teen pitcher with a true “moving” rise ball.  Many young pitchers have been misled…and some even hurt…by consistently trying to throw a riser before they are capable of doing it.  It doesn’t work for a young pitcher…and here is why:

 

Many people who give pitching lessons try to teach a rise ball release to young pitchers without disclosing the very small potential of success (and the real risk of injury when practicing the hard wrist snap) .  By attempting to teach the rise ball to a young girl, it (1)  gives false hope to the pitcher, (2) has her  and her parents “thinking” that she can throw a rise ball, but (3) keeps the pitcher going back to the instructor for more lessons.  

 

rise sequence 4.png

Consequently, a sizeable percentage of pitchers, even older experienced ones, do not even know the direction that a rise
(or even a drop ball, curve, or screw ball) needs to spin in order to cut into the air to make the ball go in a specific direction.  And a rise ball, in order to really move, needs to be spinning bottom-to-top at almost twice the speed of a drop ball.  And even with good spin, for a rise ball to work right it needs to be thrown at a speed at least in the mid-50’s…and preferably 60+ mph.  Former Olympian and ESPN softball announcer Michele Smith feels that the best speed for a good rise ball is between 61 and 65 mph.

Classic form for a good rise ball release

 

We have seen many team coaches of 10U, 12U, and even some 14U teams, thinking that a pitcher has a rise ball simply because she throws high pitches, calls for the rise pitch to be thrown during games.  And then, when the pitch simply comes in as a high flat fast ball, blames the pitcher every time an opposing batter connects with it.  Good rise ball pitchers often place their rise ball at mid-thigh on the batter…provided it has good rise ball spin, spin speed, pitch speed, and movement.

 

Most responsible pitching instructors will wait until a pitcher is ready…in terms of ability, pitch speed, and commitment… before having her to start working on a rise ball.  For some, that might be at 14 or 15-years old…others much later.

 

See also these pages on the PitchSoftball.com website:

 

 

http://pitchsoftball.com/RiseBallSecrets.html

 

http://pitchsoftball.com/Page11.html

 

http://pitchsoftball.com/AllPitchesHaveanArc.html

 

 ____________________________________________________________

 

 

This article above can be downloaded and printed from Microsoft Word
file_image.cmp

 


Do you want to reprint this article or use it on your website or in your newsletter?   
As long as it is not for profit, our only requirement is that you first notify us, then include the following sentence:
Article by Gerald Warner of PitchSoftball.com
and include a reference to this website: 
www.pitchsoftball.com 

 

If you have questions or need more information
E-mail us,  or call Pitching Instructor Gerald Warner in Colorado at (720) 200-4575

 

 

PitchSoftball Home Page | About Us | Beginning Pitchers | 1st & 2nd Year Pitchers | Advanced Pitchers | Coaches and Parents
Recent Questions and Recommendations | Search by Keywords