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by Gerald Warner, Softball Pitching
Instructor
Most pitchers who brag about their
rise ball don't really have one.
The majority of
pitchers don't put the correct bottom-to-top spin
on the
ball, or don't have enough spin speed, or lack pitch
speed.
Just because a pitcher releases the ball
low and throws it high on the batter doesn't mean it is a rise
ball. A rise ball does just as the name implies…it gives
the batter the perception that the ball actually RISES
(and it does "rise" above the normal trajectory of a
comparable-speed fastball). You can read more
on "Does a Riseball Really Rise?" on this website. To make a softball overcome the
downward pull of gravity and then appear to " jump"
above the hitter's bat, it MUST have three major
components:
DIRECTION of
the SPIN -
bottom-to-top (as seen by the
catcher)
This is what
determines whether a rise ball is TRULY a "riser". It is
where many pitchers fail in their effort to throw this
pitch...they often impart a "corkscrew" spin which has no
possibility of becoming a riseball. It is the seams...the
stitches...on the softball that must spin vertically from the
bottom to the top as seen by the
catcher.
Spin
direction - catcher's view
SPEED OF THE
SPIN...rapid
An effective rise ball needs to be thrown
with tremendous backspin (well in
excess of 20, and preferably at least 23 to 25
revolutions per second) to make the seams of the
ball dig into the air sufficiently to cause the softball to
overcome gravity and rise above the natural parabolic
arc of a typical fastball. The majority of pitchers
who THINK they are throwing a rise ball do not throw it with the
correct spin speed...and as a result, it is NOT a rise
ball.
SPEED of
the PITCH -
Although we are still waiting for scientific
studies and evidence to prove it, experience has shown that a
rise ball has to be thrown (with correct and fast
back spin) at a minimum speed in
the mid-50's (preferably in the 60 mph
range) in order to work properly and deceive the
batter. Former
USA Olympic pitcher
Michele Smith says “The ideal speed for a good rise ball
is between 61 and 65 miles an
hour”.
IMPORTANT: Since a rise ball, like
other "breaking" pitches, requires it to be released with a hard
wrist snap, and therefore the potential of injury, we recommend that
it should not be attempted or practiced by a pre-teen
pitcher.
The Keys to Learning to Throw a
Rise Ball:
If your
fastball speed isn't at least in the mid-50's, it is too
early for you to begin working on the rise ball.
Otherwise, when thrown at a slower speed your rise ball simply
becomes a fastball that might have enough backspin to overcome the
gravitational drop, but then levels out somewhere high in the zone…a
dangerous and very hittable pitch!
Keep in
mind
that:
-
Only a
small (single-digit) percentage of high school
and college-level pitchers have a good
riser.
-
Most
pitchers who do throw an effective rise ball practiced it for a
year (and in most
cases - years) before
it worked well enough to use in a game
situation.
-
A
significant number of pitchers try for months or
years, but never develop an effective rise
ball.
-
Rise ball
pitches really do give the batter the impression that they
rise…that they climb above the normal path of a fastball, and
often seem to “pop up” at a point several feet in front of
the plate.
-
A pitch
thrown at under 50 mph can’t "rise" regardless of how good the
spin a pitcher puts on it.
The only way to throw a 45 or 50 mph rise
ball is to hurl it into a gale-force
headwind.
Therefore:
- Be prepared
that to throw the rise ball effectively might
take
 a
year…
and most often longer.
- Learn the correct mechanics…the grip,
the body mechanics, the release, and the
follow-through.
- The faster the
backspin of the ball, the greater the
probability of making it rise.
- Practice does NOT make perfect.
Perfect practice makes perfect. Practice the rise at least
one-third of your practice pitches,
correcting each pitch before throwing the
next.
To Throw An
Effective Rise
Ball:
 GRIP –
Use a two-finger grip…put the pads of your 2nd
and 3rd fingers on the “narrows” of the ball
(where the seams come closest together). The index
finger should dig into, or rest against, the side of the
ball.
- ROTATION –
Use a fast rotation of
the arm…just like with your fastball.
- DOWNSWING –
On the final downswing
of the arm just before the release, turn your fingers to be on the
top of the ball approaching the release
point.
- RELEASE LOW –
The ball needs to be released low...for some pitchers
this could mean below the knee
(Unlike
your other pitches, this MIGHT require dropping the shoulder of
your pitching arm, and keeping your upper body OPEN as much as
possible at the release).
 KEEP YOUR SHOULDERS "OPEN" AND YOUR UPPER BODY PULLED
BACK AS FAR AS POSSIBLE –
Push back
against your stride
leg
(If done right, it will feel like you are going to fall
backward when you release the ball) and
keep your upper body over your rear leg.
- AT THE RELEASE POINT – "Twist the doorknob"...quickly “snap”
the ball to bring your fingers from on top, to as far as possible,
under and past the bottom of the ball.
- FOLLOW-THROUGH –
Ideally, the arm will finish with a short upward
follow-through toward the target, with the inside of the
elbow facing away from the body; 2nd &
3rd fingers will be bent pointing upward. Let your body “fall
backward” after the release if necessary, taking a fall-back
step to retain your balance.
The article above can be downloaded and printed from Microsoft Word
If you have questions
or need more information
E-mail us, or
call Pitching Instructor Gerald Warner in Colorado at
(720) 200-4575
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