How to pitch a drop ball
Being a straight fastball pitcher is not a good strategy. Even if you are incredibly fast, good hitters will eventually get a hold of the ball. Have spin pitches are important because they keep the batter off balance so they never know where the ball is going to go. A drop ball when used correctly is a very effective pitch. This pitch comes in like a regular fastball but drop at the last second so the batter does not make contact or they do not make solid contact and hit either a pop up or a dinky grounder. "Spin pitches, like drop balls, keep the batter off balance because if you have a lot of speed and throw straight fastballs, everyone is eventually going to catch up," said Tori Weida. "The drop ball was a pitch that Carly picked up easily and it works very well. Its probably her "go-to" pitch," said Tony Konopka. Many types of drop balls exist, as with every other pitch, but a commonly used is the peel drop. When gripping the peel drop the pitcher should grip it just like a regular fastball. The pitcher should do everything the same so she does not give away her pitch. One of the most important things to do is hide the ball so that the batter doesn’t have time to track it in and she cant see the grip. "I teach the peel drop because it is one of the easier methods and its very effective," said Sara Fortuna. "Drop balls are effective because the create easy outs, when hit they are usually dinky grounders or pop ups," said Tara Konopka. When the pitcher pitches the ball she must do basically everything the same except her release and her stride.. Instead of snapping her wrist, the pitcher needs to pull back up giving the ball a certain spin that causes it to drop. The pitcher should also short step which means to shorten her stride a couple inches. As soon as the pitcher’s plant foot lands she has to release the ball hard and fast so that the ball has the spin on it so that it will drop a lot instead of a few inches. |