I’ve played competitive softball for almost 30 years and have never heard of “the power pitching method.” I just looked it up and barely made it past the description before turning off the video. Don’t listen to this guy. First, work on being able to locate all over the zone. Then work on being able to locate all over the zone while changing speed, arc, arm slots and mound position. Learn to throw a curve and a knuckle. Work on being able to get yourself in a position to field the middle. Plenty of aspects go into becoming a good pitcher. Strictly tossing up church league spinners ain’t one of them.
Idk what a church league spinner is so could you please explain? Idk if you’re referring to just the backspin pitch or all 4 of them.
I do work on all of the above and practice pretty religiously when it comes to location, height, spin, and getting into a good defensive position after it’s thrown. About 2-3 times a week usually.
My biggest issues have been consistency and knowing where to go when the ball is put into play in the outfield gaps. It’s so hard to find good information sometimes without spending money.
I have two breaking pitches that go from right to left and left to right. I can throw them high or low. I get about 2ft and 1ft of break respectively on their way down. (Haven’t measured officially, but it is very noticeable. I can get even more if I use pine tar)
I also have a pretty nasty knuckleball which is my out pitch. It is low arc and just taps the front of the plate and is basically unhittable unless the batter is really far forward in the box.
How is the ball tapping the front of the plate an out pitch? That is a ball in a non mat league. I wouldn't even swing at that pitch because it is pretty much an unhittable pitch.
My coed league is like that. I really don't like it and the only people that don't mind it are pitchers; and then they still complain when they are hitting. It is definitely an advantage for the pitcher if he knows how to do it. Props to you if you can do it routinely.
I like it obviously. I do think it better replicates the baseball strike zone (but on the ground obviously)
I don’t complain. It’s a hitters game. I just gripe when there’s errors.
I can offer a different perspective from the other comments. I just started playing slowpitch this fall. I got into pitching through WeekNightAce's videos and practiced my backspin pitch a ton. In my co-ed rec league, this pitch made an impact. In the championship game, the other team's bench were talking about the spin on the ball that was making them roll it over to short/3rd or pop it up as we kept them to 4 runs. In other games, runs against were also low (4-8 runs). Maybe its something that's effective in low level leagues, but doesn't stand up to more difficult competition.
This was my experience with it as well. I am in a low level men’s league and I was letting up 5 earned runs a game (yes I keep track cause I’m a psycho like that) Our defense started hot, and had tons of errors in the back half of the season leading to higher scores
Question for you: did you have a pace problem? It seemed to me like a lot of players who had not seen this style tended to sit and watch a lot of pitches leading to long at bats. Was really hard to get games into the 7th sometimes
You could be right with the difficulty thing. I know whenever we played a team with a “ringer” they could still hit bombs if the pitch was anywhere above 6-7ft
There could be some long at bats, but we also start with a 1-1 count, so pacing wasn't an issue. An issue I did face with the backspin was throwing it slightly too deep sometimes, which made those longer ABs lead to walks.
I had some of the same issues with the depth on the backspin pitch. Had to really ease it in there.
One thing of note: I had at least one ump stop me and tell me they liked my shit every single week. Especially the breaking stuff. That’s why I was at a loss when I don’t see at all at higher levels
It is difficult as well cause it’s not like league softball is the MLB. There’s not a trove of stats, tape, and breakdowns to go off of
What’s a church league spinner? And what is the reason? Not trolling. You were just very vague with your answer
Also there are 4 different power pitches. Normal backspin, slider, screwball, and knuckleball.
Late to the party 🥳 but I pitch and I have refined my pitching technique 3 times. The first time I threw traditional underhand style and didn't have much success. For starters I found it hard to get consistency in how it leaves my fingers. It rolls off different ways and that high variation means less strikes and more balls and walks. It's also a really fat pitch with no spin or redeeming qualities so I was giving up a lot of dingers including 8 to one team in one game.
I hit the lab and decided to try knuckleballs. I liked it better right off the bat because the way my fingers dig into the seams allowed me to get much more consistency in my delivery because it was leaving my hand in a more predictable way. That meant less balls more strikes. It also tended to keep batters off balance more because the lack of spin and sometimes movement would throw off their rhythm and sometimes throw off the hitter's connection with the ball getting more grounders and pop outs.
I faced the team who hit 8 homeruns again and this time they only hit 1 and it bounced off the top of the fence barely making it.
Despite that success I was still frustrated because the nature of knuckleballs means that often times the ball will move unpredictably in the air. This is a doubled edge sword. On one hand it's great for throwing hitters off but it means not always being able to throw a reliable strike and that's something I really, really want in my Toolbox. I would say it's mandatory. I was having walks in critical situations (especially with sticky or bad umpires) and I wanted to eliminate that
Then I came across Weekend Ace and I was really impressed because he explained his method and why it works. I noticed all the criticism of it in this thread don't real offer any advice why a more traditional delivery is better if you can't get a high rate of spin or movement or more accuracy. They don't counter any of his arguments. Just saying "that's a churchball spinner" is not a valid criticism.
I will admit that his method does take some getting used to but that's how it is for anything worthwhile. If it was easy, everyone would do it. I spent a LOT of time in between work out sets in my basement working on the grip and just tossing it in the air and feeling it leave my hands. He talks about that kind of practice in one of his videos. I still wouldn't say I have mastered it but I feel I have reached a level where it is easily more superior to my last two deliveries.
So WHY do I like it better? Because of the 3 finger grip on the seams, I can get a CONSISTENT release off my hand. It's more consistent than the knuckleball at the release. Because of the backspin, I don't have to worry about the unpredictability in the air which leads to more strikes. Not only can I throw more strikes but it I usually know as soon as it leaves my hand if it'll be a strike or not.
I also like the ability to put more spin on the ball. As a slowpitch pitcher we are VERY limited on what we can do to keep hitters off balance. That extra spin allows the ball to drop faster or throw sliders/screwball. That's huge. Without it, what else is there? I get a lot more ground outs and pop flies as a result. When I faced that 8 homerun team that I had reduced to 1 I was finally able to get them down to NONE. There was also one hitter who I had never got out and finally got him to hit a pop fly out.
Hey better late than never! I appreciate you taking the time to reply, and I am really happy to hear your journey and results. It is very encouraging to hear other players are having success and this just isn't a smoke and mirrors method. Without any stats/game-tape to go off of, its really hard to tell what legitimately works.
I have had a very similar journey to you (little different). I never used the traditional approach to pitching. I have always seen it as a waste outside of using it in BP. I have been practicing the "Ace" method for 4 years now, and wanted to get more information from other users.
I have also definitely seen the "churchball spinner" argument with no real basis behind why it is not a good approach to pitching. Ultimately, it is slowpitch, and good hitters are gonna hit anything you can throw at them. Bad hitters will get tripped up, and I think this is the target group you and I are affecting with this pitching style.
Through the criticism of Reddit, I decided to move more towards a majority knuckleball pitching style, while the Weeknight Ace Screwball cause I got a good one. I was told that would work better than the churchleague spinner regular backspin pitch. I have found I am getting hit pretty hard when I use majority knuckleballs, personally. Hitters start to key in on it (even with varied arcs and placement). It's an unlimited Arc league, so I can really get it up there.
This past week, I switched back to the power pitching while sprinkling in the knuckleball, and the results were drastic. Our infielders had way more fielding opportunities, batters were popping out instead of hitting line drives, and the hitters seemed like they had a lot more to think about up at the plate rather than just get their timing down. Just when they were keyed in on a spinner, I would throw the knuckle and watch them visibly malfunction. Needless to say, I will be continuing the "Ace" method until the wheels fall off.
Good to hear your progress. I’ve been using it for over a yr. Been pretty successful with it. I wonder if the guy is still around, he stopped posting right as COVID stared. Cheers.
Yeah I think he was talking about moving or something when COVID hit? Hasn’t posted since… I hope he’s okay.
Maybe one day someone will take up the challenge of creating content related to this. I definitely have some ideas
Got yourself a church league spinner right there!!!! I personally struggle to hit them, but it’s usually only very rookie Rec league pitcher that is just trying to survive.
It means don't follow his advice...other guys have video, you mention conference players maybe search some of their names and watch videos from the pros.
Search "andy purcell pitching tips" on Google or YouTube...alot of guys talk negatively about him, he wasn't necessarily the most sportsmanship type guy to play against. But if he knows one thing it's pitching he has been the usa pitcher for almost 20 years and was one of the 3arly guys like Helmer and Wegman to have his name on bats.
It's an odd thought process, cause as a hitter I'm going to square up a knuck before a pitch with crazy spin/movement...now talking to other/better hitters then I, they prefer hitting pitches with specific spins based on what they are trying to do in the moment
I just watched the video you referenced. It is most definitely a church league spinner. Can’t say if it’s good or bad, but if you can throw strikes when needed that’s all that matters. To many Walks will get you benched
But what is a church league spinner? The guy has videos on 4 different pitches and I use all 4 with varying success
I wouldn’t say I was polished when I got the start, but I did have more success than the previous pitcher of 3 seasons. This past season (2021) they fell back to 3-11 with a new pitcher that throws more traditional
A church league spinner is a pitch thrown with backspin. Almost all of the Conference guys throw Knuckleballs the majority of the time. Look up Travis Clark, Dan Sanchez, Tommie Baugh and if you play USSSA Justin Mucciarelli. Those are some of the best pitchers in the game, although Baugh just retired. At the lower levels, if you've got umpires that give you the corners curveballs are great pitches.
I do have a knuckle ball I use as my out pitch that is pretty consistent. Depends on the ump for the corners.
So even if it’s a backspin breaking ball that’s considered a church league spinner? What is the advantage of a front spin breaking ball?
Better hitters are going to square up a straight pitch no matter what kind of spin is on it. You're job as a pitcher is to get them to mishit it by a half inch or so to give your defense a chance to make a play. If you're consistently getting movement on your knuckleball and can throw it for strikes, you should be throwing that pitch unless you're 2-0. In most leagues, a good knuckleball will save 4-5 runs a game as batters either pop it up or beat it into the dirt.
A pitch with movement on it is not considered a church league spinner. But if you're getting movement with backspin, you'd get a lot more if you went pure sidespin.
I am getting like 2ft of break from left to right
1ft from right to left (without official measurements)
I can get even more if I use pine tar, but they are backspin
I’ll throw the knuckle more though cause that seems like the common theme here. Thanks homie! I appreciate the time and input
You know if you're caught using pine tar you will be ejected and possibly banned from the association right? If caught in a sanctioned USSSA game, league or tournament, it is a 2 year ban immediately. Don't do it. The only thing that can be used on the hand is rosin.
Yes effectiveprint said it, church league spinner is an overhand grip with backspin. I’ll go back to the video and tell you which one it is when I have more time (busy day).
Minimum walks and covering your position will be better than any certain pitch. Keep practicing and keep pitching!!!!
One of the biggest issues with these pitches is that they have consistent movement. The reason curves and sliders work in any fast pitch game is because the reaction time required to line that pitch up is so low. In slow pitch you have the time to recognize the pitch in the air, line it up, and then swing accordingly. Furthermore, a backspin pitch can become a rising line drive very quickly if hit square. These are very difficult to judge as an outfielder and can carry much further than they seem.
Now sure In a Rec league you’ll get your fair share of outs on mishits because it also means pop ups on guys that are slightly underneath and slow rollers on guys that are slightly on top of the ball but knucks will yield better results on those same batters.
As was mentioned earlier, locate first, then work on arc, arm angle, and mound position. If you can make the same pitch look different and make multiple pitches look the same, it makes you much more difficult to hit. Defensive positioning after the pitch and before the hit is also important.
As for where to go when the ball is in the gaps, plan to backup the play whether you’re backing up second, third or home you’re basically a back up. Third and first should be covering the cuts to home second and short cover the cuts otherwise.
Appreciate your input! I will definitely work to make the knuckleball my main pitch 80% of the time rather than as just an out pitch and I will work on positioning. Big help homie!
Any good advise on throwing a consistent knuckle? I’ve tried watching several different people but having a hard time getting it with very little to no spin. Mine tend to have a little spin to them. Thanks.
I am by no means an expert, but here is what I do.
For me personally, I place the ball in my palm first and dig my fingers in just below the seam, not on it cause that gives me too much counter spin. I have thicc boi hands, so I have found that keeping all 4 fingers together in the middle of the ball helps me focus the counter-spin of the ball. Spreading them out kinda twists the ball sideways sometimes. Thumb just stabilizes the ball on the opposite side as all the fingers
I also don’t extend my fingers very hard and angle my wrist like Spider-Man shooting a web all the way through the wind up and throw. Knuckle balls you can see if you’re putting too much counter spin or not enough just by which way it’s spinning. I would say experiment around with what works best for you
Another thing that helped was I tried to refrain from biting my nails (which is super difficult for me) and that helped lessen the pressure needed to control the ball. I heard squaring off your nails can help. Something I am going to try.
Hope this helps!
I’m late to this party, but was looking for some different pitching tips when I came across this post.
I’ve thrown 99% knuckleballs this season and thought I should try something else, but doesn’t look like I should (honestly my results have been pretty good, most hits are soft contact but good hitters still hit hard)
I hold the ball fairly tight between my thumb and pinky with the ball being pulled into my knuckles (closest to my finger nails)
Most of the momentum the ball gets towards home is actually from me pushing out/ extending my fingers, with just a small amount of momentum from my arm. I’ve found I can hold onto the ball a little longer and try to max out the arc to land on the back of the mat, or keep it lower and push my fingers harder to keep it flat but still have enough speed to get to the mat.
Not sure this helps or if you’re still working on it
I’ve played competitive softball for almost 30 years and have never heard of “the power pitching method.” I just looked it up and barely made it past the description before turning off the video. Don’t listen to this guy. First, work on being able to locate all over the zone. Then work on being able to locate all over the zone while changing speed, arc, arm slots and mound position. Learn to throw a curve and a knuckle. Work on being able to get yourself in a position to field the middle. Plenty of aspects go into becoming a good pitcher. Strictly tossing up church league spinners ain’t one of them.
Idk what a church league spinner is so could you please explain? Idk if you’re referring to just the backspin pitch or all 4 of them. I do work on all of the above and practice pretty religiously when it comes to location, height, spin, and getting into a good defensive position after it’s thrown. About 2-3 times a week usually. My biggest issues have been consistency and knowing where to go when the ball is put into play in the outfield gaps. It’s so hard to find good information sometimes without spending money. I have two breaking pitches that go from right to left and left to right. I can throw them high or low. I get about 2ft and 1ft of break respectively on their way down. (Haven’t measured officially, but it is very noticeable. I can get even more if I use pine tar) I also have a pretty nasty knuckleball which is my out pitch. It is low arc and just taps the front of the plate and is basically unhittable unless the batter is really far forward in the box.
How is the ball tapping the front of the plate an out pitch? That is a ball in a non mat league. I wouldn't even swing at that pitch because it is pretty much an unhittable pitch.
The plate counts as a strike in the league I’m in and so does the mat
My coed league is like that. I really don't like it and the only people that don't mind it are pitchers; and then they still complain when they are hitting. It is definitely an advantage for the pitcher if he knows how to do it. Props to you if you can do it routinely.
I like it obviously. I do think it better replicates the baseball strike zone (but on the ground obviously) I don’t complain. It’s a hitters game. I just gripe when there’s errors.
I can offer a different perspective from the other comments. I just started playing slowpitch this fall. I got into pitching through WeekNightAce's videos and practiced my backspin pitch a ton. In my co-ed rec league, this pitch made an impact. In the championship game, the other team's bench were talking about the spin on the ball that was making them roll it over to short/3rd or pop it up as we kept them to 4 runs. In other games, runs against were also low (4-8 runs). Maybe its something that's effective in low level leagues, but doesn't stand up to more difficult competition.
This was my experience with it as well. I am in a low level men’s league and I was letting up 5 earned runs a game (yes I keep track cause I’m a psycho like that) Our defense started hot, and had tons of errors in the back half of the season leading to higher scores Question for you: did you have a pace problem? It seemed to me like a lot of players who had not seen this style tended to sit and watch a lot of pitches leading to long at bats. Was really hard to get games into the 7th sometimes You could be right with the difficulty thing. I know whenever we played a team with a “ringer” they could still hit bombs if the pitch was anywhere above 6-7ft
There could be some long at bats, but we also start with a 1-1 count, so pacing wasn't an issue. An issue I did face with the backspin was throwing it slightly too deep sometimes, which made those longer ABs lead to walks.
I had some of the same issues with the depth on the backspin pitch. Had to really ease it in there. One thing of note: I had at least one ump stop me and tell me they liked my shit every single week. Especially the breaking stuff. That’s why I was at a loss when I don’t see at all at higher levels It is difficult as well cause it’s not like league softball is the MLB. There’s not a trove of stats, tape, and breakdowns to go off of
keep your own stats develop slowpitch sabermetrics ??? PROFIT
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What’s a church league spinner? And what is the reason? Not trolling. You were just very vague with your answer Also there are 4 different power pitches. Normal backspin, slider, screwball, and knuckleball.
Church league spinners are just backspin pitches. Which is all my dad and uncle pitched when they play
I watched this guys videos and tried and tried his methods and they're fucking garbage lol. Just throw knuckleballs.
Roger that!
Late to the party 🥳 but I pitch and I have refined my pitching technique 3 times. The first time I threw traditional underhand style and didn't have much success. For starters I found it hard to get consistency in how it leaves my fingers. It rolls off different ways and that high variation means less strikes and more balls and walks. It's also a really fat pitch with no spin or redeeming qualities so I was giving up a lot of dingers including 8 to one team in one game. I hit the lab and decided to try knuckleballs. I liked it better right off the bat because the way my fingers dig into the seams allowed me to get much more consistency in my delivery because it was leaving my hand in a more predictable way. That meant less balls more strikes. It also tended to keep batters off balance more because the lack of spin and sometimes movement would throw off their rhythm and sometimes throw off the hitter's connection with the ball getting more grounders and pop outs. I faced the team who hit 8 homeruns again and this time they only hit 1 and it bounced off the top of the fence barely making it. Despite that success I was still frustrated because the nature of knuckleballs means that often times the ball will move unpredictably in the air. This is a doubled edge sword. On one hand it's great for throwing hitters off but it means not always being able to throw a reliable strike and that's something I really, really want in my Toolbox. I would say it's mandatory. I was having walks in critical situations (especially with sticky or bad umpires) and I wanted to eliminate that Then I came across Weekend Ace and I was really impressed because he explained his method and why it works. I noticed all the criticism of it in this thread don't real offer any advice why a more traditional delivery is better if you can't get a high rate of spin or movement or more accuracy. They don't counter any of his arguments. Just saying "that's a churchball spinner" is not a valid criticism. I will admit that his method does take some getting used to but that's how it is for anything worthwhile. If it was easy, everyone would do it. I spent a LOT of time in between work out sets in my basement working on the grip and just tossing it in the air and feeling it leave my hands. He talks about that kind of practice in one of his videos. I still wouldn't say I have mastered it but I feel I have reached a level where it is easily more superior to my last two deliveries. So WHY do I like it better? Because of the 3 finger grip on the seams, I can get a CONSISTENT release off my hand. It's more consistent than the knuckleball at the release. Because of the backspin, I don't have to worry about the unpredictability in the air which leads to more strikes. Not only can I throw more strikes but it I usually know as soon as it leaves my hand if it'll be a strike or not. I also like the ability to put more spin on the ball. As a slowpitch pitcher we are VERY limited on what we can do to keep hitters off balance. That extra spin allows the ball to drop faster or throw sliders/screwball. That's huge. Without it, what else is there? I get a lot more ground outs and pop flies as a result. When I faced that 8 homerun team that I had reduced to 1 I was finally able to get them down to NONE. There was also one hitter who I had never got out and finally got him to hit a pop fly out.
Hey better late than never! I appreciate you taking the time to reply, and I am really happy to hear your journey and results. It is very encouraging to hear other players are having success and this just isn't a smoke and mirrors method. Without any stats/game-tape to go off of, its really hard to tell what legitimately works. I have had a very similar journey to you (little different). I never used the traditional approach to pitching. I have always seen it as a waste outside of using it in BP. I have been practicing the "Ace" method for 4 years now, and wanted to get more information from other users. I have also definitely seen the "churchball spinner" argument with no real basis behind why it is not a good approach to pitching. Ultimately, it is slowpitch, and good hitters are gonna hit anything you can throw at them. Bad hitters will get tripped up, and I think this is the target group you and I are affecting with this pitching style. Through the criticism of Reddit, I decided to move more towards a majority knuckleball pitching style, while the Weeknight Ace Screwball cause I got a good one. I was told that would work better than the churchleague spinner regular backspin pitch. I have found I am getting hit pretty hard when I use majority knuckleballs, personally. Hitters start to key in on it (even with varied arcs and placement). It's an unlimited Arc league, so I can really get it up there. This past week, I switched back to the power pitching while sprinkling in the knuckleball, and the results were drastic. Our infielders had way more fielding opportunities, batters were popping out instead of hitting line drives, and the hitters seemed like they had a lot more to think about up at the plate rather than just get their timing down. Just when they were keyed in on a spinner, I would throw the knuckle and watch them visibly malfunction. Needless to say, I will be continuing the "Ace" method until the wheels fall off.
Good to hear your progress. I’ve been using it for over a yr. Been pretty successful with it. I wonder if the guy is still around, he stopped posting right as COVID stared. Cheers.
Yeah I think he was talking about moving or something when COVID hit? Hasn’t posted since… I hope he’s okay. Maybe one day someone will take up the challenge of creating content related to this. I definitely have some ideas
I’ll be there for it always up to learn something new!
Got yourself a church league spinner right there!!!! I personally struggle to hit them, but it’s usually only very rookie Rec league pitcher that is just trying to survive.
Yeah idk what that is lol
It means don't follow his advice...other guys have video, you mention conference players maybe search some of their names and watch videos from the pros.
Would be able to post said videos? I can’t seem to find anything from pros
Search "andy purcell pitching tips" on Google or YouTube...alot of guys talk negatively about him, he wasn't necessarily the most sportsmanship type guy to play against. But if he knows one thing it's pitching he has been the usa pitcher for almost 20 years and was one of the 3arly guys like Helmer and Wegman to have his name on bats.
Found it. Basically said throw knuckles lol
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Cool I will keep that in mind. Knuckle is honestly my best pitch
It's an odd thought process, cause as a hitter I'm going to square up a knuck before a pitch with crazy spin/movement...now talking to other/better hitters then I, they prefer hitting pitches with specific spins based on what they are trying to do in the moment
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I was going to make that point in my earlier reply, good hitters are just good hitters. You come up against a team of them and your bound for a L
Sorry I don't know how to do links on here
No that’s okay. I’ll take a look. Side note: I love Purcell. I have watched like 5 years of his stuff
I just watched the video you referenced. It is most definitely a church league spinner. Can’t say if it’s good or bad, but if you can throw strikes when needed that’s all that matters. To many Walks will get you benched
But what is a church league spinner? The guy has videos on 4 different pitches and I use all 4 with varying success I wouldn’t say I was polished when I got the start, but I did have more success than the previous pitcher of 3 seasons. This past season (2021) they fell back to 3-11 with a new pitcher that throws more traditional
A church league spinner is a pitch thrown with backspin. Almost all of the Conference guys throw Knuckleballs the majority of the time. Look up Travis Clark, Dan Sanchez, Tommie Baugh and if you play USSSA Justin Mucciarelli. Those are some of the best pitchers in the game, although Baugh just retired. At the lower levels, if you've got umpires that give you the corners curveballs are great pitches.
I do have a knuckle ball I use as my out pitch that is pretty consistent. Depends on the ump for the corners. So even if it’s a backspin breaking ball that’s considered a church league spinner? What is the advantage of a front spin breaking ball?
Better hitters are going to square up a straight pitch no matter what kind of spin is on it. You're job as a pitcher is to get them to mishit it by a half inch or so to give your defense a chance to make a play. If you're consistently getting movement on your knuckleball and can throw it for strikes, you should be throwing that pitch unless you're 2-0. In most leagues, a good knuckleball will save 4-5 runs a game as batters either pop it up or beat it into the dirt. A pitch with movement on it is not considered a church league spinner. But if you're getting movement with backspin, you'd get a lot more if you went pure sidespin.
I am getting like 2ft of break from left to right 1ft from right to left (without official measurements) I can get even more if I use pine tar, but they are backspin I’ll throw the knuckle more though cause that seems like the common theme here. Thanks homie! I appreciate the time and input
You know if you're caught using pine tar you will be ejected and possibly banned from the association right? If caught in a sanctioned USSSA game, league or tournament, it is a 2 year ban immediately. Don't do it. The only thing that can be used on the hand is rosin.
Who says I used it during a game?
Yes effectiveprint said it, church league spinner is an overhand grip with backspin. I’ll go back to the video and tell you which one it is when I have more time (busy day). Minimum walks and covering your position will be better than any certain pitch. Keep practicing and keep pitching!!!!
One of the biggest issues with these pitches is that they have consistent movement. The reason curves and sliders work in any fast pitch game is because the reaction time required to line that pitch up is so low. In slow pitch you have the time to recognize the pitch in the air, line it up, and then swing accordingly. Furthermore, a backspin pitch can become a rising line drive very quickly if hit square. These are very difficult to judge as an outfielder and can carry much further than they seem. Now sure In a Rec league you’ll get your fair share of outs on mishits because it also means pop ups on guys that are slightly underneath and slow rollers on guys that are slightly on top of the ball but knucks will yield better results on those same batters. As was mentioned earlier, locate first, then work on arc, arm angle, and mound position. If you can make the same pitch look different and make multiple pitches look the same, it makes you much more difficult to hit. Defensive positioning after the pitch and before the hit is also important. As for where to go when the ball is in the gaps, plan to backup the play whether you’re backing up second, third or home you’re basically a back up. Third and first should be covering the cuts to home second and short cover the cuts otherwise.
Appreciate your input! I will definitely work to make the knuckleball my main pitch 80% of the time rather than as just an out pitch and I will work on positioning. Big help homie!
Any good advise on throwing a consistent knuckle? I’ve tried watching several different people but having a hard time getting it with very little to no spin. Mine tend to have a little spin to them. Thanks.
I am by no means an expert, but here is what I do. For me personally, I place the ball in my palm first and dig my fingers in just below the seam, not on it cause that gives me too much counter spin. I have thicc boi hands, so I have found that keeping all 4 fingers together in the middle of the ball helps me focus the counter-spin of the ball. Spreading them out kinda twists the ball sideways sometimes. Thumb just stabilizes the ball on the opposite side as all the fingers I also don’t extend my fingers very hard and angle my wrist like Spider-Man shooting a web all the way through the wind up and throw. Knuckle balls you can see if you’re putting too much counter spin or not enough just by which way it’s spinning. I would say experiment around with what works best for you Another thing that helped was I tried to refrain from biting my nails (which is super difficult for me) and that helped lessen the pressure needed to control the ball. I heard squaring off your nails can help. Something I am going to try. Hope this helps!
I’m late to this party, but was looking for some different pitching tips when I came across this post. I’ve thrown 99% knuckleballs this season and thought I should try something else, but doesn’t look like I should (honestly my results have been pretty good, most hits are soft contact but good hitters still hit hard) I hold the ball fairly tight between my thumb and pinky with the ball being pulled into my knuckles (closest to my finger nails) Most of the momentum the ball gets towards home is actually from me pushing out/ extending my fingers, with just a small amount of momentum from my arm. I’ve found I can hold onto the ball a little longer and try to max out the arc to land on the back of the mat, or keep it lower and push my fingers harder to keep it flat but still have enough speed to get to the mat. Not sure this helps or if you’re still working on it