Pitching and Pitchers Discussion peel drop question

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My dd is going to start learning the peel drop from her pitching coach. ?I dont understand how this pitch works? I watched Bill Houses video and understand the grip is like a fastball grip but I still dont understand how it is different. May be somebody can explain this pitch in non pitcher english.

 

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The trick is to get it to break about a foot in front of the plate, then the batter swings over it or it's a weak (hopefully) ground ball. Some pitchers will practice this by setting up a string line about 3 feet in front of home (going across the path of the pitched ball) to check to make sure it's breaking where it should--it should clear that line THEN go down.

 

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I am not a pitching coach, but have been to a Hillhouse clinic as well as a Doug Gillis clinic and my understanding of a peel drop is this. ?You are correct that the grip, for the most part, is the same as a fastball. ?The difference is that with the peel drop you are trying to create as much frontspin as possible, so as the ball travels through the air, the wind resistance against the laces will force the ball to move downward. ?That is it in a nutshell.
If you talk with "most" men pitching coaches, they say there is no such thing as a fastball, they don't throw a fastball, because they want all their pitches to either be moving up or down. ?So in essence, if your daughter is throwing a fastball, she is already throwing a peel drop, just not creating enough frontspin to force it to drop.
Hope I got it close enough for all you Gurus out there.

 

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AHHhh thats better. Its spin and movement(drop). Now if she can just really do that LOL. Sometimes things are said so much better if they are kept simple. Thanks

 

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Kauser,

This is a pitch I am just starting to teach and have had a couple of great instructors provide me information on. One being Ron Osborne who used to play with Dick Brubaker.

This is what Brubaker told Ron about the how to throw the peel drop. I got this information from Ron.

Dick Brubaker, one of the finest hard drop (peel) pitchers I ever laid eyes on told me he pushed down on the wrist as he snapped the drop off the front of his fingers.

I would interpret "pushed down" as the feeling/"cue" that this player used that allowed him to create a flatter release trajectory by allowing the fingers to stay more behind the ball and possibly actually allow the ball to roll downward toward the fingertips prior to release.

There is also another part to this that is not mentioned by Ron. You will use a 4 seam fastball grip as was stated on here in a previous post. The one thing that was not mentioned is that when the hand gets to the 6:00 position in the windmill (beside the leg) the thumb should be off the ball. This allows the ball to roll down the hand and the fingers to impart forward spin on the ball providing the downward movement.

The ball should spin in a 12:00 to 6:00 manner. Place some colored tape around the ball across the 4 seams. If the pitch is thrown right you will see a solid line at release to the catcher with no wobble or movement. Then you know you have the spin correct.

Elliott

 

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To follow up with Lady Knights..... even the US women's pitchers say that as they get older, they do not throw fastballs anymore. The hitters are just too good to be throwing straight pitches.

Hillhouse (DD's coach) really believes many people overcomplicate things. And in watching him throw, it is so smooth and effortless it's hard not to agree! But, his main point is that too much emphisis is put on a pitcher's wrist and thats what keeps the ball flat. In fact, his latest newsletter talked about this very issue! http://www.houseofpitching.com/article22.html

CC

 

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as I am still learrning about this pitch, does the pitcher really have to stop short with the front stride foot. The reason I ask this is because I have been watching alot of college games and I can not see the short step in the motion also Hillhouse says not to? But alot of other PC say to includeing my dd's.

I am just curious if any body else's dd really does this? I try not to doubt the PC's but as you all should know alot of people claim to be a PC. The pitching thing is new to me so I am getting as many opinions as I can.

Thanks

 

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This is by far the easiest pitch to learn for young pitchers. We basically begin with this pitch with our 8 and 9 yr olds. By 10 and 11 years old they are able to create enough forward spin to make the pitch effective.

Once a player understands that by applying different spins on the balll they can really make it move, they become a different pitcher.

 

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Something not mentioned . The fingers are the most important key to throwing pitches with great movement . Strong fingers that create desired rotation is critical . If your teaching with the wrist only ,..your not giving the pitcher all the tools needed to master the pitch properly.

 

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Re: Shortened stride

My 2 cents is that as a young pitcher learns this pitch, a shorter stride makes it easier for her to get the 'peel' part right. Pulling up and over the ball is easier when your front foot is closer in proximity to your shoulder. Try this: stand with feet about 4 1/2 feet apart, do a pitching motion, and imagine releasing the ball with as much top spin as possible. Now move your feet in about 1 foot and do the same thing. For me I can create more top spin with a shorter stride. As a pitcher begins to master the heavy spin her stride can get longer. JMHO

 

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This is one area that I would agree with Bill Hillhouse on. You dont want to change your stride for the peel. You want everyting to look the same.

There are coaches that will tell you to shorten your stride and let your nose come over your toes to throw the drop. Its not needed and it will only take your DD out of her mechanics (Bleed over into) for her other pitches.