Pitching and Pitchers Discussion Pitching anomoly or is there something behind it

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While warming up pitchers for our team, I've noticed that although both of them throw the same speed one of them, her pitch feels like I'm catching a brick. Seems heavier and with more force.

Again, they are pitching relatively the same speed + or _ 1-2 MPH.

Are there any catchers out there that notice this too and know why that is?

 

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Spin of the ball: more wrist snap

 

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I think it has to do with the spin. My DD is a catcher, and can tell if the pitcher is throwing right if the ball feels heavy. Go between a rise and drop, you will feel the difference.

 

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BIG difference between speed and velocity. Velocity has more speed and feels a lot heavier when caught, with more pop. Movement and velocity are not noticed as much as speed.

 

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Good topic........

I was warming up a pitcher that has a great deal of spin and one who has a direct fastball with power. The spin draws your eyes more and a power pitch has a feel of impact!

Its the FEAR Factor the person catching has, pray for the nats to stay out of your eyes!
Catchers have more pass balls on a pitcher with spin movement, could it be placement of the glove and impact???

Wheres the professor at on this one??

 

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great "catch". If you have been around long enough, guys pitching at high levels talk about fast pitchers and those that throw hard. Nolan Ryan for example throws mid 90s and is described as the all bores in on you or it feels like a rock off the bat. Other 90 mph pitchers throw fast but it just doesn't have the impact. I'm a science guy but I have yet to know why that is, but in my travels (coach) I have seen guys that throw hard and it does "bore" in on you.

 

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The concept of a pitcher throwing a "heavy" ball has been around forever, my experience has been to find it happens more often with leftys which lends some credence to the spin issue, I think it has more to do with will handicap a cathcher more often with the break on the ball causing you to catch the pitch awkwardly.

On a similar vein you will find QB's that throw an "Easy" ball to catch usually the ball is nose up, watch the classic NFL Films shots that show the ball nosing up prior to the catch, a heavy ball is the opposite, and noses down.

We all know that the physical aspects of the ball are the same, but there can be no denying that some pitchers do indeed throw a "heavy" ball.

 

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BIG difference between speed and velocity. Velocity has more speed and feels a lot heavier when caught, with more pop. Movement and velocity are not noticed as much as speed.

A couple good reads...

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCI/is_12_63/ai_n6355551/

http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/1dkin/u1l1d.cfm

After reading all this, it seems to me like a case of semantics when applied to pitching. If you were talking relational physics, it could be relevant. But as applied to pitching, it's just semantics. "Average speed" would be a more accurate term.

The "big picture item" here is messing with the batter's timing, which takes a combination of CHANGE of speeds, movement (spin), and accurate placement.

 

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A couple good reads...

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCI/is_12_63/ai_n6355551/

http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/1dkin/u1l1d.cfm

After reading all this, it seems to me like a case of semantics when applied to pitching. If you were talking relational physics, it could be relevant. But as applied to pitching, it's just semantics. "Average speed" would be a more accurate term.

The "big picture item" here is messing with the batter's timing, which takes a combination of CHANGE of speeds, movement (spin), and accurate placement.

Sammy,

Great articles. The descriptions the MLB catchers gave are exactly what I felt. Also, the characteristics they described definately exist between the two girls I'm talking about. 1 is light and gives up lots of bombs and the heavy ball pitcher gets tons of oddly hit balls. The comment in the article about ball placement in the hand seems interesting also, as the heavy ball pitcher I'm mentioning has huge hands for 11yr old girl... wondering if she has it deeper in her hand as they mention.

Seems like this characteristic or "Heavy Ball' is desireable and would be easy to identify in try-outs and recruiting. Surprised I haven't heard about this til now. Seems like every Coach I've watched select pitchers in tryouts are focused on speed first and movement second. This seems ot be "Spin" & "late movement" specific resulting in glove/bat misplacement.

Seems like a kid with this "heavy ball" would be easy to find/recruit. Any College Coaches out there willing to weigh in on whether "Heavy Ball" pitchers are recruited more or less than others.