Posted by: Alan () on Mon Mar 8 17:23:04 2004

I posted a request for comments Mar. 6th under "Bonds/fastpitch" and didn't get a response but it did get highjacked by the endless discussion on tht. I still need an answer to my question as to what changes if any to rotational mechanics do I need to make to my daughters swing for the rise ball in fastpitch.(I think keep hands higher) Please don't argue about if the ball rises. Ask that to the 6 Major leaguers that struck out. See my Mar 6th post if you want to know what prompted this question.

There are no changes you should make to try to hit the riseball it is a pitch designed to move up and out of the strike zone and if you get a piece of it you'll usually pop up. This is a similar principal to a baseball pitcher who starts the slider on the outside corner and hopes you go after it as it moves off the plate. If you are swinging at either pitch your not going to be able to do much with them.

If you take into account that a softball pitcher releases the ball at about knee level to get it up to the plate at shoulder level it has to follow an up trajectory. If the pitch starts outlooking like it is coming in at the level of thier hands they have to know the ball is going to continue up and out of the strike zone. Look to hit pitches below their hands they'll stay in the zone.