Posted by: Major Dan (mjordan@cerner.com) on Mon Jan 21 05:19:35 2002

Could someone help me out with the math or with the amount of drop caused by gravity during the period of time a pitch is traveling to the plate?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Mark H.
>
> OK, found that. Now, anyone have anything to convince a fastpitch coach that, even in fastpitch, most, if not all, pitches have a downward angle as they cross the plate? I've done the math but I would like some "outside" expert testimony to bolster my contention.
>
> Thanks,
> Mark H.

Mark -
I don't have any outside experts to refer you to. Sorry. But in a discussion on FastPitchForum a while back, it was made clear that it is possible to throw a softball with an upward trajectory at homeplate at the high end of pitching velocities (60+MPH). I'm not talking 'riseball' due to spin, just a fastball released slightly upward. I suspect just about everything else would have some downward component, but maybe not as much as in baseball where the release point is higher to start with. Baseball is more 'forward and down', fastpitch is more 'up then down'.