Posted by: () on Tue Apr 16 23:02:31 2002

> > > Thanks Big Daddy,I figured they moved the mound back for scoring. Does anyone have any data to prove this has helped.
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> > You could probably get quantitative answers to that either on the NFCA site or Fastpitch Forum.
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> > By the way i'm glad somebody else has caught these pitchers and seen how much a softball really breaks. If you have caught in the past like I did you understand that when you set a target and the pitcher starts the ball towards that spot in tracking to catch the ball you move from this spot to the point you actually catch it, the difference is how far it moves. Suffice to say it is not as gerat as most people would lead you to believe, but what do you expect in 40 ft, the same can be said of the Little League distance of 45 ft. If you catch someone from 60 ft the spin of the ball has 20 and/or 15 ft more to work with.
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> > If total volume of break were effective, we would not talk about big hanging curves. The size of the break is unimportant compared to the sharpness of the break and the timing of the break. To repeat myself, the smaller ball can not be made to dance the way the bigger ball can. Even the eleven inch softball won't do what the twelve inch ball will. More surface area to work with I suppose.
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> > Mark H.
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> wow,
> one question goes a long way around here, but all good it seems.
> In my coaching experience I would have to agree with moving the batter back in baseball and softball. I see in softball,the pitcher has an advantage by the way they can leap and drag,and shorten the distance of 40ft to 35ft(sometimes more).In baseball they have a small ball which everybody knows they can throw very hard.
> I like the theories everyone has used so far, I believe in alan's theories, and tried Marks with my daughter who pitches. we took the softball and had her throw a curve, then the baseball and throw a curve, the brake was just a little smaller but the speed was much faster.The drop ball was the same as the curve, but the change up worked better with the baseball, as far as easier for her.
> As for moving up in the box, I would only do it if the pitcher was very slow, and players were swinging to soon. For the pitchers in softball who do have great moving pitches,I would still not have the batter in the front, as if she is that good then she will just start braking the pitches off sooner, or start to have a huge advantage with her change ups.
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> just my opion
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But if you move to the back of the box she can throw her drop for a called strike and have it below your knees when it gets to you. I prefer anywhere from up in the box to sqare with the plate. If a pitcher is overpowering you with speed, I think you have other issues besides where to stand in the box. Good changes are a problem to be sure, but I don't think a foot or two is going to help much. The thing that makes the most sense to me is pick one place to stand and learn your hitting zone and the various ump's zones relative to that one spot. All the while working to perfect your mechanics of course.

Mark H.