I have watched alot of baseball in my time, on tv and real life. I can swear i have seen a good four seamer jump from belt high to chest high. Is this just the amount of force and top spin that is put on the ball that can move it upward? almost like throwing an underhand upward curve? opposite the overhand traditional curve? or maybe its taking the reverse action of a splittler or sinking fastball? OR, is this a case of the ball is being released maybe 7 feet off the ground and ultimatly ends up 2 feet or 3 feet off the ground so it sinks the entire 60 feet, and a ball that apears to rise is simply thrown so hard with such forceful top spin that it does not sink quite as much? with a splitter, the reason it wants to run downward at the plate is basically because the sides of the ball want to spin harder than the middle? so does applying enough force to the middle make it actually rise? thanks
2007-06-15 12:08:43 · 6 answers · asked by matt m 3 in Sports ➔ Baseball
4 seamers, are used usually as "HIGH HEAT" and this is because with a four seam there is a lot of top spin depending on how you use your wrist in your wind up.
YES, it does rise, usually about 2-3 inches, but my pitching coach in college could make it rise a good 5-6 inches.
but, also yeah, if you hold you fingers together when throwing a 2 seam (on the inside of the seams) it will reduce spin and with enouqh force, the ball will not drop as much, so it looks like it's rising.
With guys that throw 3/4 arms you see more balls that look like they are rising because they are not throwing over top, and so the ball is not coming down at an angle
2007-06-15 14:36:52 · answer #1 · answered by Michael F 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The overwhelming consensus is that you can't make a ball rise (it's physically impossible). But you can still make a ball look like it's rising when it's really just "not falling as fast."
I haven't looked into it, because I heard of its impossibility years ago. The only thing I can think is that maybe it's the camera-angle. Pitchers stand ten inches taller than the batter because of the pitchers mound. Television might be shooting an angle to make the pitcher and batter appear they are of equal height. That would mean balls would appear to be traveling parallel with the field, or even rising. (it's just a theory)
2007-06-15 19:30:24 · answer #2 · answered by Paul 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not impossible, but no human currently can spin a baseball fast enough to make it rise. Some fastballs just sink less than others, like you say.
2007-06-15 19:18:19 · answer #3 · answered by Answerman 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, fastballs rise. Not to the degree as seen on tv bu they rise, naturally. Think of the spin on a fastball. Change the spin, make it a splitter, or slider and it sinks; but the natural tendency of the fastball is to rise.
2007-06-15 19:41:22 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Depending on how you grip the ball and the release point a fastball can rise, drop, move in, or move out. If you ever watch Billy Wagner, on the Mets, his fastball will start at the belt and will rise by the time it comes across the plate, and at 100mph.
2007-06-15 19:56:39 · answer #5 · answered by Frizzer 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
it's not physically impossible, i don't know what that guys talking about, it's simple physics, velocity+spin=height or -height, just recently look at Justin Verlander in the bottom of the ninth against the brewers, 102 mph+2 seam spin=height
2007-06-15 19:44:44 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋