Posted by: Jim (jwelborn@lexcominc.net) on Mon Feb 27 19:58:06 2006

> > A "rise ball" is not actually rising as it crosses home plate. It may in some case travel level to the ground, but it is not traveling up through the hitting zone.
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> Jack,
> > I'm not sure I understand how the fundamentals of this swing and the concept of hitting "level with ball" allows you to hit a rise ball in fastpitch.




Rise balls typically do not curve upward through the zone, but rather fail to drop in the same trajectory as the fastball. The resulting flat trajectory actually resembles a straight line that leaves the pitcher’s hand two feet or so above the ground and passes (usually) through the extreme top of the strike zone which would be around 4 1/2 - 5 feet above the ground. So yes, the rise ball does rise through the zone. There may be a few super pitchers (the likes of Jenny Finch) who can spin the ball fast enough and with enough control to actually make the ball curve upward as it approaches the zone.

The difference in trajectory does not become detectible until the ball is a few feet in front of the batter’s contact zone. This difference in trajectory causes the batter’s swing plane, which is typically trained on the fastball’s trajectory, to not match the line of the pitch. It would certainly not be advisable to attempt to swing down on a rise ball. For most batters I’m not sure such an adjustment would ever create success.

The challenge for the batter is to learn to recognize the rise ball by the pitcher’s posture and release and/or the ball’s spin. The batter can then employ two tactics. One is to compensate by stretching taller as she swings, maintaining a mechanically sound swing. The other is to lay off the pitch. Which strategy to use depends on the skill of the pitcher and how the umpire is calling the high pitch. If batters can lay off the pitch and get it called a “ball” the rise ball can be defeated. This, however, is much easier said than done.

Jim