Pitching 101: The Slider. Different Grips, Same Results | USA / ASA / USSSA Slowpitch Softball

Taking a look at how three different pitchers throw a slider. All three with different grips, approach, and strategy. We learned a lot from filming this video so I'm sure you'll learn a lot from watching it!
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[@patrickbishop9254]

Even though all three guys were holding the ball differently, they all we essentially pitching with a 2-seam grip. Recommendation: tape up some balls with black electricians tape (or sharpie) with the 2 seam spin. In order to throw a slider (curveball), you don't really have to twist your wrist. You just need to pronate the wrist at enough of an angle so that the ball comes out on either a 10-4 axis (righties) or 2-7 axis (lefties). The Magnus Effect (air pressure on one side vs the other side of the ball) will do the rest. Another viewer stated this, but if you set the camera up behind the pitcher, it might be a better way of seeing the movement on camera, plus the black tape would show the spin. Great video. Glad to see us pitchers getting some love. Note: I can typically throw this pitch with movement with a head wind or cross wind (either direction). The only time it doesn't work very well is with a tail wind, as that effects the pressure on the back side of the ball (Magnus Effect).

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

Thanks for that Patrick! I'm pretty sure all three guys have a ball with the tape exactly as you suggested. We should definitely get that in film next time. We will definitely be using some different /better camera angles and utilizing slow motion ik future pitching videos. Thanks for all of your insight!

[@paulmorris7658]

Great video. Just started pitching this season for the first time. This video truly helped me so much.

[@samdogen1846]

Nothing more fun than pitching! Thanks for sharing

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

Glad you like it!

[@mskeezer271]

Thanks for watching this video! I am always working on new pitches and I am the big guy in video! The three of us help each other work to refine our game!

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

It so true. These three are constantly discussing different pitches, strategies, etc. They will also often play C when another is pitching to help with pitch calling and strategy on the field. They are the closest thing I've seen to an actual pitching staff.

[@SuperMaryjaneman]

Ayeee skiiii

[@SuperMaryjaneman]

Btw it’s Cam lol “fury”

[@TheKrisKing]

Sick video fellas. As a pitcher it’s interesting hearing a few different opinions

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

Thank you! We noticed how all of our pitcher friends all do it a different way. We figured everyone else would find it as interesting as we did!

[@jimpeterson3806]

Love love love the pitching vids! Keep em coming!! I grip my slider kinda like the big guy in the video. I don't twist my wrist at all though. The Magnus affect steers the ball towards the glove side. The wind definitely plays a factor. If it's blowing in towards the batter or opposite of the slider direction, I select a different pitch.

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

Thanks for watching. We'll be doing more in the near future. What would you like to see most?

[@jimpeterson3806]

@@LeagueNightSoftball well, since my knuckleball kinda sucks, how bout dat? Lol

[@mskeezer271]

Thanks for watching the video! I try different grips at times if wind is blowing. Big guy in video! We will keep the vids coming

[@jimpeterson3806]

@@mskeezer271 yeah I'm anxious to see how you guys throw the knuckle. It's my achilles heel for sure. When it does come out right, it's nasty. Problem is, it's one out of 3 or 4 pitches. My nails have to be just the right length, seams soft, perfect feel, stars aligned yada yada yada. But when it does, I love the baffled look and mis-hits that batters give me. When it comes out with spin, normally gets mashed lol

[@jasonnewland4615]

Love the video fellas. Please provide more pitching content, and get some angles where the pitch is moving!

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

Will do! More pitching coming soon.

[@Jason_Newland]

Love the pitching topics fellas. I hear Uncle J has a mean screwball. Any plans to cover that, or any other pitch techniques in future videos? Also, who is that good looking emcee of the video?

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

We will absolutely be covering more pitching content in the future!

[@justinmoore598]

Good stuff!!

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

Thanks! We are planning more pitching content in the future!

[@marcuscastillo514]

I’ve been pitching in a co-ed league now for 14 months. I’ve got my own way of keeping it straight and giving my teammates chances to stay alert and make plays by not walking the world. But now I think I need to have some different pitch types in my back pocket for the big hitters that I know are in the other line up.

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

Sounds like you are on the right path. Glad we could help a little bit. Keep working at it!

[@SuperMaryjaneman]

Ayeee! My guy Skiii

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

Dropping that pitching knowledge!

[@CR_22]

Black and white Wilson looks good

[@rickcamozzi5926]

I am wondering why all three of you throw the same forward spin. I have always used backspin with the idea that it forces the ball to come down after being hit. I have also been practicing a backspin screw ball the moves into the right handed batter. How would you grip that ball and would you have any hand motion on the release. I tape my balls and the ball is spinning 2-7 really nice but rarely moves. Sometimes 4-5 in a row will move but then stop. I have two fingers on the curve of the seam and thumb under. Would you grip the seams in the middle and then the thumb under touching the curve of the seam. Or would you go with three fingers. I am currently in Tahoe so the altitude is high. Could that be stopping the ball from moving. I am thinking of using a forward spin to change things up but to me it is harder to control. Any ideas besides lots of pitches. Last, on the breaking pitches. How long did it take before you got ball movement. As I mentioned my ball seems to be spinning correctly but rarely moves.

[@jnsmith123456789]

Im in a mens softball league and tonight was my first night pitching. Im a left handed thrower so i just became the left handed pitcher for the team cause i did pretty decent(they said)😂. Do you guys have like a beginners video on how to pitch?

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

Here is a link to our Pitching 101 video w/ lefty pitcher Uncle J: Pitching 101 with Jamie | kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGOwhXqDhcyshJo

[@aaronm7112]

I’ve found it breaks harder when combined with the backspin release. Would be interested to see a side by side comparison.

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

Interesting point. Maybe we'll try and track down a local backspin pitching specialist and we can put it to the test!

[@mikemartin7529]

Im a backspin pitcher would love to see this

[@xansolskjr8628]

There are different pitches for slow pitch softball??? I can't stop laughing! 😆😅😂🤣

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

There are! So glad we could educate you. Thanks for watching!

[@kaitlinwetzel8729]

Johnny Bravo in the house!! #whathairproductsdoyouuse

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

Possibly the weirdest question we have had so far but I'll bite haha! Elegance Pomade Wax is the best amzn.to/3N2BFpz

[@warrenkernot4522]

I found it helped if the catcher moved his glove to give something to aim for, I sometimes used simple signals lol.

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

It's alway good to have an active catcher. I often find when pitchers play catcher for other pitchers it's usually a positive result.

[@romangarcia6423]

Greetings.....question for any of the pitchers....in my league we start at 1-1 count and my arc MAX is 6ft....how would you guys approach hitters in my league?

[@armyguy0901]

What league has a “arc max” of 6ft? Thats dangerous. ASA/USA is 6ft-12ft from the ground USSSA/GSL/ISA/One Nation is 3ft from Release 10ft max from the ground. Better check your leagues rules and sanction again.

[@romangarcia6423]

@@armyguy0901 it's a lob league....not fast pitch...not dangerous at all...

[@sccinc.8584]

What glove is Jamie using??

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

It is a Rawlings Pro Preferred SDCTC 13". Thanks for watching!

[@korymacias8251]

The hi sock tho have to go lmao .. seriously hahah

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

Hey Kory, thanks for watching. Appreciate your comments, though May not agree with your style preferences. The high sock look is a great look, and I’m 10x faster lol

[@tylerjenniges8354]

Just a idea. Show a close up on the release. Maybe slow it down so guys can see the movement of the are and the wrist.

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

Totally agree. We are working on some new pitching videos and definitely plan on more close ups and slow motion. Thanks for watching!

[@tylerjenniges8354]

@@LeagueNightSoftball so I had my league night last night and I threw this pitch for the first time and I just kept throwing it regardless on what it was doing and by the end of the night I had it breaking all the way across the mat. I had the hitter all sorts of confused. I used Uncle Jamie's grip and I'm in love with this pitch now. I've never had movement before.

[@FreddyLomiamidj]

Good sliders but need more strikes 🤣🤣🤣

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

Trust me. The boys wanted more strikes that day too. Unfortunately, the wind was pretty brutal that day and it was pretty tough for the righties to get the movement they wanted. Thanks for watching!

[@FreddyLomiamidj]

@@LeagueNightSoftball Yea I battle the winds and on some days it's tough.

[@justicejohnson2740]

I’m jetering that the other way #insideout

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

Hey Justice! Love the approach at the dish, taking the slider backside. I am sure any of these guys like their chances so let us know next time you are around the Bay and we can setup a little showdown

[@dangabriel5167]

What glove does Jamie have? Model #

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

It is a Rawlings Pro Preferred SDCTC 13". Thanks for watching!

[@dllc4857]

Goin yard on these cookies y’all throwing

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

Easier said than done haha!

[@tocadadj2951]

My guy, its slow pitch, almost everything is a cookie

[@Ruiz4521]

We can’t see any moment from where the camera is angled. Maybe behind the plate next time

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

Thanks Arthur! We didn't realize that the movement didn't show up very well on camera until after the fact, unfortunately. However, we plan to do a follow up video with better angles and some slow motion shots so that you will really be able to see the movement clearly.

[@ethanwright2981]

Well... I guess you found ONE guy who can pitch... These other two guys... sheesh

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

Hey Ethan, thanks for watching. Which one of the pitchers would you say can pitch? Interesting to hear what one guy was doing well that the other weren't

[@ethanwright2981]

@@LeagueNightSoftball first guy up during live pitching had much better control over his pitches vs the other 2. Almost no strikes thrown between the second two guys. Not a ton of useful movement on any of these pitches besides a few nice ones tbh.

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

@@ethanwright2981 What was hard to capture on the day was how windy it was. Uncle J (lefty) was getting the wind going w/ his slider. The other two guys where trying to gauge the wind, but the rotation of the pitches were really inconsistent. It was a day where they likely would have abandoned the pitch and went with something else like a screwball. Hard to get content when the SF wind has other ideas

[@ethanwright2981]

What's the reasoning behind the soccer shorts and socks? lol

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

As Deion Sanders used to say, “If you look good, you feel good, If you feel good, you play good, If you play good, they pay good.” Def recommend the socks, they are super comfortable. You ought to get yourself a pair: amzn.to/3HFr9mv

[@ethanwright2981]

@@LeagueNightSoftball you must not feel very good then ;) I kid. I kid. Haha good on you man I like it

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

@@ethanwright2981 the real reason is I feel like I move better in shorts than in pants. The high socks are to try and protect the shins when sliding, but they don't really do a good enough job lol. I just try to make sure everything matches at the end of the day

[@WillyDial]

one thing you all have in common is you hold the ball so your index finger and your thumb form a circle around the inside of the horseshoe... i wonder if any of you know the physics behind why this pitch moves since you aren't imparting a lot of spin to it using the forehand release... there's a video that explains why this pitch moves on a physics utube page called veritasium...if you're interested in understanding the physics of it... it starts out explaining slinging a cricket ball and then shows you how that adapts to a baseball... and softball... kzbin.info/www/bejne/ql6Wm6GFfq-aas0

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

Great video! Thanks for sharing. With softballs having so much surface area (compared to a baseball) there is a lot more opportunity to find a "smooth" axis on which it can rotate. This makes finding the correct angle to take advantage of the smaller "rough" spot on a softball a bit more difficult. It's definitely a skill that has to be honed. All these gentlemen have put in the time to really make the pitches work.

[@slo-pitchhero8993]

Show this slider you speak of

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

What's up slo-pitch Hero? Weather that day wasn't beneficial for the righties to throw sliders as their cut was directly into the oncoming wind. We plan to revisit in the future when we can get a better location for pitchers to demonstrate. I can assure you Uncle J's slider was moving a ton that day, but I don't think the camera was setup ideally to showcase. Stay tuned as we figure out our camera setups and better highlight what these guys can do with the ball. Mechanics, grip, etc. are good regardless of the outcome you saw on film.

[@davidliskey3553]

How Jamie stays back off the rubber would not fly in our ASA leagues. The umpires make you start or end with a foot on the rubber. For me the more hight i can get the more break

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

A lot of the places we play allow you to be up to 5 feet off of the rubber (if I remember correctly). This is ofen indicated by a box or circle. Basically, as long as you pitch from within it, you are all good.

[@CommentingTheTruth]

Camera needs to be straight behind the plate. Can't tell anything

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

We agree. Unfortunately we didn't realize that until after filming and reviewing the footage. We'll definitely have better angles to show the movement in upcoming videos. Thanks for watching!

[@EastTennesseeFishing]

Camera angle rendered the view of the pitches useless

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

We agree it was not out best camera work. We'll definitely fix that issue in upcoming pitching videos. Thanks for watching!

[@murphykakeeway]

How u pitch dont matter in slowpitch . With the low arc ur gonna get lit up watever "pitch" u try to throw 🤣 Just like pump faking dont do shit... 🤷‍♂️

[@Jason_Newland]

What about ASA where the arc is 6' - 12'? At 12'+ arc, that ball has a lot of time to move around, curve, knuckle, etc.

[@jasonzagorski3718]

On the surface, that's definitely how it appears. I mean, slow pitch softball is designed as a hitter's game. It's not like the pitcher is going up there trying to get the batter to whiff like in baseball. However, if you can do something different that will throw off a batter's timing ever-so-slightly (a pump fake) or cause the ball to move/break at the very last second (a curveball or knuckleball), the batter might not hit the ball exactly where they wanted to or with the trajectory that they wanted. That's what separates good pitchers from great pitchers. Pitching can be a frustrating task against good competition because you'll still get lit up, but it's necessary to have a pitcher who can a) throw strikes a good percentage of the time, and b) do some things to throw off hitters occasionally. There's definitely a mental toughness required to go out there on the mound

[@LeagueNightSoftball]

We are all entitled to our opinions. We disagree whole heartedly haha!

[@lawaynekimbro8179]

I won't assume that you've never pitched, but you comment leads me to believe that you probably haven't.. or at least haven't in a serious way. Now, i will admit that I don't employ the pump fake in my pitching style (leagues: U-trip & ASA).. that said my pitching style does consist of ball movement and precise location (yes, i can & do drop them in on a dime with accuracy). In a season, if I walk more than 2-3 batters (unintentionally) across the 10 games.. I've had a bad season. I get to the park early and toss maybe 4 buckets (30-35 balls/bucket) just to practice. I examine every single batters stance, eyes/head (where they glance) and bat position. Every pitch is made with an intention of gaining a desired result (strike, foul ball, or getting the hitter to hit primarily where i want them to hit it).. so yeah, I take my pitching very seriously.. and I always want to improve.. i view pitching as my job to command the mound and action as best i can... give me 10ft arc or unlimited.. the more arc the better (i push it until the ump says no more).. i love videos like this from League Night Softball and others too as it helps me become an even better pitcher.

[@lawaynekimbro8179]

@@LeagueNightSoftball I agree.. i whole heartedly disagree with his post.. and posted my reply :) oh btw.. i'm primarily a backspin pitcher (but working on frontspin/palm facing too)