Photo by Wikimedia Commons 2.0
Skill is present in every facet of baseball, from explosive ball striking, through to ice-cold composure when catching in the outfield, the top performers in the MLB are adept at executing their skills at the highest level.
When it comes to pitching, the intricacies can often be overlooked, with the pitcher looking to dominate the mount with ball in hand and put the opposition under pressure.
Variations have become a key part of the modern game, much like cricket, as pitchers look to keep the batters guessing and prevent them from getting into a rhythm.
One of the purest forms of this remains the fastball and pitchers who have pace to burn, can often strike fear into opposition batters and prevent them from being able to play their game.
Most punters and baseball betting sites are fully aware of how fastballs work in baseball and a pitcher with a proficient fastball can often pick up plenty of batting scalps, through sheer pace alone.
Having a fastball in any pitcher’s armoury is hugely dangerous and they are always hard to hit.
Let’s delve into the science of pitching and investigate what makes a good fastball so hard to get away:
The Need For Speed
No look into the science behind an effective fastball would be complete without identifying the key factor at play: speed.
Being able to whizz the ball down as a pitcher inevitably checks any batter at the plate, as they see their reaction time and therefore hitting options reduced.
From a physics perspective, reaction time being taken away, is the biggest killer for any batter as they see decision making time impacted and they can often feel rushed.
With the ball coming onto the bat quicker than expected and the psychological mix-up that batters can get themselves into when under pressure from a quick pitcher, the fear of speed can be a determining factor in any batter vs pitcher match up.
Subtle Variations
As mentioned, simply having breakneck speed in the arm is not enough to trouble batters, particularly in Major League Baseball and subtle variations used by pitchers can help keep batters honest.
When letting go of a pitch in excess of 100mph, the technique of the pitcher is key, particularly if the ‘Magnus effect’ comes into play.
The concept of letting the ball go with pace sees a degree of backspin being put on the ball at the release point, which can force the ball to rise through the air, before reaching the plate.
Natural and subtle variation is often enough to cause mistakes from the batter and once the ball begins to move in the air, there is another factor in play for those on the mount to consider.
Art Of Deception
Whether its natural pace, movement or a combination of both, deception is what every pitcher is looking to achieve in every ball that they release.
Causing the batter to feel rushed by a speed ball, is a satisfying by-product of having pace in the tank but if they can keep batters guessing every time they come to the plate, they are ultimately doing their job.
Not overusing pace on deliveries and dropping them in at varying points, has become a tried and tested method of the fastball pitch, as being onto a pitch too early or too late, can have catastrophic results for batters.
In addition to the actual speed of the ball, deceiving batters through arm speed and point of delivery, is always on the agenda for any pitcher worth their salt.
Positioning on the mound, arm angle and ball trajectory are all subtle changes that pitchers are looking to implement and if done effectively, pitchers can quickly begin to dominate the opposing batters.
Built for Speed
The biomechanics behind any pitcher who can deliver a mean fastball is always a key talking point for observers and those who deliver at breakneck speed are often built for the task.
With speed being generated through the whole body, pitchers who can utilise leg and lower body strength often get the best results and perfecting their pitching technique is often key to how quickly they can fire the ball from the mound.
Once a strong base position has been established, the fast-twitch muscle fibres come into play, with the angular motion between the shoulder and elbow joint being the key factor in speed generation.
A pitcher who has a reliable action, from which they can temper the speed and release point, is always difficult to come up against, for any batter.
Is Faster Better?
The merits for being able to deliver the ball with pace are obvious and as the game moves through the ranks, the importance of having a fast ball in the tank is magnified.
However, once the ceiling of the MLB is reached, with top level pitchers laying it down to the best batters in the world, pace is often just one of many factors batters and pitchers have to contend with.
Pace on the ball means if a batter times their strike, it is perhaps more susceptible to being hit further, with most batters able to cope with the pace of the ball consistently travelling over 100mph.
Every pitcher in the major league ranks is aiming to reach the maximum speed possible with their fast ball and the optics of an accurate fast ball can never be beaten.
Being able to mix up speeds and angles, as well as being able to deceive batters is currently the most important tool in the armoury of any pitcher and for those who have a mean fast ball, knowing when to use it is key.
