How to Grip and Snap a Drop Ball in Softball

Keep your team on solid ground for a win with these essential drop ball pitch tips.

Every pitcher knows the pressure of having the bases loaded with less than two outs. In these moments, a double play is the key to escaping without allowing any runs. This is when you want to break out the drop ball. A drop ball is a type of pitch that dives toward the dirt and is helpful for ground ball outs. Knowing how to grip and snap this pitch can keep the opposition off the scoreboard.

DROP BALL GRIP

Like other pitches, when pitching a drop ball, you can choose to use either a four-seam or two-seam grip. With a four-seam grip, you will find a “C” along the seams of the ball. When using a two-seam grip, you will look for the vertical seams that are parallel to each other.

Although you can use either grip, many pitchers do have a preference.

“We prefer to use a two-seam option,” former professional softball player Jessica Vogel says. “This way we can get both the index and middle finger resting on a seam.”

Having both your middle and index fingers resting on a seam will help push the ball down into the ground. This allows for a nice, tight spiral.

DROP BALL SNAP

Unlike a riseball, where the goal is to get the ball to rise, the goal of throwing a drop ball is to get the ball to fall close to the dirt.

As a result, the snap for a drop ball will be the opposite of a rise ball. You will focus on keeping pressure on your index and middle fingers as you push the ball downward.

For more information on throwing a drop ball, check out these tips. To learn how to grip and snap other pitch types read these guides on the curveball and screwball.