Have you ever wanted to know where your pitch stacks up against the most elite pitchers in the game? Now you can! Using Rapsodo data from 9 of the last 10 Women’s College World Series Champions and 19 of the top 25 programs in the U.S., we were able to take the most elite softball pitching metrics and develop the game’s first College Softball Pitching Data Guide.
HOW TO USE THE RAPSODO SOFTBALL DATA GUIDE
As we mention in the guide, these data points represent the averages of Collegiate Softball’s most elite pitchers. However, there are a few ways that you can utilize this data today to further improve your own pitching skills:
1. UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU DO WELL
It’s one thing to think you are throwing a good pitch, but with this guide – and your Rapsodo PITCHING 2.0 – you’ll have the metrics to back it up. This data will allow you to see which areas you excel in within each category. It’s nearly impossible to throw all 6 pitches at elite levels on this guide, but it’s a great place to start assessing where your personal pitches are at, and from there you can develop your own efficient pitches.
2. IMPROVE YOUR PITCHING ARSENAL
This guide will help you to concentrate on one or two data points for each pitch, allowing you to improve them in small increments.
As you can see in the example below, this pitcher threw an 83% efficient drop ball with a vertical break of -6.9, putting this pitch a little below the average metrics in the guide's drop ball category.
With the ability to access this data immediately, she recognized the key to developing a more ‘elite’ drop ball was to get more true top spin creating a higher spin efficiency. Utilizing the data guide to compare her pitches along with data from her PITCHING 2.0, she quickly assessed her last pitch and was able to make the necessary adjustments.
Once she made the adjustments, she was able to throw the same drop ball at 98% efficiency and increase her vertical break to –10.2, taking this pitch from below the average category up to the elite. Even though this second pitch didn't register in every elite category, it still considered "elite" because it has at least 3 metrics that register in that category.
Using this data, this pitcher can now focus on replicating the technique she used to throw the second pitch, training herself to throw her drop balls more effectively and consistently. The goal of this data is to give this pitcher, and all pitchers who use it, the confidence they need to ensure their pitches will get less hard hits and more swings and misses.
Good softball players know there are many ways to throw effective pitches. This guide is not meant to tell you how to throw; it is meant to challenge you to take your arsenal to the next level - using data. Use this guide to embrace the things that you do well – and then develop a plan to improve the things you want to work on!
Download the full College Softball Pitching Data Guide!
All data featured in this guide is produced by the Rapsodo PITCHING 2.0. To learn more about this product and how it will help you improve your pitching arsenal, visit https://rapsodo.com/pages/softball-pitching/.
