So what arm slot do you throw from? Or do you wander the dial?
I will give you my profiles of Arms slots and what works best with what.
Over the top:
4 Seam Fast ball
12-6 over hand curve
ForkBall as a change
Cutter
- could add classic change to this mix if the forkball is not an anatomical possibility.
Why? Over the top 4 seamer will comes in as a red blur. With guys that have really tight curveballs it will be very hard to tell if the ball has back spin or over spin-Burt Blyleven was a master of this. I like the Fork ball as a change because of the drop and the need to have a pitch that gives groundball outs. The cutter will do pretty well from this arm slot. Either as a strike out pitch or to jam left handers. Curve will drop straight down, so it will be effective for batters from either side.
3/4’s
2 Seam Fastball
Circle Change
Curve
Slider
Why? Fastball will run in and down to right handers creating ground ball outs. Circle change will do the same unless doctored to do something else. Curve will have some sweep and should break 1 to 7 being tough on same side hitters, and available to back door other side hitters. Slider low and away is a great out pitch (if you are 16 1/2 or older).
Low 3/4s
2 Seam fastball
Sweeping curve
Circle Change
Slider
Screwball
Makes same side hitters bail out. Sweeping curve is a great out pitch to hitters on the same side. Circle Change-should have a lot of sink and run away from opposite side hitters. Slider low and away is still efective. Screwgie will drop more than run away-throw to opposite side hitters.
Sidearm is for relievers…
These arm slots come with a suite of pitches that make sense. You have to sit down and seriously/ honestly evaluate how do I get outs-how do I succeed as a pitcher?
If you are not striking out a lot of guys, but instead getting a lot of ground outs- 3/4s may be for you. If on the other hand you are blowing guys away with hard stuff. Over the top gives you excellent complementary pitches to your heater.
If you are wandering the dial as a pitcher ala Luis Tiant, David Cone, or El Duque-you will have coaches forever trying to trim your pitch type and lock you into one arm slot- especially if you issue ANY walks. Some guys drop down ala Broson Arroyo and El Duque from time to time to get strike three on same side hitters (with a sweeoing curve) or to get more sink on their fastball to get a much needed double play. These guys know exactly why they do these things. This is tough to do.
my 2 coppers,
Ian