Screwball
Also known as: screw
A screwball moves in on a same-side hitter, breaking the opposite way to a curveball. It comes from an outward wrist twist at release with the hand turning away from the body.
It is a mirror image: from a right-handed pitcher the ball runs toward a right-handed batter rather than away from her. The outward, pinky-leading rotation of the wrist is mechanically opposite to the curve, making it awkward to learn and difficult to maintain arm health. Mastered, though, it jams same-side hitters and pairs devastatingly with its opposite to give a pitcher movement in both directions.
Master the curveball first and understand its wrist mechanics thoroughly before attempting the mirror image.
Use it selectively as a third horizontal option that reverses your existing break, which makes both far more effective by contrast.
Example
Against a pull-happy right-hander, she starts one at the outer edge and bores it in on the hands for a jammed groundout.
How it shows up on video
Watch for the hand turning away from the body, pinky leading, as the arm passes the hip. This means the reverse of the cross-body snap that produces break the other way. The ball will appear to tail back toward same-side hitters and can be confused with a drop ball until it misses inside rather than below. Hitters beaten by it show cramped elbows and contact near the hands.
Common mistakes
- Excessive outward rotation starting too early in the arm circle, creating arm stress and telegraphing the pitch
- Confusing the mechanics with a rise ball and accidentally adding backspin, producing a flat armside pitch
- Not matching the rep volume of the opposite break, which produces asymmetric forearm fatigue
- Hitters failing to tell the two apart and making identical adjustments when the movement is reversed
In SwingVantage Motion Lab
Motion Lab measures forearm rotation rate and release-point consistency to flag the early-rotation errors that raise injury risk on this delivery.
Frequently asked questions
Is it hard on the arm?
It can be if thrown with excessive forearm pronation or poor mechanics; proper technique minimizes stress, but volume management is essential.
When should a pitcher add it?
Only after mastering fastball, changeup, and curveball — it is an advanced specialty pitch typically added in high school or college.
Related terms
- Curveball – Fast-PitchA curveball is a fast-pitch pitch thrown with lateral spin that causes the ball to break sharply to one side as it reaches the plate, disrupting a hitter's timing and eye-line.
- WindmillThe windmill is the underhand fast-pitch delivery in which the arm makes a full 360° circle before release, generating the velocity and movement-pitch deception that define the game.
- Spin AxisSpin axis is the imaginary line around which a pitched ball rotates, determining the direction of movement. This means a horizontal axis creates vertical break (rise/drop), a vertical axis creates horizontal break (curve/screwball).
Related guides & benchmarks
Put this into your swing
SwingVantage can spot this in your own swing — free to start.
See a sample Fast-Pitch Softball report first