Fastpitch Softball Spin Rate Guide

The RevFire spin rate is a measurement in Revolutions Per Second (RPS) of the rate of rotation of a pitched ball. RevFire spin rate measurements are accurate to within 0.25 RPS of the actual spin rate. To create a deceptive breaking ball pitch the pitcher must impart substantial spin on the ball. Professional and Olympic pitchers consistently throw curveball, screwball, and rise ball pitches with a spin of 25 RPS or more. Their drop balls typically spin 1 or 2 RPS less than their curveball. Some of these elite pitchers throw rise balls with as much as 30 RPS spin. A breaking ball pitch does not break much until the pitcher achieves 19 RPS or more. You can learn more about spin and RevFire at www.RevFire.com.

Below is a table showing the performance that can be expected of high school and college pitchers. As seen in the "Typical Range" column, much difference exists in the spin rates for weak versus strong breaking ball pitches. There is even more variability in the spin rate on fastballs, depending on the type of fastball thrown and whether the pitcher is trying to put movement on the pitch. Although the spin rates for fast pitch softball are slower than for baseball, the effectof spin is more pronounced with softballs because of the larger surface area and higher seams of a softball.

SPIN RATES GUIDELINE FOR CURRENT DIVISION I COLLEGE PITCHERS: