Drop-curve
A diagonal break: down and to the glove side.
A Drop-curve flying to home plate in 3D, from the catcher's view.
What it does
The drop-curve tilts the spin axis between a dropball and a curveball, around 4 to 5 o'clock. The ball breaks down and away from a right-handed batter at the same time.
How to read it
It looks like a strike on the outer half for a long time, then leaves the zone low and away. Tilted seams, between tumbling and sideways, give it away.
What makes it work
One spin, two directions. It is the chase pitch with two strikes: it starts in the zone and finishes off the corner.
The numbers
| Speed at release | 60 mph |
|---|---|
| Speed at the plate | 53.2 mph |
| Time to the plate | 0.46 s |
| Spin rate | 1250 rpm |
| Break direction (clock) | 4:30 |
| Spin efficiency | 91% |
| Movement from spin, up or down | 9.5 in down |
| Movement from spin, sideways | 9.8 in to the glove side |
| Total drop with gravity | 50.7 in |
A typical Drop-curve from a right-handed pitcher at 43 feet in still air, from the AXIS43 flight model. A physics estimate, not a radar reading.