Can BATA machines throw a “rise ball”?
Yes, and No. Yes, our machines CAN throw the pitch that people perceive to be a “rise ball”. No, there is actually no such thing as a “rise ball”. At least, not with a real baseball or softball. It would be nearly impossible to convince a softball player that the ball does not actually rise, but the fact is, it doesn’t. What people perceive to be a “rise ball” is a ball that starts at the knee and ends up at the shoulder, but actually arcs downward (a lot more than you might think). In order for a pitch to really be a “rise ball”, it would have to curve upward from it’s original plane. It doesn’t. In fact, our machines are able to put many times the amount of backspin on the ball than a human can. When we throw a 6½ ounce leather softball 65-70 mph from 43 feet, it actually sinks 6-12 inches. It may start out 2 feet high and end up 5 feet high, but the trajectory of the ball must be aimed at a point about 6-12 inches higher than the height where it ends up. If you saw this pitch, you w
