Glossary

Drop-curve

A drop-curve is a fastpitch softball pitch that breaks down and across the plate at once, away from a batter on the pitcher's own side, combining a dropball and a curveball.

The pitcher throws the drop-curve with spin that is partly forward, like the dropball, and partly to the side, like the softball curveball. The ball dives at the bottom of the zone and moves toward the pitcher's glove side as it falls, so it ends low and away from a same-side batter and low and in on an opposite-side one.

Its strength is that the batter has two things to cover. A hitter who adjusts for the drop is still reaching for the outside corner; one who adjusts for the curve meets the top of the ball. Thrown to the outside corner, it gets weak ground balls to the opposite side of the infield and swings over the top with two strikes. A drop-curve that does not break is a slow pitch at the knees, so it is aimed at the corner, not the middle.

On a pitch calling card it is its own call next to the dropball, because the catcher has to set up farther outside for it. Pitchers who throw it usually also have the straight drop, and the card keeps the two apart so the pitcher and catcher never disagree about which one is coming.

When to call it

Two strikes on a same-side batter, low and away, to get a swing over the top.
A batter who has been leaning out over the plate for outside pitches.
After a riseball in, so the next pitch is down and away.

Put it on a card: Pitch calling cards.

Sample wristband and cheat sheet

Sample drop-curve wristband card in a wristband: a numbered grid of signs with the Dropball and Drop-Curve signs highlighted — A wristband card with the Dropball and Drop-Curve signs in color. The coach calls a row and a number, and the player reads the play in that cell.

Sample drop-curve cheat sheet in a wristband: the key to the wristband's abbreviations, including Dropball and Drop-Curve — The cheat sheet for the same wristband: what each abbreviation on the card means.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a dropball and a drop-curve?

A dropball moves mostly straight down. A drop-curve also breaks sideways, toward the pitcher's glove side, so it ends low and away from a batter on the pitcher's own side.

Is a drop-curve the same as a baseball curveball?

No. It has a similar shape, down and across, but it is thrown underhand from below the zone, so the batter sees it fall from a much lower start than a baseball curve.

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