Riseball Lay-Off Trainer Swing at strikes. Take the riseball. Win the at-bat.
A free fastpitch plate-discipline game played as real at-bats. Riseballs climb out of the zone, drops dive under it, changeups float. Tap Swing on strikes and let everything else go. With two strikes, she’s coming with the chase pitch.
- Fastpitch softball
- Real counts: walks and strikeouts
- New Daily Game every day
Riseball Lay-Off Trainer
7 at-bats. Tap Swing, or press the space bar. Do nothing to take the pitch.
How to read the fastpitch zone
The riseball wins because it looks like a strike until it isn’t. It comes out on the fastball line and climbs late. Hitters who decide late swing under a pitch that finishes at the eyes.
- Riseball: starts at the hands and climbs. If it’s at the letters early, it’s going to finish high. Let it go.
- Dropball: fastball speed, then it falls off the table. Knee-high early usually means dirt late.
- Changeup: floats out slow with tumbling seams. Stay back. If it’s low, take it.
- Curveball: runs away from the plate. Look for it starting middle and running off the outside corner.
How it’s scored
Every pitch is a decision. Your Discipline Score is the percent of pitches where you made the right call: swing at strikes, take balls. Chase a ball and it’s a strike. Take a strike and it’s a called strike. Four balls is a walk. Swing early on a strike and you barrel it.
After the game you get a zone map of every pitch, your chase rate, how many riseballs you chased and your swing rate on strikes.
Training guide
What it trains
Laying off the riseball above the zone and hunting the pitches you can drive.
Who it’s for
Fastpitch hitters 12U and up who chase the high riseball or pop it up.
How to get better
- Set your eyes at the top of the zone. Anything that starts there will finish above it.
- Commit to a plan: hunt the pitch below your hands until two strikes.
- Practice with high front toss and call take or swing before it arrives.
- Track how many riseballs you chase in games.
Read more on the Backspin Blog
- How to Hit a Rise Ball in Fastpitch Softball
- Softball Two Strike Approach: How to Battle
- How to Hit Fast Pitching in Softball (60+ MPH)
- How to Hit a High Fastball: What to Actually Train
Next step: run the free Hitter Combine to find your #1 priority, or train this skill start to finish in the Hitting Processor course.
Questions
How do you lay off a riseball in fastpitch?
Set your eyes at the top of the strike zone and decide before the pitch where you’ll swing. A riseball that starts at your hands and keeps climbing finishes above the zone, so if it’s already at the letters early, let it go.
Why do hitters chase riseballs?
A riseball starts on the same line as a fastball and climbs late. Hitters who decide late or have no zone plan commit before the rise shows up, and swing under a ball that ends up out of the zone.
What is a good chase rate in softball?
The lower the better. Track it over time: if you’re chasing fewer balls while still swinging at strikes, your plate discipline is improving. The trainer shows both numbers every game.
Is the Riseball Lay-Off Trainer free?
Yes. It runs in your phone or computer browser with no app and no sign-up, and scores are saved only on your device.