What it is

Riflespin is the component of Total Spin that does not create any Lift Force or Movement on a pitch.  Riflespin, also known as gyro spin, appears as spinning clockwise or counterclockwise from the pitcher’s perspective. This is the type of spin a bullet has leaving a rifle or a football being thrown. This spin will not make the ball move up, down, left, or right.  Clockwise spin is shown in the pitchLogic app as a positive number and counterclockwise spins is shown as a negative number.

Why it matters

The lower the Riflespin on a pitch, the more Movement it will have. A pitch that has only Riflespin will have no Movement (it will still drop naturally from gravity).

How it is used

Fastballs with lower Riflespin also tend to have more velocity. It’s wasted energy and can indicate that the fingers are coming off the side of the ball at release rather than behind the ball.Similarly, a curveball with high Riflespin will have less “bite” and not break as hard as a curveball thrown with low Riflespin.