스플리터

포심 패스트볼처럼 오다가 홈 플레이트에 이르러 떨어지면서 타자의 헛스윙을 유도하는 구종. 포심에 비해 더 아래로 떨어지는 변화를 보이고 속도 차이가 보통 시속 4~5마일, 시속 7~10km 정도 차이가 나는 게 보통이다. 이렇듯 다른 구종에 비해 속구와 구속 차이가 적게 나면서도 낙폭이 있고, 공의 회전 방향이 패스트볼과 동일하고 투구폼도 차이가 없어서 타자들을 애먹이는 구종이다.

과거에는 스플리터를 스플릿-핑거 패스트볼이란 이름으로 패스트볼의 일종으로 여기기도 하였지만, 현재는 '유인구'라는 활용도에 걸맞게 패스트볼이 아닌 변화구로 보는 시각이 대세이다.

원리는 공을 벌려서 잡음으로써 공의 회전수를 줄여서 포심 패스트볼 특유의 '덜 떨어지는' 성질을 죽인 공이다. 때문에 포심 패스트볼과 비교하여 훨씬 더 가라앉게 된다. 싱커나 투심 패스트볼과 뭐가 다르냐고 할 수 있는데 대체로 횡적인 움직임이 싱커나 투심에 비해 적고 낙폭은 더 크다.

참고로, 스플리터는 원래 궤적보다 더 떨어지는 구종이 아니라 '패스트볼보다' 더 떨어지는 구종이다. 무슨 말이냐 하면, 예를 들어 포심 패스트볼이 가슴 높이를 통과하고 동일한 구속의 회전 없는 공은 허벅지 높이를 통과한다고 했을 때, 스플리터는 허리 높이를 통과한다는 것. 역회전을 하기 때문에 양력이 발생하고 이는 공을 '덜 떨어지게' 만들기 때문이다. 달리 말해, 흔히들 단순히 낙폭에 초점을 둔 구종이라고 생각하지만, 실제로는 얘도 포심처럼 역회전을 동반한다는 것이다. 그리고 포크볼과 가장 중요한 차이점이다. 그 이유는 팔의 각도 때문인데 극단적인, 완벽한 오버핸드 스로가 아닌 이상 팔의 각도가 약간 쳐질 수밖에 없고, 그만큼 역방향의 무브먼트가 생기게 된다. 이는 브레이킹볼을 제외한 나머지 구종들에 적용되는 사항이다.

 

 

 

 

A pitch type that comes like a four-seam fastball and then falls to a home plate to induce a batter to swing and miss. It shows a downward change compared to the four-seam ball, and the speed difference is usually about 4 to 5 miles per hour and 7 to 10 kilometers per hour. As such, the speed difference between fastball and speed limit is smaller than that of other pitches, but there is a drop, and the rotation direction of the ball is the same as that of the fastball, and the pitching form is not different, which makes batters suffer.

In the past, splitters were regarded as a kind of fastball under the name of split-finger fastball, but now the view is that it is a breaking ball rather than a fastball to match the utilization of the "population."

The principle is a ball that reduces the number of revolutions of the ball by opening the ball and catching it, thereby killing the 'less falling' property unique to the four-seam fastball. As a result, it sinks much more compared to the four-seam fastball. You can ask what is different from a sinker or a two-seam fastball, but generally, the horizontal movement is less than that of a sinker or a two-seam, and the fall is greater.


For your information, a splitter is not a pitch type that falls further than the original trajectory, but a pitch type that falls further than a fastball. This means, for example, if a four-seam fastball passes through the chest level and a non-rotation ball of the same restraint passes through the thigh level, the splitter passes through the waist level. This is because the reverse rotation generates lift and makes the ball 'less fall'. In other words, people often think it is simply a pitch type that focuses on falling, but in reality, it also accompanies a reverse rotation like a four-seam. And the most important difference from a fork ball is that. The reason is because of the angle of the arm, unless it is an extreme, perfect overhand throw, the angle of the arm is inevitably slightly slashed, resulting in a movement in the reverse direction. This applies to the rest of the pitch types except for the breaking ball.