How to Throw a Cutter

A cutter--or a cut fastball--is a fastball that breaks at the last second away from a right-handed batter and inside to a left-handed batter. New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera has made a Hall of Fame career out of throwing an excellent cutter. If mastered, it can be a devastating addition to your pitching arsenal. Read on to learn how to throw a cutter.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Position the baseball in your hand so that your index and middle fingers are perpendicular with the horseshoe side of the seams. Your middle finger should be toward the closer side of the seams and your index finger near the U-shape. The two fingers should be close together.

2. Bring your thumb up the side of the ball to help balance the grip. Instead of having your thumb on the bottom of the ball as you do with a normal fastball, the thumb is on the side when throwing a cutter as the extra pressure applied to the ball requires a more secure grip. Use the side of your ring finger for added balance if you have smaller hands.

3. Deliver the pitch just as you would if you were throwing a regular fastball. Apply pressure on the ball with your middle finger as you release the ball. This will give the ball its "cut" and make it cut away from the right-handed batters and inside on the left-handed batters.

4. Practice using varying amounts of pressure on the ball until you find what works for you. The more pressure you apply, the more cut you will get on the ball. Find what is most effective for you and generates the most outs.