How to throw a real gyroball

Contributor

By Kate Russell
eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating: (5 Ratings)

throw a real gyroball

A gyroball is a special baseball pitch that is mainly used by Japanese baseball players. The gyroball was discovered by a Japanese scientist, Ryutaro Himeno, and then was turned into a throwing technique by Kazushi Tezuka. Tezuka is a baseball instructor who used computer simulations of the gyroball to help relieve stress to the pitcher. He came up with the idea from an American toy, X-Zylo Ultra. Since Tezuka found the toy in 1995, the gyroball is still considered a new and mysterious pitch to most players and fans in the United States.The main reason that this pitch is so extraordinary is because the batters do not know where it will go. The pitcher throws the pitch with the arm speed of a normal fastball, but due to the bullet-like spinning, the batter becomes confused at where it is headed.

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Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Baseball

How to Throw a Gyroball

Step 1

Understand the physics and science of the pitch before attempting to throw it. This pitch is different than other pitches because the technique to throwing the gyroball is in the legs, not in the grip of the ball. Tezuka has said that the thigh is the most important part of throwing the gyroball and that it has almost nothing to do with the pitcher’s hands. The delivery of the gyroball creates a bullet-like spin on the ball and is compared to the way an American football is delivered.
Step 2

Grip the ball between their thumb and first two fingers, similar to the fingering for a curve ball.
Step 3

Once the pitcher moves his arm forward to throw the pitch, he rotates his body towards home plate.
Step 4

When releasing the ball, the pitcher will press down his fingers and twist inward to create a “gyro spin.” The body and arm rotation together will give the pitcher the right speed and angle for the best gyroball delivery. The gyroball will not drop as much as curveball. Instead, it will have more of a break than a drop. Some people have seen the pitch curve up to 18 inches without a sinking motion. Due to gravity and natural friction, the ball will just drag and drop. There will be no slicing or cutting.