How to Throw a Drop Ball

Gravity definitely takes control when you throw a drop ball. If you want 3 feet of action where the baseball falls at the very last minute, you found it in the drop ball. Lets take a look at how you grip, throw and practice the deceiving drop ball pitch.

Instructions

1. Understand the drop ball grip. The grip must be perfect or the falling effect won't work as well. You don't have to get the 3 foot fall off when throwing a drop ball, but its a nice benefit if you can. The grip shouldn't be too tight because keeping it loose will allow gravity to do its job with this pitch. If your grip is too tight it will look more like a meatball coming to the plate.

2. Grip the drop ball. This grip will be easy if you've ever thrown a curveball. Place the baseball like you are getting ready to throw a two-seam fastball. The seam farthest away from you is where your index and middle fingers should be. The middle finger should be positioned on the seam with the index just to the right or left of it. The difference is instead of having the ring and pinkie fingers bent like throwing a curveball, leave them open and off the baseball.

3. Throw the drop ball. The grip may feel awkward because there isn't any support on the side of the ball with a light grip. The only way to get comfortable with it is to throw the drop ball pitch about 50 to 75 times. When you're throwing a drop ball be sure to keep that wrist from snapping. When you're at your release point, it's important to let the drop ball pitch roll off your fingers, creating a nasty backspin.

4. Practice the drop ball. It takes practice to make the drop ball pitch work to perfection. It doesn't matter if you're throwing to a catcher or a pitch-back, the idea is to hit your mark. Throwing and practicing the drop ball requires you to find the perfect release point. The first part of the ball is going to rise, but if you plan on it being a strike without the batter swinging, you better throw it a little higher then normal.

5. Consider strategy when throwing the drop ball. The best drop ball strategy, of course, is to throw it when the hitter is least expecting it. Since the drop ball can fall off around 3 feet, it will most likely wind up a ball as opposed to a strike most of the time. But if it's working to perfection, batters will be swinging so that won't matter.

Tips & Warnings

• Doing some wrist exercises for this pitch will allow you to throw the drop ball without snapping the wrist.

• Finger exercises are also a major benefit to throwing the drop ball or any other baseball pitch.

• This is great for younger arms because the grip is light, the wrist doesn't snap and the drop ball will just roll off the fingers.

• Don't throw this continuously to the same hitters. Once they lock on, it's an easy pitch to see.

• Fair warning: If your catcher doesn't know you're throwing it, they won't like chasing it around all the time.