How to Throw Junk Pitches

Not everybody can step on the mound and blow the ball by opposing batters. Sometimes, a pitcher has to get by with his guile and experience. Instead of throwing a 95 MPH fastball, a pitcher can still be effective with offspeed pitches like a curve, palm ball or knuckle. All of these pitches depend on excellent technique and incredible skill, but not an overpowering arm. Being described as a "junkball pitcher" is not insulting. The junkballer may lack power pitches, but he has skills, savvy and experience.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. There are two types of curveballs. The fast, hard, jug-breaker that goes from 12 to 6 in an instant or the slow, rainbow curve that starts off at the batters head and curves towards the far end of the plate and ends up at the batter's feet. The latter is one of the best pitches, junk or otherwise, in the game. It keeps the batter off balance and when thrown correctly is almost impossible to hit. The curve is put on the ball by twisting your wrist sharply as you come forward with your delivery. The twisting action puts a spin on the ball that causes it to break from one side of the plate to the other.

2. A palm ball is a very difficult pitch to master, but it can be devastating when thrown correctly. The pitcher normally has the ball on the tips of his fingers in order to get outstanding leverage. With the palm ball, the ball is held deep in the palm so the ball is touching the palm of the hand. When thrown correctly, a palm ball thrown by a right-handed pitcher will shoot in and down toward a right-handed batter. The ball appears to be going toward the middle of the plate, but it darts out of the strike zone as the player swings. The palm ball is difficult to control and it takes a lot of practice to perfect.

3. The forkball has a very similar action as the palm ball, but it is achieved in a different manner. The ball is placed between the second and third fingers on the pitching hand. It will take your hand quite a long time to feel comfortable doing this, so don't expect to master this in a week or two. When thrown correctly, a fork ball (thrown by a right hander) will break down and in to a right handed batter, but it will gett there somewhat quicker than a palm ball.

4. The knuckleball is the most difficult pitch to master. Thrown with the tips of the fingers dug into the baseball, the object of the pitch is to throw it with no spin at all. The pitch will appear to dance from spot to spot as it travels from the mound to homeplate. It is difficult for a batter to hit and nearly as difficult for the catcher to receive. A knuckleball pitcher does not put a lot of strain on the arm and can throw the ball competitively until his mid-40s.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice, practice, practice. Pitching is an athletic endeavor, but it is a craft. It's not hard to throw a fastball. You either have the arm strength or you don't. But junkballers or offspeed pitches need to perfect their pitches and practice them for a long time until they can throw them successfully.
• Throwing a baseball in general and pitching in particular usually puts a strain on the arm. Overhand throwing taxes the shoulder and is surrounding muscles. When pitchers even feel a twinge of pain upon releasing the baseball, stop pitching and give the arm a chance to recover. If the pain returns after a break, it is time to get the trainer or team doctor to look at the situation.

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