How to Hit a Curve Ball
The curve ball has been the undoing of a majority of hitters at all levels of baseball. In the major leagues, a good curve ball will make a .250 hitter out of one who normally hits .300. The curve ball usually breaks down and away from a hitter and is admittedly a difficult pitch to hit. However, with practice, repetition and recognition, a hitter can learn how to hit the curve ball with authority.
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Instructions
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React
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1
React: Reaction time is one of the most important factors in hitting a baseball. Most hitters will tell you that they prepare for the fastball and then change their plan of attack when the pitch comes in at a different speed. A curve ball is significantly slower than a fastball and has a diving movement away from a hitter. When a right-handed batter is up, the initial reaction to a curve ball from a right-handed pitcher is that it is coming in at his head. The spin of the ball immediately tells the hitter that the ball will break down and away from him
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2
Attempt to gauge where the ball will cross the plate. This is not easily done and this is where experience comes into play. As a result, many hitters get frustrated because they struggle to recognize the break or fail to decipher where it will cross the plate. However, for those that play regularly, it gets easier and easier. The more curve balls you see, the more familiar you are with the break and the location. It is important for a right-handed batter to hit the ball where it's pitched. A well-placed curve ball will be on the outside part of the plate and it is important for the hitter to take that pitch to right field. Trying to pull it to left will usually result in a ground ball to short stop or a softly hit ball.
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Recognize a poorly thrown curve ball. If the hitter has good recognition, he will realize that the ball is not breaking outside but hangs over the inside part of the plate. It is coming in much slower and seems to hang over the corner of the plate for an eternity. Hence the term "hanging breaking ball." More good hitters hit home runs or long drives off this pitch than any other. It's a matter of patience in waiting for the ball to get to the plate -- a tough concept on a pitch coming in at 75-80 miles per hour -- but that's just what it takes to hit a hanging curve.
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Learn quickly. As soon as a hitter starts to become familiar with facing the curve ball, he will quickly learn that it is not as hard as he first feared. Take the outside curve to the opposite field; pull the breaking pitch that hangs over the inside corner.
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Tips & Warnings
Recognize that a strong spin on the ball as it leaves the pitcher's hand means that the pitch is a curve ball.
Get familiar with the nuances of the pitch and don't be intimidated.
