How to Throw a Sinker Pitch

Let your fingers do the talking with a sinker pitch.

Experienced pitchers can baffle opposing batters with a steady diet of blistering fastballs, wicked curveballs, and nasty sliders. These pitches require high velocity and specific wrist action to be effective. A sinker can be learned by younger pitchers without placing stress on the wrist and can be an effective pitch even in the major leagues. Due to its sinking action, a sinker pitch is an ideal option when trying to induce a batter into hitting a ground ball.

Things You'll Need

• Baseball

Instructions

1. Grip a baseball by placing the index finger and middle finger of throwing hand so they run along the laces at the point where the seams narrow.

2. Place the thumb on the opposite side of the ball on the smooth gap between where the seams narrow again. This particular grip will cause friction and backspin upon release, causing the ball to slightly lose velocity and dip as it approaches the plate.

3. Target the plate and aim for the middle to lower portion of the strike zone. Sinker pitches are most successful in inducing ground balls when delivery is kept down in the strike zone. Due to the decreased velocity created by the friction of the backspin, sinker pitches can appear quite appetizing to hitters when delivered higher in the strike zone.

4. Throw the ball with an overarm motion while keeping your index and middle finger on top of the baseball all the way to the release point. Do not "cut" the ball, or release it with the hand winding up on the side of the baseball. Releasing in this manner will not cause the ball to sink and places undue torque on the wrist. Stay on top of the ball.

Tips & Warnings

• Releasing the ball with the fingers off to one side will not result in a sinking action. Keeping the index and middle finger parallel to the ground at the release point is what will cause the sinking action of the pitch.

• Aim for the lower portion of the strike zone for best results. A sinker pitch left up in the zone can be hit a long way.

References

• MLB.com: How to Throw a Sinker; Andrew Bare; June 14, 2006

Resources

• TheCompletePitcher.com: Pitching Grips--How to Grip and Throw Different Baseball Pitches