Comments on How to Throw a Curveball

When I throw my curve, no one has ever hit it, only when I hang it, then they foul tip it. Place you fingers on the horseshoe part of the laces with you index and middle finger together. Go into your usual windup. Right before you release the ball, twist your wrist down and to the side, so the ball gets a mostly forward spin. Make sure that after you release the pitch your wrist keeps on moving in the direction. Follow through. Everybody will be amazed with the curve if you throw it right.

When you throw the curveball at the batter it will break in and will be a strike if you throw it right. But do not throw this pitch often at a young age.

I saw Orel Hershiser two nights ago demonstrating his grip for the curve. He put his fingers on the right seam, so the ball would turn with 4 seams cutting the wind. I always threw it a different way. When I saw this I felt stupid. Of course, throw with the four seam fast ball threads as the cutting threads. So imagine (as a righty) the threads look like a U. I would say Orel knows his business.

A knuckle curve is very similar to a curve in the release, but different in the movement toward the plate. This explains a 12-6 drop on the ball. With your index finger bent (where teachers and such normally tell you is an inch) on the seam and your middle finger extended next to the perpendicular seam. This requires no snap. Release the ball toward the plate and follow through as if you were going to stab yourself in the stomach. Releasing this pitch effectively will give you a good 12-6 drop on the ball and less rotation, also confusing the batter.

You should grip the ball in a two seam grip, then move your fingers together, and move them up a little bit and point with your pointer finger. When you are going to throw, have your pinky finger in the direction of the way you're throwing so your wrist is up (instead of your palm facing were you're throwing). You should start with the ball around your ear and bring your hand down "skinny wristed" and point your finger really hard. You may need to throw this pitch a little higher so when it breaks and drops, so it won't hit the ground.

Hold the ball like you would a change-up, but backward. Put your thumb on the side of the ball curled up. When you throw it just twist your wrist. It is one of the nastiest pitches. I struck out 14 batters in a 6 inning game with it.

To throw an effective curveball you want to make sure you throw it over the top. You can use whatever grip you want. Throw it like a normal curveball, but throw it from your head and release. It's a bit like throwing a fastball, but you are using a curveball motion by flicking you wrist when you release. If you throw the ball side arm and get underneath it, it won't curve as much because you arm isn't performing the full curveball motion. I used to throw underneath the ball and it didn't curve very much. Now I can get my curveball to break up to a foot.

Grip the ball like a two seam fastball. Slide your pointer finger to the same seam as your middle. When you release the ball, spin your fingers and wrist. I have mastered this pitch and is perfect with any count.

Most people grip their curveball with only two fingers. I find that if you grip it with your full hand you can get up to two times the break. Grip it with two fingers in the big 'C', like this ( .') And your other two fingers out like this ( )' and your thumb on the seam below. When you are throwing this curveball, just point the ball at your head and pull down as hard as you can. I can get it to drop up to almost 3 feet. This way of throwing does not hurt your arm, if you throw it properly. You don't turn your wrist for this pitch. I've been throwing it since I was 11 years old and it has not hurt my arm.

Where the ball seams go: ( ) Place your first two fingers on the right hand seam. When you go in the motion, drag your wrist and come across in a slider motion and it will slurve. Which means it will drop along with sliding across.

I had tried to throw a normal curve, but I just never could get enough control over it to use it successfully in a game. Then I started throwing a knuckle curve and it breaks amazingly well. To start off, go to the part of the base ball where the seams are like this: )( then bend your index finger and put the part with your fingernail on the left lace, right in the center with your middle finger next to it (the straight line is your index finger in the next picture). |( Other than that, just throw it like a normal curveball and it should work very well.

The reason that people think that throwing curveballs at a young age is harmful, is that most young pitchers think that you must turn your wrist as you throw the pitch. However, this is not the case. If you just keep your index and middle on top of the ball and pull it down, your arm will be fine and your curveball will be great. Also, throwing it softly, as some recommend, only reduces spin and causes it to break less, so throw it as hard as you would your fastball. If you don't, it will be easy to pick up.

When you are learning how to throw a curveball, I found it a lot easier to use a Styrofoam ball.

The more curve you put on it the harder it is to hit. To put more curve on it you grip it looser. Then the ball will slow down and it will have more time to break. Now you have an unhittable curveball, like me.

When I was 11, I fooled around with a curveball and blew out my arm. It got better, but the first time I've tried a curveball since is in the last three months,and I'm 16 now. No matter the frequency, no pitcher should throw the curve until they are at least 15, if not later.

I recommend waiting till you are around 14 years old for this pitch, even though it puts almost zero stress on your elbow and arm. It is quite simple in fact. Hold the ball sideways, so that the horseshoe is pointing to the right. Now form your hand in a horseshoe way. Put your hand horseshoe and the ball horseshoe so they are perpendicular and running over one another. As you throw this pitch, do not snap! Just come over the top, let the ball slip out and naturally break. The most important part of the pitch is the follow through. Make sure to finish strong.

I use to throw a curve more as a slurve, it broke from 2 to 7, and lefties took advantage driving it from down and in. Although, it did work on right handers. I decided to bring my arm angle from a 2 o'clock to a 1 o'clock angle, so now my break is a 12 to 6. Now I can fool all batters.

I have only recently begun to pitch, and strangely enough this is my most effective pitch. Basically the way I grip it (keeping in mind my throw is some strange mix of side arm and over the top) is to place the nails of my pointer and middle fingers in between the seams where the ball looks like this: ) ( My index and pinky are off to the side, like a regular curve, and my thumb is on the bottom. As for the release, when I come over the top, I stiffen my wrist and snap down. Before trying this pitch, try to learn a regular curve and practice control. Knuckles and knuckles curves are hard to grip because the ball doesn't rest flat in your hand. Also, experiment with a release point, it will help you find the best motion for you to pitch from.

The curveball came pretty easy to me and as my arm developed it became nasty. I say start seriously trying to learn it in fallball between your 12 year old season and before your 13 year old season. I throw an overhand 12-6 curveball. The main key to throwing it is, when you throw it, throw it like you're pulling down window-shades. The grip is your own personal preference, fool around with different grips. Even though a curveball may seem like your best pitch, fastball is still the best pitch you can throw.

Depending on where you want your curve to end up and or break, you should aim your curve at a certain point in front of the plate. If you want your curve to break and dive into the plate, you imagine that the plate is closer to you. And if you throw a late breaking curve you should imagine that the plate is behind the batter. Experiment with speed and rotation.

First, on a 0-0 count, throw a fastball (for a right hander) on the low and outside part of the plate for a strike. Then throw a change-up high out side for a ball. Then throw heat inside for a strike. Then throw a curveball low and outside for a ball or a strike. Throw a hard curve, not a slow one, or it will not work.

Throwing a curveball at a young age will hurt your arm and could possibly keep you from pitching when you're older. The best age to start throwing a curveball is between 15 and 17, even at this age you can still get hurt. Make sure you have someone who knows what they are talking about to teach you.

I started throwing a knuckle curve in 7th grade and have developed it into my best pitch. Stick your index finger in the bottom of the part of the seam that looks like a horseshoe. Line your middle finger up parallel and just to the left of the seam that runs up the side (for righties). At the top of your arm motion, when your arm is above your head and parallel with the chest of your body, have your middle finger pointing over your head like you are pointing to someone directly to your left. Follow through as if you are pulling down a window shade and there you go. Best curveball to throw.

I found that if you hold the ball like a two seam, but instead of putting your fingers on the seams, place them a little outside of the seams the ball sinks 2-3 inches.

Put your pointer and middle finder at the 'U' so that the tips of your fingers are touching the curve and place your thumb under. When you have done all that, throw the ball down and snap your wrist to the right.