Comments on How to Throw a Fastball

One way to have fastball speed and accuracy is by getting your momentum to the plate. For accuracy when your pitching keep you eye on the target. If your throwing the ball the left, that means that you head is leaning to the left as you release the ball. Same with the right side. To get the ball going faster, make sure you take a big step towards the plate. The farther you to the plate when you release the ball, the less time it will take to reach the batter, which will be harder to hit. Good Luck!

One trick I have been using for a cut fastball that works really well is to hold the ball similar to a 4 seam fastball (but slightly more in the fingertips than a standard fastball), but make sure to crowd the horseshoe part of the seam with the middle finger, as you will need this for leverage to impart spin. If the back of the right hander's hand is facing the monitor, the seam to focus on would look like this ) in a 4 seam grip. Pitch the ball just like you would a sinker in terms of pronating (getting on top of the pitch with your fingers) with NO sideways twisting action. Just release it off the seam with the wrist pushing through the baseball and off to the left. You can throw this pitch with practice easily 85% as fast as your fastball, and it will have good tailing outward action to a right handed hitter from a right handed pitcher. It's a good 2 strike pitch down and away, and if you can make it look like a corner strike, it will break out of the zone and provides a good chance of getting a strikeout. It's also a great 2 strike pitch inside and let it tail back over the inside corner to a right handed batter and either you'll jam them or they'll hit it very weakly. And if you're in a wooden bat league like mine, it means new lumber, AND the ball doesn't leave the infield.

Throw any kind of fastball - 4 seam, 2 seam of your cutter, go through your original windup, but when you make the circular arm motion make your thumb hit your side. This will align your body and your arm. This works for curveballs and sliders, too.

First, you grip the ball in between the seams. You throw the ball from an overhand position and snap the ball with your wrist, hard, downward. It should break about 4 or 5 inches to your left (catchers right) if you throw with your right hand. The other way if your left handed. If you throw it in the bottom of the strike zone then it should have about 2 or 3 inches of drop. You can throw it at the outside to curve off are the inside to curve in if your pitching to your own hand. Most importantly you don't twist your wrist and arm and elbow.

Even if you don't have a blazing fastball, it must be your best pitch. Most pitchers don't have blazing fastballs, look at Greg Maddux. He's never thrown hard enough to consistently blow people away, yet somehow he's in the 3,000-K club. The reason is that he mixes his pitches well. If you locate your fastballs, life is much easier. I'm a varsity pitcher, and find if I have control problems it's with either the 2-seamer or the 4-seamer, never both. The 4-seamer is traditional thrown harder, but if thrown properly, the 2-seamer can be a lethal weapon because of the movement you can get on it by your finger position and release point.

Grip the ball as you would a 2-seamer, but perpendicular to the seams. As you're about to release the ball, flick your wrist down to add a sink to your pitch.

You should throw with the "four seam" grip when throwing among field positions or when pitching a fastball. It gives the straightest most non-breaking throw.

This pitch moves as fast as a four seam, but has good backward rotation and can dive, sometimes even rise. Place your fingers across the seams at their closest point. It should look like this :][ . The dots should be your fingertips, and like I said, the rest of your two fingers should be across the seams. Throw like a normal fastball, but snap your wrist at the end. This is a good pitch for an two strike count, when facing a batter who can't quite catch your fastball, but has a beat on your breaking pitches.

The 2 seam grip is good to use when a pitcher is struggling with their breaking balls. This grip gives the ball some movement, and has the possibility to get you out of a big inning, if you are in trouble.

First, hold the ball like you would a a four seam, but move your fingers toward where the seams get close together. Where the seams connect at the end of the horseshoe should be facing slightly toward your body. The big part of this pitch is to throw it as hard as hard as you can. Throw it like it's your last fastball, but snap your wrist in a downward motion. You should get a lot of break on this pitch and it should be as fast as your four seam fastball.

The secrert to throwing a good fastball is not flicking your wrist. It's just landing with a strong flexed leg, and at the last second,rotate your trunk and lead your throwing arm with your elbow. Follow through all the way down and you should be throwing some high heat. I'm only 15 years old and I'm throwin' 83-85 mph.

The fast ball all depends on the mechanics, if they are good, then the pitch will be good. Location is another key. If you leave an area fat, anyone can hit it (no matter how hard you throw). You need a hard pull through and snap to your wrist, to add even more speed. This works for the two and four seam fast ball. The two seam will have good movement to it, if you snap your wrist good. The four seam will have a bit of a rise to it if thrown this way.

Divide the game into thirds (if you play a nine inning game), or divide the game into 2 halves and 1/3 (which equals 7 innings). In the 7 inning game, use the first 3 innings to establish a good fastball and mix in 2-3 curveballs. After you establish a good velocity pitch, bring in the curve, which should be used 5-6 times in the next two innings. In the final 2 innings of the game, you want to bring in the changeup. Bringing in the changeup will throw the batters off, because they figure that they have learned your timing by now. By doing this, you will have the game in hand, and you should throw more wins for your team. Good luck!

Fastballs don't have to do with arm strength, they have to do with the velocity of your arm. Proper arm slot and proper pitching mechanics should allow you to throw harder, but also with more accurately so you will dominate the strike zone. Another thing is to throw a lot and trust that you can throw it for a strike. In my opinion kids are to worried about throwing breaking pitches instead of fastballs, and without throwing fastballs kids aren't reaching there full potential arm strength or velocity.

In order to throw a great cut fastball, this is what I do. When the seams go in the horseshoe shape like ( ), place your index and middle fingers IN BETWEEN the seams and your thumb directly under the ball. When you throw, snap your wrist slightly to the opposite direction that you would a curveball. Hold the ball loosely, or else the pitch will have a tendency to go slower and have no motion on it. I have gotten up to 6 inches break on my fastball before. Also, if you would like a Mariano Rivera type cutter, snap the ball like you would a slider, but throw hard, and the ball will have a downward motion plus the nice 6 inch break to the left. Enjoy!

You need to work on location. The fastest pitch won't get you anywhere if it's in the middle of the plate. Keep the batters off guard. It isn't the worst thing to throw a few outside the zone, but don't let the batters get comfortable. Work on accuracy, and then speed. Throw a 4 seamer, 2 seamer and a cutter. If you are having a hard time with a breaking ball, throw a change up. A good change up is just as effective as a curveball, if not more.

One of my teammates has a phobia of throwing sliders and curves so he has practiced his two seam and it is amazing. It has a lot of spin, but the actual ball moves like a knuckler. I don't know how he does it, but he told me to hold the ball with the regular two seam grip and right before you release the ball snap your wrist down, fast. This does not put any stress on your arm either.

Use a four seam fastball. Snap your wrist hard toward the plate as you are releasing the ball it should have some movement to it.