Comments on: How to Throw a Knuckleball

on 10/21/2009 I found that the less effort you put into throwing a knuckleball the nastier it gets. Basically if you throw like you are letting your arm go limp in mid throw the ball has more time to travel, and thus more time for the wind to act on the ball.

on 4/10/2009 i put my 3 middle fingers in the middle where you throw a 2 seam fastball and curl my thumb under the ball. It doesn't do much pushing, it's only there for support. My knuckle breaks and has little rotation. My knuckle ball is beastly.. lol

on 6/8/2007 Thank you

on 6/11/2007 A Knuckleball can easily be thrown by digging your finger nails into the ball, and pushing, not throwing. This works becuase when you throw a ball that does not spin, the wind will spin the ball and there's no telling where or when to swing at it. MLB knuckleball throwers are usualy very succesful.

on 5/19/2007 A Knuckleball can easily be thrown by digging your finger nails into the ball, and pushing, not throwing. This works becuase when you throw a ball that does not spin, the wind will spin the ball and there's no telling where or when to swing at it. MLB knuckleball throwers are usualy very succesful.

on 1/23/2007 Knuckleball- When you throw this pitch, use your middle, ring, and index finger on the bottom of the U, and put your index under the seam and the other two on top, it keeps the ball balanced and reduces movement, and never flick your wrist.

on 8/21/2006 Hold the knuckleball with your 3 fingernails under the U on the baseball. Your thumb and pinky should be in the circles to the left and right, not on the nails. When you go into your pitching motion, flick your index, middle, and ring finger outward to your target.

on 8/10/2006 The historical knuckleball, which has been forgotten, can be thrown with two knuckles down (it will curve, sink, etc.). Three knuckles down (fast knuckle) and four knuckles down (floater, butterfly,lazy ball). If you learn it well and mix it in with the fastball, slider, screwball and change up, the batter will never know what's coming.

on 8/8/2006 Even harder to recognize and hit than a slider, a knuckleball is a slow pitch. It travels at 60-65 mph, and breaks crazily as it nears the plate. The pitcher doesn't even know how it's going to break. The pitch isn't really a knuckleball. The pitcher grips the ball with the tips of two fingers. Instead of a snap, the wrist is pushed toward the batter. This pitch is easy on the arm, though difficult to learn. The knuckleball can drive even the best hitters crazy. A knuckler sometimes travels less than half the speed of a fast ball, but at times, it can be much harder to hit. The knuckleball is thrown by gripping the ball with your knuckles or fingernails. A good knuckleball, like the one thrown by Tim Wakefield of the Boston Red Sox, will travel slowly and only spin one or two times on its way to the plate. Because the ball isn't moving very fast, the air is able to pass over the stitches of the ball and cause the ball to move up and down or from side to side. A knuckleball thrown properly will move back and forth on its way to the plate which can often make a good hitter look very foolish when his swing is nowhere near the ball. A knuckleball (or knuckler for short) is a baseball pitch thrown so as to minimize the spin of the ball in flight. The lack of spin causes chaotic airflow over the stitched seams of the baseball and produces an erratic, unpredictable motion. This makes the pitch difficult for batters to hit, but also difficult for pitchers to control. The challenge also extends to the catcher who must make an attempt to catch the pitch, and the umpire who must determine whether it was a strike or a ball.

on 8/8/2006 I'm a 21 year old NAIA pitcher at a top 15 ranked school. I'm also a knuckleball pitcher on a staff. First things first, if you are learning how to throw a knuckleball, start early, because it takes a couple years to throw effective every time you throw it. Second thing is, the reason why you are a knuckleball pitcher is because you might not be able to get it done like the rest of them; whether it be you throw in the 70's, or you don't have any off-speed - you need a different way of pitching. My era the last 2 seasons and this season combine is 3.12. I'm left handed and I throw 78-81 on the fastball and my KB is 60ish. If you have any pop on your fastball, it looks like it is 95 when they are sitting back on a dirty knuck-piece. The grip I use is the Wakefield grip, the top of the U, use your fingernails to apply pressure, then put your thumb directly under it, ring finger to stabilize and pinky completely off the ball. When released, try to keep your wrist stiff and flick your middle, pointer, and thumb so it creates a triangle of pressure. Most importantly, don't shotput it, just throw it normal behind your wrist.

on 8/8/2006 Instead of putting my thumb under the ball, I bring my thumb right up to the side of the ball on my knuckleball. This provides less of a chance that the thumb will create friction with the leather of the ball and cause it to spin forward. I also do not dig my finger tips into the ball. I let the upper third of my fingers rest against the ball. Not only does that increase push speed, but it eliminates splitting your nail. I used to dig into the ball, but I split my fingernail in half one game, so I stopped doing it.

on 8/8/2006 Where the ball makes a reverse C, put your thumb in the horseshoe. Don't grip any laces! Take your pointer and middle fingers and use the fingernail area and put them into the other reverse C on the top of the ball. Once again, no laces! Throw like a fastball and watch it float.

on 8/8/2006 Make sure to keep the ball low if you use this against a batter.

on 8/8/2006 Hold the ball with index, ring, and middle fingers on the side of the seams. Hold your wrist stiff while you throw, to reduce spin. You can also throw with the outside part of your hand forward, to put different movement on it.

on 8/8/2006 Remember when you throw your knuckleball, do not throw it with your knuckles. Always throw the ball with your fingertips; it helps the movement of the ball and the drop.