Pitching Grip: Curveball

Pitching Grip: Curveball 

First and foremost, curveballs are harder on your throwing arm because of your arm position at release. However, recent studies show that the slider is the most stressful pitch on the arm. What makes most pitches, like the curveball, unsafe is that pitchers try twisting the ball when throwing instead of focusing on wrist and forearm placement. 

How we grip the curveball: Simply place your middle finger on the top seam (as shown in the illustration to the right) and place your thumb on the back seam, splitting the baseball in half. Apply pressure on your thumb and middle fingers. Your index finger rests on the ball next to middle finger with no pressure on it whatsoever. 

A curveball does take a lot of work to master the pitch and throw it effectively for a strike, so be patient and continue working on it.Remember to use the same arm speed as your fastball, just use appropriate wrist and forearm angle while you throw the pitch. What the curveball does and why it does it: Because you’re throwing on the side of the ball and imparting rotation; the ball will be slower, so it looks like a fastball because of arm speed, but drops at the last minute.

One of the biggest obstacles for beginners is timing the release of this pitch. If a pitcher lets go of the ball too soon, the ball will stay high and won’t drop. If that happens, a pitcher may have to squeeze the ball a little harder, again, with thumb and middle finger, so he can release the ball later.