Pitching Grip: Two-Seam Fastball

Pitching Grip: Two-Seam Fastball 

For the two-seamer, “movement pitch” the first and second fingers lay across the narrow seams of the baseball between the two horseshoe-shaped seams. 

This ball is thrown the same as the four-seam fastball with thumb and middle finger splitting the baseball in half, causing force behind the ball. This pitch goes on average 1 to 3 miles an hour slower than the four-seam. You will see a slight difference in movement with the two-seam as you compare it to your four-seam fastball. 

Most pitchers throw a combination of both four and two-seams for variation. Many coaches tell their pitchers to grip their two-seam a bit tighter and hold it deeper in your hand. By doing that, they feel it takes velocity off the pitch. In reality, the ball will end up on your fingertips anyway, won’t it? So the ball won’t necessarily slow down. You impart force on the baseball when the ball leaves your middle finger. 

Important: A pitcher must understand the basic fundamentals of pitching mechanics before they start experimenting with other pitches. It is pointless and even can be dangerous to teach athletes an additional pitch without first knowing and implementing basic throwing mechanics. Every pitch should be thrown with fastball mechanics, only changing grip as well as wrist and forearm angles.