Once you've perfected your fastball, learn how to throw a curveball to improve your baseball throwing skills. A good curveball looks like a fastball, but twists in the opposite direction and causes it to "break" the other way before it reaches the bat. If you're lucky, the bat will swing too fast and miss the shot. To master this throw, you need to perfect the basic curveball, straight curveball, and knuckle curveball.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Throwing a Basic Curveball
Step 1. Grip the ball between your thumb and middle finger
Place your middle finger along the bottom seam of the baseball and your thumb along the back seam. Don't let your index finger touch the ball. Instead of using it to grip the ball, you will use it to direct the ball.
- Hold the baseball so that the arc of the seam is close to the palm of your hand, that is, one above and one below the palm.
- For right-hand pitchers, place your middle finger on the right seam of the top of the ball, and your thumb on the left seam of the bottom of the ball. Do the opposite for left-handed players.
Step 2. Keep your grip hidden
If your opponent's batsman knows you're about to throw a curveball, he can be prepared for changes in the speed and direction of your throw. Make sure the glove covers the hand holding the ball so that no other player on the opposing team can see your grip on the curveball.
The basic curveball grip is easy for experienced hitters to spot even from the windup. Practice hiding your grip so that your curveballs are harder to read
Step 3. Take a square and throw the ball
Place your dominant foot on the rubber (rubber). Lift your non-dominant knee and rotate your pelvis forward as you throw the ball. Your elbows should be at or above your forearm, and bent at a 90-degree angle. The first stage of throwing a curveball is done like a fastball.
A basic four-stitched fastball throw is done by placing your middle and index fingers on the top of the ball, at the seams that run along the left and right sides of the ball's surface when the ball is facing you. The thumb should be in direct contact with the smooth skin at the base of the ball between the stitches
Step 4. Flick release
Keep your palms facing inward, and release the ball when your arms are straight and you step forward with your non-dominant foot. When the arm drops during the throw, it should be toward the pelvis of the non-dominant side.
- Flick quickly up and down, instead of moving your arms parabolically across your body.
- When releasing the ball, rotate your thumb up and your fingers down, as if you would snap your thumb and middle finger. The ball will move in the direction the middle finger is pointing.
- We recommend that you release the ball as close to your body as possible. This is called "short arming", and will result in more resistance between the middle finger and the seam thereby increasing twist and bend.
Step 5. Practice
Master the basic curveball throw before moving on to its more complicated forms. Remember, twisting on a throw is obtained by grasping the ball without pressure from the index finger and flicking it for a moment when the ball is released. Keep this movement in mind when throwing.
Method 2 of 3: Throwing a Straight Curveball
Step 1. Grasp the ball between your thumb, index, and middle finger
This is a classic curveball grip. Grasp the ball with the bottom seam between your index and middle fingers, then place your thumb along the back seam. Hold the baseball so that the arch of the seam is close to the palm of your hand, one in front of the top, and one under the back of the ball.
- The "front" of the ball refers to the part that slides away from you when thrown, while the "back" will face you when the ball is thrown.
- For the right-hand pitcher, place your middle finger on the top right seam of the ball, and your thumb on the bottom left seam. Do the opposite if you are left-handed.
- Use the index finger to point at the target. Like a basic curveball, you need to use your index finger to point to where you're throwing. However, this time the index finger also plays a role in strengthening the middle finger.
Step 2. Keep your hands hidden
As with most throws, it's a good idea to make sure your grip isn't visible to the opposing players by hiding it under your gloves until you're making the pitch. Otherwise, the batsman will be warned to prepare for a curveball and you won't get the result you want.
If you're having trouble hiding your throw before you land, it's a good idea to get the ball as deep as possible in the glove before applying the throw grip
Step 3. Take a square and throw
Place your dominant foot on the rubber in a parallel position. Lift your non-dominant knee and rotate your pelvis as you throw the ball. Your elbows should be at or above your forearm, and bent at a 90-degree angle. This first stage is the same as throwing a fastball.
Step 4. Release the ball with a flick
Keep your palms facing inward, and release the ball as you step forward with your non-dominant foot. When the arm drops during the throw, flick it toward the pelvis of the non-dominant side.
When releasing the ball, rotate your thumb up and middle finger down, as if snapping your thumb and middle finger together
Step 5. Try grip modification
If you change the position of your fingers a little, you can also change the way the ball bends so that the opponent's bat is tricked even more. The curveball is commonly known as the 11-5 throw because it breaks at an angle formed by the 11 and 5 o'clock hands. Try different variations to vary the curvature of the ball:
- Curveball throw 12-6 will dive deeper down. Place your index and middle fingers between the stitches, and your thumbs at the base of the ball. Make short flicks when throwing, or release the ball when your hands go over your head instead of following the movement of your arms completely. To account for sharp dives, throw a 12-6 slightly higher than a regular curveball.
- A 10-4 curveball will start and approach the bat, then dive low and away. Start gripping like you would throw a regular curveball, then slide your index and middle fingers slightly down, toward your thumb. Put most of the pressure on your middle finger, and rotate your wrist away from your body as you throw.
Method 3 of 3: Throwing a Knuckle Curveball
Step 1. Grab the ball
The knuckle curveball throw is similar to the other grip, but the variable this time is the index finger. Grasp the ball with your middle finger along the bottom seam, and your thumb along the back seam. Hold the baseball so that the arc of the seam is as close to the palm as possible, i.e. one above and one below the palm. Bend your index finger inward before placing it on the ball so that your fingernail and tip knuckle rest on the ball and your middle knuckle is pointing at the target.
- For right-handers, place your middle finger on the right seam above, and your thumb on the left seam below the ball. Do the opposite for left-handed players.
- It takes a lot of practice to become fluent with the knuckle curveball grip. Practice it without throwing when you're free. Get your hands used to the feeling of this grip.
- This type of curveball is considered the most complicated of all. Don't be discouraged if you still can't get the hang of it.
Step 2. Use the knuckle of the index finger to point at the target
Like a straight curveball, your index finger will point to the target and strengthen the middle finger, but the throwing torque will increase as the middle finger bends.
Step 3. Keep the grip hidden in the baseball glove
This is much more important in the grip of a knuckle curveball because the placement of the fingers of the grip will be very easy to recognize. Make sure the ball is deep in the glove before holding it with a knuckle curveball grip.
Step 4. Take a square and throw
Your dominant foot should be on the rubber, in a parallel position. Lift your non-dominant knee and rotate your pelvis forward as you throw the ball. Elbows should be at or above the arm, and bent 90 degrees, just like a normal fastball throw.
Step 5. Flick release
Keep your palms facing your body, and release the ball as you step forward with your non-dominant foot. The ball must leave the hand as soon as it passes over the head. When the arm drops during the throw, flick it toward the pelvis of the non-dominant side. Twist your thumb up and middle finger down to spin the ball.
Tips
- The closer you flick your wrist to your body, the straighter and sharper the dive will be.
- When you want to throw a curveball, think of your arm movement as if you were hammering a nail.
- When practicing throwing curveballs, focus on dives instead of getting strikes. Once you've mastered the dive, you can move on to improving your throwing accuracy.
- Enlarge the dive by flicking your wrist as hard as you can. The harder the flick made, the ball will dive more sharply.
- When throwing a curveball, left-handers must rotate their pelvis to third base.
Warning
- Throwing a curveball for a long time can hurt the arm. Curveball 12-6 is very taxing on the UCL (Ulnar Collateral Ligament) muscles, aka ligaments.
- Don't twist your arm to throw a curveball. You can hurt your humerus/upper arm easily in this position.
- Don't start throwing curveballs until you're at least 15 years old or older. Practicing this throw at an early age can be detrimental to your muscle development.
- Never twist your wrist when throwing a curveball or slider. When releasing a curveball, roll your arms down as if you were doing a karate chop or shaking someone's hand. Bring the throwing arm to the other side of the pelvis (if you are right, to the left and left-handed to the right).
