Monday, July 21, 2014
Improve Your Game! ProHittingCages.com: How To Grip And Throw A Splitter ( Part 10)
ProHittingCages.com: How To Grip And Throw A Splitter ( Part 10): How To Grip And Throw A Splitter Splitter A split-finger fastball (sometimes called a splitter or splitty) is an advanced pitch. Typi...
How To Grip And Throw A Splitter ( Part 10)
How To Grip And Throw A Splitter
Splitter
A split-finger fastball (sometimes called a splitter or splitty) is an advanced pitch.
Typically, it's only a good pitch if you've got bigger hands. That's because the pitch itself should be "choked" deep in the hand. This is how splitters get their downward movement. Your index and middle fingers should be placed on the outside of the horseshoe seam. The grip is firm. When throwing this pitch, throw the palm-side wrist of the throwing-hand directly at the target while keeping your index and middle fingers extended upward. Your wrist should remain stiff.
Bruce Sutter, one of the best splitter pitchers in the history of the game, says that it is very important to put your thumb on the back seam, not the front seam. This puts the ball out front just a bit more than a fork ball. Then, he says, you just throw a fastball. A very sophisticated and misunderstood point is that the split-fingered fastball should be thrown with back spin just like a two-seam fastball. But in a Roger Kahn / Bruce Sutter interview in Kahn's book, The Head Game: Baseball Seen from the Pitcher's Mound
, he points out that this is not the case.
Resource from thecompletepitcher.com/pitching_grips.htm#q3
Splitter
Typically, it's only a good pitch if you've got bigger hands. That's because the pitch itself should be "choked" deep in the hand. This is how splitters get their downward movement. Your index and middle fingers should be placed on the outside of the horseshoe seam. The grip is firm. When throwing this pitch, throw the palm-side wrist of the throwing-hand directly at the target while keeping your index and middle fingers extended upward. Your wrist should remain stiff.
Bruce Sutter, one of the best splitter pitchers in the history of the game, says that it is very important to put your thumb on the back seam, not the front seam. This puts the ball out front just a bit more than a fork ball. Then, he says, you just throw a fastball. A very sophisticated and misunderstood point is that the split-fingered fastball should be thrown with back spin just like a two-seam fastball. But in a Roger Kahn / Bruce Sutter interview in Kahn's book, The Head Game: Baseball Seen from the Pitcher's Mound
, he points out that this is not the case.Resource from thecompletepitcher.com/pitching_grips.htm#q3
Saturday, June 28, 2014
ProHittingCages.com: How To Grip And Throw A Knuckle Curveball ( Part 8...
ProHittingCages.com: How To Grip And Throw A Knuckle Curveball ( Part 8...: How To Grip And Throw A Knuckle Curveball Knuckle curveball Another more advanced variation of the curveball is the knuckle curveball...
How To Grip And Throw A Knuckle Curveball ( Part 8)
How To Grip And Throw A Knuckle Curveball
Knuckle curveball
Another more advanced variation of the curveball is
the knuckle curveball (sometimes called a spike curve). This is the
curveball grip that I used. Thrown the same way as my beginners
curveball only you'll tuck your finger back into the seam of the ball.
Your knuckle will now point to your target instead of your index finger
(in the beginners curve).
The difficulty with this pitch isn't from the pitch itself. In fact, most pitchers feel this grip gives them the most rotation – and most movement – of any breaking pitch. However, many pitchers who are learning this pitch for the first time, aren't comfortable with the "tucking" part. It's not super comfortable at first to tuck your index finger into the baseball.
This is why I recommend that you spend a few weeks – preferably during the off-season – working on tucking your index finger into the baseball. Do it while you're watching TV or in study hall at school. Once your index finger is comfortable with the grip, you can progress into spinning a baseball to a partner without any trouble.
Note: You've got to maintain short and well-manicured nails – especially on your index finger of the throwing hand – for this pitch to be effective because long fingernails can get in the way of the grip.
One thing you can do is apply a thin coat of nail polish or fingernail strengthener. It's in the women's section where fingernail polish is found, of course. It's shiny (even the matte finish is a bit shiny), but dries clear. And it helps to make fingernails a little tougher. (If you do use it, you really need just apply it to your index finger.) www.prohittingcages.com.
Resource from thecompletepitcher.com/pitching_grips.htm#q3
Knuckle curveball
The difficulty with this pitch isn't from the pitch itself. In fact, most pitchers feel this grip gives them the most rotation – and most movement – of any breaking pitch. However, many pitchers who are learning this pitch for the first time, aren't comfortable with the "tucking" part. It's not super comfortable at first to tuck your index finger into the baseball.
This is why I recommend that you spend a few weeks – preferably during the off-season – working on tucking your index finger into the baseball. Do it while you're watching TV or in study hall at school. Once your index finger is comfortable with the grip, you can progress into spinning a baseball to a partner without any trouble.
Note: You've got to maintain short and well-manicured nails – especially on your index finger of the throwing hand – for this pitch to be effective because long fingernails can get in the way of the grip.
One thing you can do is apply a thin coat of nail polish or fingernail strengthener. It's in the women's section where fingernail polish is found, of course. It's shiny (even the matte finish is a bit shiny), but dries clear. And it helps to make fingernails a little tougher. (If you do use it, you really need just apply it to your index finger.) www.prohittingcages.com.
Resource from thecompletepitcher.com/pitching_grips.htm#q3
Monday, June 16, 2014
ProHittingCages.com: How To Grip And Throw A Beginner's Curveball
ProHittingCages.com: How To Grip And Throw A Beginner's Curveball: How To Grip And Throw A Beginner's Curveball Beginner's curveball The beginners curveball is a great pitch for younger pitche...
How To Grip And Throw A Beginner's Curveball
How To Grip And Throw A Beginner's Curveball
Beginner's curveball
The beginners curveball is a great pitch for younger
pitchers. In essence, this pitch does the exact opposite as a fastball.
Where as a fastball spins from the bottom to top (which is known as
"backspin"), a curveball spins from top to bottom. And instead of
leverage coming from behind the top of the baseball (as a four-seam
fastball), leverage on a curve comes from the front of the baseball.
I teach a beginners curveball grip to younger pitchers who are learning a curveball for the first time because I feel that it's the easiest way to correctly learn proper spin. (But I also think this is a great grip for more advanced pitchers to use in a practice setting if you're having trouble with your breaking ball.)
Here's how it works: Grip a baseball leaving the index finger off – like you were pointing at something. (Your index finger will be used to aim the baseball at your target.)
Next, place your middle finger along the bottom seam of the baseball and place your thumb on the back seam (as shown in the middle picture above). When this pitch is thrown, your thumb should rotate upward, and your middle finger should snap downward while your index finger points in the direction of your target. This, of course, is the reason this pitch is great for beginners: the ball goes where your index finger points. The beginners curveball helps to align your hand and ball to the target.
Note: Because hitters at the college and professional levels may be able to pick up on the "raised" finger during this pitch's delivery, a beginners curve shouldn't be used past high school ball.
Resource from thecompletepitcher.com/pitching_grips.htm#q3
Beginner's curveball
I teach a beginners curveball grip to younger pitchers who are learning a curveball for the first time because I feel that it's the easiest way to correctly learn proper spin. (But I also think this is a great grip for more advanced pitchers to use in a practice setting if you're having trouble with your breaking ball.)
Here's how it works: Grip a baseball leaving the index finger off – like you were pointing at something. (Your index finger will be used to aim the baseball at your target.)
Next, place your middle finger along the bottom seam of the baseball and place your thumb on the back seam (as shown in the middle picture above). When this pitch is thrown, your thumb should rotate upward, and your middle finger should snap downward while your index finger points in the direction of your target. This, of course, is the reason this pitch is great for beginners: the ball goes where your index finger points. The beginners curveball helps to align your hand and ball to the target.
Note: Because hitters at the college and professional levels may be able to pick up on the "raised" finger during this pitch's delivery, a beginners curve shouldn't be used past high school ball.
Resource from thecompletepitcher.com/pitching_grips.htm#q3
ProHittingCages.com: How To Grip And Throw A Straight Curveball ( Part ...
ProHittingCages.com: How To Grip And Throw A Straight Curveball ( Part ...: How To Grip And Throw A Straight Curveball Straight curveball The straight curveball (or "overhand curveball") is one of th...
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