The 7 Most Important Baseball Pitches

How to Grip:

1. Hold the baseball with your dominant hand, placing your index and middle fingers perpendicular to the seams.
2. Position your fingers so that the seam runs directly across the top of each finger, forming a straight line across the center of the ball.
3. Place your thumb underneath the ball, opposite your fingers.
4. Make sure to grip the ball not too tightly. A tight grip can cause the ball to come out of your hand improperly and reduce your velocity.
5. Ideally, the ball should rest on your fingertips rather than your palm or the pads of your fingers to help ensure that you’re getting a clean release when you throw.

How to Pitch:

1. Start in your windup or set position on the pitching rubber.
2. Grip the ball with your index and middle fingers across the seams and your thumb underneath the ball.
3. Bring your throwing arm back behind your body, keeping your elbow at or above shoulder level.
4. As you begin your forward motion, rotate your shoulders and hips toward the plate, keeping your front foot pointed toward your target.
5. As your arm approaches, release the ball with a flick of your wrist, aiming for your desired location.
6. Focus on keeping your wrist stiff and your fingers behind the ball at the release point to create a backspin and maximize velocity.
7. Follow through with your pitching motion, allowing your throwing arm to extend fully and your back foot to pivot toward your target.

How to Grip:

1. Hold the baseball with your dominant hand, placing your index and middle fingers across the seams.
2. Position your fingers so that they are just inside the seams, with one finger on each seam.
3. The two fingers should be touching, or almost touching, each other on the inside of the ball.
4. Place your thumb underneath the ball, opposite your fingers.
5. The orientation of the ball in your hand should be such that the seams are running in a diagonal line across your fingers rather than perpendicular as they do for a four-seam fastball.
6. Make sure to grip the ball firmly but not too tightly, as a tight grip can cause the ball to come out of your hand improperly and reduce your velocity.

How to Pitch:

1. Start in your windup or set position on the pitching rubber.
2. Grip the ball with your index and middle fingers inside the seams and your thumb underneath the ball.
3. Bring your throwing arm back behind your body, keeping your elbow at or above shoulder level.
4. As you begin your forward motion, rotate your shoulders and hips toward the plate, keeping your front foot pointed toward your target.
5. As your arm approaches, release the ball with a flick of your wrist, aiming for your desired location.
6. Focus on keeping your fingers behind the ball at the point of release to create side spin and movement on the pitch.
7. The two-seam fastball is typically thrown with a slightly lower velocity than a four-seam fastball but can be equally effective in inducing ground balls and weak contact from batters.

How to Grip:

1. Hold the baseball with your dominant hand, placing your fingers on top of the seams.
2. Position your index and middle fingers close together, slightly to one side of the ball, and grip the ball firmly but not too tightly.
3. Tilt your wrist slightly so the fingers are coming off the side of the ball rather than straight down.
4. Place your thumb underneath the ball, opposite your fingers.
5. The orientation of the ball in your hand should be such that the seams run from your index finger to your middle finger, forming a horseshoe shape.
6. To throw a slider, focus on throwing the ball with a similar motion as a fastball but with a tighter, more compact arm action and a later release point.

How to Pitch:

1. Start in your windup or set position on the pitching rubber.
2. Grip the ball with your index and middle fingers slightly to one side of the ball, forming a horseshoe shape with the seams and your thumb underneath the ball.
3. Bring your throwing arm back behind your body, keeping your elbow at or above shoulder level.
4. As you begin your forward motion, rotate your shoulders and hips toward the plate, keeping your front foot pointed toward your target.
5. As your arm comes forward, release the ball with a flick of your wrist, aiming for your desired location.
6. Focus on throwing the pitch with a compact arm action and a later release point, which will help create the pitch’s signature downward, sweeping movement.
7. Keep your wrist firm and your fingers behind the ball at the release point to generate the necessary spin and movement.

How to Grip:

1. Hold the baseball with your dominant hand, placing your fingers across the top of the seams.
2. Position your middle finger on top of the ball directly on the top seam.
3. Place your index finger next to your middle finger, with both fingers touching.
4. Create a slight space or “V” shape between your thumb and index finger.
5. Tuck your thumb underneath the ball.
6. The orientation of the ball in your hand should be such that the seams are running from your index finger to your middle finger, forming a downward curve shape.
7. Grip the ball firmly but not too tightly, allowing maximum spin and movement on the pitch.

How to Pitch:

1. Start in your windup or set position on the pitching rubber.
2. Grip the ball with your middle and index fingers on top of the seams, forming a downward curve shape, and your thumb underneath the ball.
3. Bring your throwing arm back behind your body, keeping your elbow at or above shoulder level.
4. As you begin your forward motion, rotate your shoulders and hips toward the plate, keeping your front foot pointed toward your target.
5. As your arm comes forward, snap your wrist and release the ball with a flick of your fingers, aiming for your desired location.
6. Focus on snapping your wrist down and forward at the release point, creating the necessary spin and movement for the curveball to break sharply downward.
7. The key to throwing an effective curveball is maintaining the same arm speed and motion as a fastball while also applying a significant amount of spin to the ball.

How to Grip:

1. Hold the baseball with your dominant hand, placing your fingers across the seams.
2. Use your thumb and index finger to create a circle or “OK” sign with your hand.
3. Place your middle finger across the seams, directly underneath the baseball.
4. Position the circle on the inside of the ball, with your middle finger and thumb forming the bottom of the circle.
5. Grip the ball firmly but not too tightly, allowing for maximum spin and movement on the pitch.

How to Pitch: 

1. Start in your windup or set position on the pitching rubber.
2. Grip the ball with your circle changeup grip, with your index and middle fingers forming a circle on one side of the ball and your thumb on the other side.
3. Bring your throwing arm back behind your body, keeping your elbow at or above shoulder level.
4. As you begin your forward motion, rotate your shoulders and hips toward the plate, keeping your front foot pointed toward your target.
5. As your arm comes forward, release the ball with a throwing motion similar to your fastball but with a slightly slower arm speed and a looser grip on the ball.
6. Focus on maintaining the same arm speed and motion as a fastball while also using the grip to generate downward movement and deception on the pitch.
7. The key to throwing an effective circle changeup is to maintain a consistent grip and release point while varying the speed and location of your pitches to keep batters off-balance.

How to Grip:

1. Hold the baseball with your dominant hand and your fingertips firmly against the seams.
2. Spread your fingertips apart so that the tips of your index and middle fingers touch the horseshoe shape at the top of the seams, and your ring and pinky fingers touch the bottom of the seams.
3. Tuck your thumb underneath the ball to rest against your bottom fingertips.
4. Create a loose, comfortable grip on the ball, with your fingertips barely touching the seams.
5. The orientation of the ball should be such that the seams run from your fingertips to your palm. This forms a slight diagonal pattern.
6. Focus on maintaining a loose grip and avoiding any spin or rotation on the ball as you release it, as the lack of spin is what gives the knuckleball its unpredictable movement.

How to Pitch:

1. Start in your windup position on the pitching rubber.
2. Grip the ball with your knuckleball grip, with your fingertips pressed against the seams and your thumb tucked underneath the ball.
3. Bring your throwing arm back behind your body, keeping your elbow at or above shoulder level.
4. Keep your wrist and fingers stiff and locked in place as you begin your forward motion, with only your arm and shoulder providing the motion.
5. As your arm comes forward, release the ball with a pushing motion, focusing on maintaining a loose grip and minimizing any spin or rotation on the ball.
6. Maintain a consistent release point and minimize any spin or rotation on the ball, as this is what creates the knuckleball’s unpredictable and erratic movement.
7. Practicing your grip, release, and delivery is the key to throwing an effective knuckleball.

How To Grip:

1. Hold the baseball with your dominant hand using a standard four-seam fastball grip, with your fingers resting on the seams.
2. Move your index and middle fingers closer together so that they are touching the inside seam of the baseball. Spread them apart slightly so that they form a “V” shape on the ball.
3. Move your thumb underneath the ball, positioning it so that it is touching the bottom seam of the ball.
4. Grip the ball firmly with your fingertips and keep your thumb pressed firmly against the bottom seam of the ball.
5. You may experiment with varying the pressure on the ball with your fingers and thumb. This will adjust the speed and movement of the pitch.

How to Pitch:

1. Start in your windup or set position on the pitching rubber.
2. Grip the ball with your splitter fastball grip, with your fingers positioned in a “V” shape. Your thumb should be positioned underneath.
3. Bring your throwing arm back behind your body, keeping your elbow at or above shoulder level.
4. As you begin, focus on maintaining a firm grip on the ball. Create downward pressure on the ball by pulling it down with your index and middle fingers.
5. As your arm comes forward, release the ball with a throwing motion. A motion similar to a fastball but with a bit more downward action on the ball.
6. Focus on maintaining a consistent release point and varying the speed and movement of the pitch. You do this by adjusting the pressure on the ball with your fingers and thumb.
7. Consistent practice helps develop a feel for the pitch over time.