Learning To Throw A Curveball
Ready to mix up your pitch selection? Let's find out if you are ready.
As a young pitcher, there is no worse feeling than a hitter knowing what you are throwing and having your pitches sprayed for hits all over the field. You stroll around the mound to compose yourself and wonder what you can do next time to get a batter out. Do I change the speed on my fastball and try to throw off the hitters timing... or do I pitch around him and put him on first? Before you take the mound again, you take a deep breath and wonder if it’s time to learn an off-speed pitch and take that next step.
It is at this point in time that your pitching career has come to a crossroad. Usually, young pitchers ages 14 or 15 learn how to throw a curveball as the first off-speed pitch in their repertoire against more advanced hitters. It is not recommended that you throw a curveball before this age because the arm is not yet developed enough to throw the pitch with the proper mechanics.
We have all seen “Sports Center” and watched Josh Beckett and others throw his curveball, which makes hitters look foolish on a pitch that begins shoulder high and breaks down past their knee. Obviously these well-known major leaguers have thrown this pitch for years, but at one point, they were in the same stage of development you are and took the necessary steps to learn how to properly master this skill.
Throwing a curve takes time and patience. You must not only be able to control it, but also command its location within the zone to get a hitter chasing. The grip and maintaining the same arm motion are key elements of throwing this pitch. You want to grip the ball with your index and middle fingers touching and your middle finger rubbing against the seam on the “horseshoe” side of the ball.
Gripping the ball this way will give it the necessary resistance to break down once the ball is released.
Keep your same windup and as you begin the delivery towards home, maintain the same arm slot as your fastball. Having the same arm slot will not tip off batters that a curveball is coming. The arm motion you want to have is similar to doing the “Tomahawk Chop” at a Braves game. For a righty, the palm of your hand should face first base as you release the ball with your fingers in a snapping motion towards the ground. Releasing the ball this way along with the added pressure of the middle finger against the seam of the ball will create the downward spin that accompanies a breaking ball.
Once you feel comfortable throwing the curve against hitters, taking the mound will be a much easier task. You can now vary the speed of your pitches as well as changing the hitter’s eye level with a wider assortment of pitches that you can throw. Good luck learning the pitch and good luck this upcoming season.