To throw a curveball, your grip is important. Usually you’ll want to place your middle finger on the inside a seam. And what you want to do is throw it like a fastball to here, where the elbow and arm form an L, with your arm perpendicular to the ground, and turn your hand in.

You’re pulling down the front of the ball, trying to increase the rate of rotation, which is usually 13 revolutions from the time it leaves your hand until it gets home.

Right here, like an L shape, I’m going to pull down on the ball and make it spin as much as I can.

Six Tips For Throwing A Better Curveball

When running instructional clinics for young players, I am often asked by coaches and parents “When should my son or daughter start throwing a curveball?” This is a difficult question to answer. There is no specific moment when a coach or parent will say, “my son or daughter is ready now.”

I would recommend waiting until the player is 14 or 15 years old. If young players throw curveballs on a consistent basis at younger ages they can cause damage to their elbows and thus hinder the growth process. But it’s not only the fact that they are throwing curveballs at a young age, it’s the fact that they are throwing curveballs with improper mechanics that causes much of the damage. The key is to make sure they are throwing the curveball with proper pitching mechanics.

The mechanics of a curveball are NOT the same as a fastball. There are several key elements to the curveball that must be followed in order to throw the pitch properly:

1. Pitching grip: The key finger in a curveball is the middle finger. Ideally the pitcher will find a grip where seam will provide resistance against that middle finger during the release. That is how the curveball gets its tight rotation.

2. Stride length: If you find that one of your pitchers is having difficulties getting on top of their curveball (pitch constantly coming out high), get them to shorten their stride by 2-4 inches.

3. Elbow: The throwing elbow must be equal to or slightly above the throwing shoulder. As soon as the pitcher lowers the elbow below the shoulder, they put additional stress on that arm. The angle of the elbow joint should be no more than 90 degrees. Pitchers who throw curveballs at angles greater than 90 degrees may put additional stress on their throwing shoulder.

4. Path: The path of the ball on a fastball is generally far from your head. In the case of a curveball, the path will be much closer to your head (slightly up and away from your ear).

5. Release: Releasing a curveball is much different than releasing a fastball. A fastball release is straight out in front of your body. In effect, the way you release the ball is the type of action you want the pitch to have. When releasing a curveball, your wrist will be hooked and your hand will pull down in front of your body. It is important that you release the ball close to your body (Short Arm). The further you release from your body, the less resistance your middle finger will have on the seam and therefore your rotation will be looser. Loose rotation curveballs tend to spin or hang.

6. Arm speed: It is extremely important that you maintain similar arm speed with your curveball that you have with your fastball. A hitter reads arm speed. The matter of arm speed is obviously more important with a changeup than it is with a curveball, but it’s important for other reasons. Another way to get a tight rotation and hard downward movement with a curveball is to throw it with quicker arm speed. If two pitchers have the exact same curveball grip, mechanics, release, etc. but one throws it with quicker arm speed, the one with quicker arm speed will throw the curveball with more break, and thus the harder pitch to hit.

How To Throw A Curveball … Like Barry Zito

Barry Zito’s curveball is so admired — and so feared — that it’s earned him the reputation as having the one of the best curveballs in baseball.

“My dad and I picked it up out of a book when I was 7,” he says. “He caught me in the backyard…. Then I threw to a mattress with a painted strike zone on it.”

Zito grips the ball with his index and middle fingers straddling the seam. “I want to get on top of the ball,” he says. “When I release it, I force those two fingers down hard. That creates the torque on the seams, which causes rotation and spin. I also don’t want to get my arm angle too high because that will take away the ball’s bite — I want to maintain a three-quarter arm slot.”

Having relied on the bender as his out pitch since he was 16, Zito has developed a two-out, two-strike routine. When he snaps off a curve that feels just right, he often starts moving toward the dugout after releasing the pitch. By the time strike three is recorded, Zito is several steps off the mound.

Here are a few more curveball grips submitted by readers of The Complete Pitcher…

Curveball grip (side view)

 
Curveball grip (front view)

Curveball grip (side view)

Curveball grip (front view)

Curveball grip (side view)

1. Anticipates all defensive plays that could involve him – Ready to throw to right base or home plate.
2. Stays on top of the ball, with most throws. – Plants his feet and throws over- hand when possible.
3. Works on holding runners close.
4. Charges the ball aggressively especially on topped or slow hit balls past the pitcher.
5. Covers second base when the bunt is on.
6. When positioning to field the ball, cheats slightly towards his weaker side.

Set Position

1. Feet are spread slightly more than shoulder width.
2. Toes are turned out to make the lateral move easier.
3. Left foot three or four inches in front of your right foot. Body weight up on the balls of the feet and knees slightly bent.
4. Keep your back straight, hands resting on knees and head up.

Ready Position

1. When the pitcher releases the ball assume the ready position. The difference between the set and ready positions is slight but very significant.
2. Move hands from your knees to stomach level and slightly out in front
3. Keep your eyes focused intently into the strike zone, focusing on the ball and anticipating a line drive in the direction of third-base.

Fielding Ground Balls

1. Move straight towards the ball without straightening up. Straightening up will cause your weight to shift from the balls of your feet to the back of your heels.
2. Stay low, keep your body under control, and eyes on the ball until it rolls into your glove.
3. On balls hit to your right, use the cross over step, straighten up and then make the throw.
4. Ground balls to the left require the cross over step, then pivoting on left foot, keeping the body in front of the ball, then straightening up, and planting the right foot before throwing.

Fielding Pop Flies

1. Go back on all pop flies until an outfielder calls you off.
2. Always make an effort to get to balls that are hit behind the third baseman.

Making The Double Play

1. Do not leave your fielding position too soon. The ball is your focus as it may be hit towards you.
2. Do not assume that every ball hit is a double play chance. Always focus on getting the lead runner.
3. If the shortstop fields the ball and is making an unassisted putout, their momentum should carry them across the bag and out of the way of a charging runner.

Backing Up The Bases

1. Second Base – When the second baseman is covering on a steal attempt.
2. Third Base – On throws from the catcher.

Staying on top of the ball offers three distinct advantages to hitters:

1) It helps to avoid a swing plane that results in fly balls.
2) It makes is easier to contact pitches up in the strike zone.
3) It makes putting backspin on the ball easier. Why would I want to put backspin on the ball you may ask? Imagine standing on second base and attempting to throw a ball out of the park for a homerun. Would you choose to throw an overhand breaking ball with topspin which moves downward, or elect to throw a fastball, with backspin that carries. Staying on top of the ball promotes a path that the barrel approaches contact on a slightly downward angle, which results in imparting backspin more often, increasing line drive carry on the ball.

Fault #2- Dropping the Barrel
Dropping the barrel is many times associated with backside collapse due to swing perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body. Other times it can result from a poor grip, flat bat, or high front side, which will be discussed later. Regardless of the cause, it needs to be fixed.
Fix # 2- Keep the Barrel Above Your Hands
Concentrate on keeping the barrel above your hands as they approach contact. Suggest to your hitters to drive the knob down, toward the front hip. Remember, as long as the knob is moving downward, the barrel must stay up. Working on keeping the barrel above the hands on chest high tee drills. Try to hit line drives into the net from this high tee position. Think “tomahawk” the high pitch, and avoid working under the ball resulting in weak fly balls.

Fault #3- High Front Shoulder
Starting with a high front shoulder will almost guarantee and upward swing path, and can be associated with breaking down on the backside. This part of an improper setup will only lead to trouble in the swing.
Fix #3- Front Shoulder Down
Instead of telling a kid “don’t drop you back shoulder” rephrase your instruction to “concentrate on keeping you front shoulder down”. Hold the bat across the front off the shoulders, and slightly lower your front shoulder (one nearer the pitcher) so the bat is tilted slightly downward. Focus your efforts on keeping the front shoulder down and in, allowing the back side to push the front side open.

Fault #4- Bat Jammed in Palms
Allowing the bat to get jammed to deep in the palms will result in loss of control over the bat head. As the swing begins, the bat head will drop. It cannot be controlled if it is supported by the soft part of your hand (between your thumb and forefinger).
Fix#4- Grip bat in Fingers
Gripping the bat in the fingers, with the bat handle across the pad of the palm of the forefinger of the top hand will allow great control of the bathead as it approaches contact. Focusing on driving the knob down will start the swing correctly, but maintaining a barrel up approach will be greatly assisted by keeping the bat in the fingers.

Fault #5- High Front Elbow
A high front elbow is normally associated with a high front shoulder and a flat bat, all of which complicate the swing. The further the front elbow is from the body, the wider the swing arc tends to be. Longer, flatter arcs many times result in the backside collapsing, and dropping the bat head in younger hitters that lack strength in the hands, wrists, and forearms.
Fix # 5- Hands up, Elbows down
Concentrate on hands up, elbows down. A visual that most can relate to is to form an A or an upside down V with the hands, and forearms. The towel drill is excellent for keeping the front elbow from getting too far from the body.

Fault #6- Flat Bat
A flat bat does not necessarily cause a breakdown on the backside, but there are advantages to increasing your bat angle that can assist with keeping the barrel up.
Fix# 6- Bisect your Head
Starting with the barrel up makes the bat easier to handle, and control. A detailed explanation of the physics behind vertical and horizontal bats is located in the library. From a back view, starting with the bat in a position that bisects the head, will make it easier to get the knob going down, keeping the bat barrel up.

Staying on top of the ball is the result of several factors that are common to good swing mechanics. Once you have found a drill or drills that work for you, incorporate them into your daily practice routine for maintenance purposes to keep your swing sharp!