Whats the difference between a curve, slider, sinker, breaking ball?

Answer 1

All three of the pitches are breaking balls; breaking ball is a general term meaning "a ball that breaks."

A curve, thrown properly, will have a 12-6 "head over heels" rotation. It should break down and slightly towards glove side. It is typically used as an 0-0, 0-2, and 1-2 pitch.

A slider should be like a faster curveball, with a speed difference of about 5 mph from the fastball. It should have less overall movement, more lateral movement, and less vertical movement. It breaks glove-side. It is typically used as an 0-2 or 0-1 pitch.

A sinker is a fastball and, as such, it will break towards the throwing arm side a very small amount, and it will break down a few inches. It is primarily used to induce ground balls for a double play situation. It is an 0-1,2-1, or 2-2 pitch anytime, and it can be thrown for any count when a man is on first with less than two outs.

Answer 2

All these pitches are considered breaking balls, the curve can go away or into the hitter depending on the pitcher and hitter wether left or right handed at a speed usually about 10 to 15 mph or so slower than the pitchers fastball for deception and change of pace, sliders or cut fastballs as they are called now have the same arm motion as the fastball only they explode with a sharp break just as they get to the hitting zone, Mariano Rivera has the best in the game these days and sinkers also have the same arm motion as the fastball but tumble below the hitting zone at the last moment usually inducing a lot of ground balls.

Answer 3

A breaking ball is called such because it "breaks" the plane from which it is released. The other three fall into this category.

A curve ball generally breaks in two planes, the horizontal and the vertical. This has to do with the rotation of the arm and the general side motion when throwing.

A sinker, also called a screwball, is a curveball that breaks opposite from normal. For example, a right-handed pitcher's curveball generally breaks in on lefties and away from righties, while th sinker would break away from lefties and in on righties.

A slider generally only breaks the horizontal plane, as its design is to look like a fastball, but have added side to side motion.

Answer 4

a curve has sort of an up to down movement... people who throw a '12-6' curve makes the ball go in a straight line up then down.

if it is a right handed pitched, a slider will go right to left, and vice versa for a lefty.

a mixture of these 2 pitches is called a slurve where the ball moves in sort of a diagonal motion.

a sinker is a pitch that makes it seem like it is a straight fastball but moves down right at the end.

a breaking ball is just a name for any pitch that moves, so these 3 are all classified under breaking ball.

Answer 5

A breaking ball is a term for the other 3 pitches you listed.

Curveballs tend to break from 10-5 (or 2-7 depending on what angle you look at it and what arm the pitcher is throwing with)

Sliders tend to break from 9-3 (or 3-9, again depending on pitching arm)

Sinkers do exaclty what their name says, they sink, so I think you can figure that out.

Answer 6

They all move...and all require great torque on the elbow to throw....However, the grip of the ball is the sole difference.

Answer 7

He's right. But also the speed and amount of movement is different in most, but not all, cases.

Answer 8

They all have different speeds, directions, and certain ways they need to be pitched...My friend plays baseball and that is what he told me...I'm a girl and I hate baseball so...yea this is basicly what he told me!