How do I teach a Curve Ball?

Answer 1

I was a high school pitcher back in the day & I found the easiest way to throw a curve was to place your middle finger on the threads of the baseball & use the knuckle of your 1st finger. This will give you a natural spin that you can experiment with to get your curve ball. If you don't understand what I'm saying, hold the baseball with the knuckles of the 1st, 2nd, & 3rd fingers as if you're throwing a knuckleball & then open up your 2nd, & 3rd fingers to grip the baseball.
This will probably take some practice.
Good Luck

Answer 2

Who are you teaching? If it's a kid, younger than 12, than I suggest holding the ball like a 2-seam fastball but inside the seams. Place your middle finger's knuckle on the ball with more preassure than the index finger and throw it like a fastball. This will be hard at first, but once thrown correctly for a while it will become easier. If you want a true curveball. Place your index finger and your middle finger together on the right seam of the horseshoe ("c" shaped seam) (left side for lefties) with the mouth (open part of horseshoe) facing you. When throwing the ball, the back of your hand should be facing the target. When releasing, snap your wrist and pull it down. To get it to curve you must throw it hard. And just like any other new pitch, it is also hard to throw first off. I am a starter/closing pitching and although I don't throw a curve, I do have a slider, which is just a curve with out dropping your wrist and you twist your wrist on the realease instead of snapping it. A slider is better on your arm is more dependable when your down in the count. A great place to place a curve (when facing right handed batters) is on the inside, so it moves in, in a 2-strike count, in a one strike count with less than 2 balls, put it on the outside and try to get them to chase the pitch. The curve/slider is a great third pitch to add to a fastball and change-up pitcher and complements a high fastball (out of the zone) very well.

Answer 3

If you are teaching anyone under 16, don't! Even 16 is pushing it. For older players, you can throw a curve by alingning your two fingers along one seam and snapping your arm and wrist down like you are pulling down a lamp chord... but harder and faster (you are actually straining the elbow if you are doing it right). The ball should tumble out over your thumb and break from the upper right (for a right handed pitcher) to the lower left of the strike zone. The motion is the same on your arm for a fast ball, only your putting the velocity in the spin of the ball instead of the speed of it.

Answer 4

I thought it was really bad for kids under say 18 to throw curveballs? Something about undeveloped arms? Unless you want to have major surgery by the your mid-20's!

If you can locate a decent fastball and throw a decent change-up you should be able to dominate. Ask Johan Santana of the Twins!

If you can throw a good knuckle ball you can pitch forever! Ask Tim Wakefield of the Red Sox!

Answer 5

only teach 12+ for a curve use the techniques they said

another good pitch to throw for younger people is a cutter, it moves and doesn't put a strain on your arm

Answer 6

It's all in the wrist - it's a twisting snap in the wrist when you release the ball. (my dad REALLY wanted a major league pitcher...it's a shame I was born a girl! lol)