What exactly is the difference between a 2-seam and a 4-seam fastball. I dont get why one is faster.?

Question

I am a 14 year old pitcher. I throw about 72 in games. I always throw 2-seams. I have been recently told that a 4-seam moves a little bit faster... Can someone please give me some details about the 2 pitches. I also throw a curveball. Circle change. and a knuckler in games

Answer 1

The 4-seam fastball has more seams that catch the air keeping it aloft more readily. A two-seam fastball will break more (downward movement) simply because of the air.

A forkball or a split finger fastball is thrown very similarly to the two-seam fastball to help it drop. Sometimes the two-seam fastball is simply called a "Sinker".

I hope that you are throwing the breaking balls only for fun. At age 14 your body has not grown fully enough; you still have growth plates in your bones that can be damaged with curveballs or sliders. It makes no difference how tall you are or how much you weigh or if you shave yet. You should not use those breaking balls until you are at least 16 years old.

Look at it this way; at age 14 no one is going to sign you to a professional contract now. Why take the chance of permenantly hurting your arm now before it is physically ready to handle the added stress of breaking balls.

Answer 2

Your first two fingers lay on the narrow part of the seams, with your thumb, the third point in the triangle, also on the seam below. The wrist basically goes straight through in a downward motion, always with a follow-through. You want the ball to have a backspin caused by your two fingers rolling off the seam on release. Your thumb is the last in your line of mechanics to control the direction of the pitch. Don't underestimate it and overlook it. With the curves of the seam turning straight, the ball should drop sooner than a four-seam. Remember, the lower the arm action, the more the ball moves.


We say 2-seam and 4-seam, but actually baseballs only have one seam. It's the 4 loops or curves that gives us the expression. With the curves of the four-seam turning on the outside of the ball, it should lift and thereby be faster. Remember there's more speed up, and more movement down. Whether you are right-handed or left-handed, your middle finger (the longest) should be on the wider side of the curve. ***The grip itself, with your fingers across more turns of the seam, will be stronger, and that should result in increased speed.

Answer 3

Ok- The 4 seamer has more seams at once cutting through the air at the same time, which mkes it easier to go faster though the air. While on the other and, a 2 seamer has less seams cutting through the wind at once, which maes it harder to get it through the air, which also gives the 2 seam a little movement out and then in

Answer 4

Well, if you're a right handed pitcher, if you thow a 4 seam fast ball, it will go straight and faster. If you throw a 2 seam fast ball, the ball will curve a little to the right and so slightly slower. So if you throw a 95 mph 4 seam fast ball, you'll throw about a 90-92 mph 2 seam fastball.

Answer 5

for a 2 seamer it moves a little bit and maybe a couple mph slower, 4 seamer is faster but bearly moves at all

BTW for 2 seamer you hold it on the seams for 4 seamer you hold it acrosss

Answer 6

It has to do with how the ball spins in relation to the stitches. If the ball is spinning such that more of the stitching is in line with the direction of spin, the stitches will have a bit of a braking effect - the ball will move a bit slower but have more movement. If there is less stitching in line with the spin, there is less braking.

Answer 7

2 seamer has more movement and is slower, but still faster than any pitch but a seamer, which you basically throw to over power a hitter. (a 4 seamer)

Answer 8

For the perfect explanation of how/why pitches react the way they do. Read

"The Physics of Baseball" - Dr. Robert K. Adair