How to Throw A Curveball

• By Brandon Ogle

A curveball has the potential to be a huge weapon for pitchers. If thrown effectively, it can keep hitters on their toes and guessing. Many of the great pitchers in Major League Baseball have perfected their curveballs to know exactly when and where to throw them. However, all of this is easier said than done. Learning to throw one takes plenty of practice, but it is vital to have the fundamentals down to make this practice time worthwhile.

Grip

With a curveball, the grip is vital. This image to the right should be used as a baseline. First, notice the middle finger. It must feel some resistance from the seam in order for the curveball to get the tight rotation that makes it so deadly. Next, your thumb should be placed on the seam on the other side of the ball. The last key point is that the pinky finger shouldn’t be touching the ball. Holding the ball like this may take some time to get used to. I recommend you feel comfortable and knowledgeable of the grip before getting ready to throw.

Quick Tips: Proper Grip For Throwing A Curveball

Keep in mind there are other forms of curveballs, but this is the most basic. After you effectively have this one down, then you can begin experimenting with other grips. 

Decrease the Stride Length

After you feel comfortable with your grip and wrist being relaxed, it is time to alter some of your pitching mechanics. Many recommend that you shorten your stride length by a couple of inches. This will make it easier to come out high with the curveball. Once you come to the point where your foot strikes the ground, your elbow should at least be at the level of your shoulder. All of this becomes much easier when the stride length is shorter than what it is with a fastball.

Release

The release of a curveball is something that takes some time to learn as well. As you release the curveball, your hooked wrists allow your hand to pull down in the front. With this said, it is very important to release the ball closer to your body to avoid throwing a hanging curveball. A hanging curveball means improper mechanics were utilized and is usually a pitcher’s worst nightmare. The Ultimate Pitcher provides some great tips on the release portion of the curveball. “Snap your wrist and arm downward, letting the ball tumble out of your hand off of your middle finger if you’re using a beginners or knuckle curve. Your elbow should be at your belt buckle at the follow through position, and your back should be flat over your landing leg.”

Here Coach Bob Morgan, former Indiana Head Coach, explains the spin of the baseball.

Source: Pitching Fundamentals: Drills, Techniques, and Tips.

Arm Speed

The final concept that I’ll discuss is arm speed. If you have a completely different arm speed between fastball and curveball, then hitters will recognize and adjust appropriately. They’ll know when a fastball is coming and will be prepared to jump all over it. The quicker arm speed you utilize with the curveball, the tighter downward movement you’ll see. It will also look more like the arm speed used with a fastball. If you’re able to do this effectively, it won’t only keep hitters guessing with the difference between curveballs and fastballs, but also create a much more dynamic curveball.

Legends of the Curveball

In today’s game, there are plenty of pitchers in the MLB that have mastered the curveball and are throwing it better than ever. Here are a couple of them:

Clayton Kershaw – The Los Angeles Dodgers’ ace doesn’t have 3 Cy Young awards for just having a fastball. In addition to his heater, Kershaw possesses a knee-buckling curve that is a main part of why he went 21-3 last year with a 1.77 ERA. Let me throw it back to 2008 when Kershaw was making his first spring training appearance in his rookie season. Announcer Vin Scully said, “Ohh, what a curveball! Holy mackerel! He just broke off Public Enemy No. 1. Look at this thing! It’s up there, it’s right there and Casey is history.” This was after Kershaw struck out Sean Casey with one of those dominant curveballs. Safe to say he’s been working on this one for years!

Roy Halladay – The former Cy Young winner is no longer in Major League Baseball, but that doesn’t mean we can’t show some respect for his brilliance in throwing a curveball. After all, his nickname is Doc. While many pitchers use a curveball sparingly, Halladay wasn’t afraid to use his curveball as his out pitch. Even when hitters were expecting it, they still struggled to put much wood on it.

Where to Find Help

In today’s media age, there is plenty of information out there available. You can learn everything from juggling to basketball moves on the web. Likewise, some up-and-coming players who are digital natives are proving this information can be useful. Grant Holmes, who was a first round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2014 MLB draft, said he learned how to throw his curveball from a YouTube video. The interview with Holmes in its entirety is featured on Carolina Live. Holmes says, “I learned it off of YouTube when I was probably in about eighth or ninth grade. It’s crazy.” Obviously, you can’t teach the 100 mile per hour heat on Holmes’ fastball, but the technical attributes can easily be taught through various mediums.

Another great source for online instructional videos specifically designed for sports is CoachTube. They have dozens of courses to improve your game, even some that focus on the proper techniques to ensure pitchers are able to handle curveballs and change ups without picking up an injury. 

Learn It, Practice It, Master It

Throwing a curveball at the 11-5 or 12-6 level like some pitchers do today is something that takes a lot of hard work. Not even all of the major leaguers have truly mastered a dominant curveball. That is why I suggest you digest as much material you can find online and apply it to your pitching. Along with the tips I gave in this article, go out and continuously practice it before implementing it into your arsenal.