Knuckleball

If he can throw it without changing mechanics, or stressing the arm ito shouldn't be a problem. I am encouraging one of my '07 to throw it in games. (Caught him doing it during warmups, and it looked pretty good.)

I have heard a lot about improperly-thrown CBs causing arm problems, but is this common w/ KBs too?

Thanks.

How do you improperly throw a KB?

I don't think throwing a knuckle ball is going to hurt a kid, but it isn't a pitch that is going to get the kid any advancement to higher levels once he is in high school. He may be able to get a bunch of kids out at little league ages, but just don't let him fall in love with it and therefore neglect developing arm strength.

grateful,

We work constantly on arm strength. Our pitchers locate FBs. As a matter of fact, we really don't throw the CU that often. It is easily 90-95% FBs.

Our focus is on player development. I just think this is a fun thing for the kid since he can throw it.

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Originally posted by redbird5:
How do you improperly throw a KB?

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No idea? I only prefaced the CB w/ "improperly thrown" in order to not start a war over "CBs do/don't harm kids".

here's a nice link http://www.oddball-mall.com/knuckleball/k101.htm

redbird.........

If your players are continuing to work on arm strength and thrwoing a lot of fastballs at that age, then you are right, the knuckle ball can be fun to mess with!!!!

Let them have fun playing baseball!!!!!

When I was coaching younger kids I had a few that used it as an off speed pitch. Because of my strong desire to keep them from throwing curve balls at such a young age I found that it worked much like a change up at the younger ages. It really isnt the movement that gets young hitters out as much as it is the change in velocity. Just my opinion.

The KB has become my 10 year olds favorite out pitch. I agree with Coach May about the off speed part, but many kids just freeze because it has little or no rotation.

Since they rarely ever swing at it, his key to success was learning to throw it consistently for a strike. The batters that do swing usually pop out or ground out.

quote:

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Originally posted by redbird5:
As a matter of fact, we really don't throw the CU that often. It is easily 90-95% FBs.

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Then you may want to have your pitchers use their c/u more often. In competitive ball, only 5-10% offspeed will get a pitcher whiplash.

Texan,

Not at 10U.

Redbird5,
My 12 year old has been throwin one for 3 years. He throws hard 65-66 and the knuckball is a very effective change-up for him in addition to his curve. He dominates and spots up real nice with his FB, so both CB and KB are used approx only 10% of the time. His older brother played around with one end of Junior year and was downright nasty (ask mitch23's son), but Coach Z shut it off and he has since added the circle change and overhand curve to compliment his hard slider and running two-seamer.

Our college freshman has thrown it since he was 11. His pitching coach likes it because, properly thrown, no arm stress.

He has a teammate that also throws it. Both use it as a change of pace the second or third time through the lineup.

It's a nice pitch since so many batters seldom see one. I've seen guys look downright silly at the plate -- of course, one over the plate that doesn't dance -- it goes a long way.

I believe a pretty good pitcher with the Red Sox is making a nice living with this pitch...

As a high school pitching coach and soneone who has coached baseball for over 20 years, here are my thoughts on the Knuckle Ball. One, yes it can be effective used once and a while. As noted mostly for its change in speed and its unusuallness. Two, Tim Wakefield is quite effective with it, as were the Niekro brothers, Wilber Wood and others. But they threw it almost exclusively. My kids play around with it while playing catch and ocasionally during a bullpen session, to have some fun. However, I do NOT allow them to throw it during games. Here is why. In order to properly throw a KB, the ball is pushed not thrown. This change in delivery is not a good thing, in my opinion. My legion team faced a pitcher last week that threw an occasional KB and it took him three to four pitches after each KB to get his mechanics for his regular pitches back. I don't recommend it unless it is their primary pitch.

I thank the baseball gods for you hawkcoach.

I was reading through this stream wondering how so many people could be ill informed. I kept reading thinking that I would see someone refute the thought that knuckleballs were a healthy alternative for a change-up.

There is a reason why knuckleball pitchers are not running rapid in baseball. The knuckleball is a last ditch effort for someone who does NOT care about his arm to scratch out a few more years- how many of these guys have you seen with a 90 mph fastball? Name a big league pitcher that uses his knuckleball as a "change-up"...there are none.

The KB is thrown -as hawkcoach suggested- in a totally different manner than both the fastball and the change-up.

You can feel the difference right now at your keyboard...

Pretend you have a ball in your hand and push your index finger and middle finger out away from your palm. Then, hold out your fingers and snap them down as in the motion related to a fastball. Rotate FB,KB,FB,KB. You will feel the tendons in your elbow flamming up in less than one innings worth of pitches.

Stay away from the knuckleball. Tim Wakefield would not instruct his 10 year-old to throw it -why should you?