Middle Infielder with the "Exchange"

I always worked to get a 4 seam grip and I got it about 90% of the time. I would encourage you to keep a baseball with you at all times, even when watching TV. Spin the ball in your glove hand and practice getting a 4 seam grip with your throwing hand. Learn to feel for the seams...quickly.

Great post as usual redbird. Here is what I tell players. Have your glove and a ball with you when your sitting there watching tv or hanging out in your room. "Go in with 5 come out with 2 , around the horseshoe."

It should be a natural feel that you develop. Constantly over and over going in the glove and coming out with the 4 seam grip. You can go through your transfer over and over again and get the feel of constantly going in with 5 and coming out with 2 across the horseshoe.

You will be surprised how well this works for you. But you have to make it natural and the only way to do that is to make it natural by doing it thousands of times. And it can be done because it is by many players.

On a slow roller charging hard with not a split second to lose, are you going to pull the ball out of your glove and release it in one fluid motion, or adjust it for a four seam grip?

Or a feed for a DP, are you going to adjust your grip, or just in and out complete the play?

FF I have a feeling you already know the answer to that question. What a player can learn is what it feels like. They can learn the baseball without looking at the baseball. They can learn the feel of a four seam grip. As the hand is going into the glove the adjustment to the proper grip is instant by feel. IF they understand what it feels like. IF they practice it many many times. There is much to this game that is about feel. I think you would agree with that.

Coach_May is 100% accurate. I've done it so many times that it just happens now. Even after not playing for almost 15 years now, I still get the seams when I'm tossed a ball. My hand just does it. I even do it when I catch a tennis ball. You just develop the "feel" as Coach_May said.

BaseballByTheYard

"Go in with 5 come out with 2 , around the horseshoe."--I like that!

Thanks for the input guys.

Yes, constant repetition is the only way that will allow me to make everything natural.

I asked my son what he does and he said that when it is going to be a bang bang play he doesn't worry about the grip. He compensates on where he aims by what grip he ends up with. Maybe practice throwing with bad grips so when it happens you will know what the ball will do.