more spin

hey thee

I started throwing my first curveball when I was 17. I never had a coach who really showed me how to throw one so I had to do my own research . it has developed into something pretty nastya. I made a couple of personal adjustments to what I have read about it in the Internet. Normally you let the bottom seem lay on top of your thumb ( at release point) so there is no resistance fro the seem having to flip over the thumb. When I trieddoing this intentionaly though I figured I had way more spin on the ball as the seem seamed to pop out of my thumb and gav it more spin on the ball.

I'd love to be able to explain this a little bit better but I don't have any pictures...
Tell me how you throw/hold your curveball and I'll be glad to tell you a couple of tricks..

Breadman

Thats pretty good info on how to throw curveball.

Where did you learn that?

A nasty CB can get you everywhere if you throw it for strikes on conconsistent basis.

Former teammate of mine in Valley League got drafted by LA Dodgers in 1988 for having a "good" curveball with only mid 80s fastball but was projectable because of bodytype

Still advise working on mechanics.

Breadman, go to slobintoronto clip thread and read what I suggested on pitching for Mark on pitching mechanics of clip and do same cola crate/box drill and focus on staying closed when coming forward with lead leg/hips etc and it will help you too.

Shep

I learned it by trying all kinds of diferent things.... It works great for me but might not work for others.

That drill sounds great I'start using it on tuesday and I'll let you know how it worked out for me.
thanks a lot

Breadman

Breadman

Don't expect maximum results in one day.

Also, will feel a little awkward at first so be patient...

Promise ya', it works though, you'll see.

Shep

Trick I've learned with mine. If you're throwing 12 to 6 curves make sure you don't start to come 3/4 angle because then the 12 to 6 becomes a 2 to 7 and will start to hang up and in on righties. Make sure you really follow through when you're throwing it too.

quote:

Originally posted by TPBulldogs35:
Trick I've learned with mine. If you're throwing 12 to 6 curves make sure you don't start to come 3/4 angle because then the 12 to 6 becomes a 2 to 7 and will start to hang up and in on righties. Make sure you really follow through when you're throwing it too.

Oh boy....
If you change your arm angle every time you throw a curve ball , good hitters will notice it and be fully prepared.

One trick to get it going more in the direction pf 12 to 6 is the grip. Yo want the thick part of the horse shoe pointing towards your body at release point . As the horse shoe gets thiner moving closer to you palm the axis of the ball corrects itself towards your 3/4 arm angle that should actually make it come out a little croocked.
look at pedro martinez... he is even lower than 3/4 and he has one of the nastiest 12/6 curves in the game. This is probably due to the fact that he has long fingers and can come around the ball a little more to adjust the axis of the rotating ball.
A 2 to 7 curve is phisically impossible. If it was it would mean that if the ball was half way through its braking process it would start losing the side ways break in the at first intended direction of 8 o clock *under the condition that the break of a curveball is linear* and gain more downward break and change the angle towards a full downward break from 30 degrees to 15 degrees.
I think TPBulldogs35 was trying to say that it would either be 2 to 8 or 1 to 7 .

*
but a 1 to 7 or even 2 to 8 is probably more common than 12 to 6 . Only a couple of pitchers probably manage to throw a ball with top spin and its axis parallel to the front side of home plate.
In this case viewing the parallel lines from behin the pitcher ... so pretty much parallel to the ground.