I'm a RHP and I only throw my 2-seam to hit the right side of the plate (in to righties, away from lefties).
I'm wondering what other people's 2-seam strategies are.
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Good strategy. Also, use the 2 seamer down in the zone and the 4 seamer up.
If your 2-seamer moves enough and you work on it a lot, you could try to start it off the outside part of the plate to a righty and "back-door" it to the corner. Can also be tried with a lefty batter on their inside corner. In both cases, they usually take it thinking it's outside (or inside if it's a lefty) and the ball ends up on the corner. Not easy but worth practicing. Becomes a pretty good 0-2 pitch as long as you miss to the left of the plate. Don't want it to tail over the middle. Tough to master though.
BaseballByTheYard
BaseballByTheYard
Don't throw it inside to a lefty.
Sultan- Why not?
quote:Originally posted by SultanofSwat:
Don't throw it inside to a lefty.
Actually you can't make a blanket statement like that. Depending on the lefty it is one of my sons K pitches to a wrong hander. He will work outside with offspeed and FB combinations, and if he gets ahead he throws his 2 seam "at his back foot" the ball starts like a stike and then breaks down and in off of the plate. To your point however, if you miss your spot...look out.
quote:Originally posted by SultanofSwat:
Don't throw it inside to a lefty.
Greg Maddux used to have a great amount of success throwing two seams to left handed hitters.
He would start them off the plate, and have it tail back over for a called strike.
Stu
Revised: Unless you can locate like Maddux, don't throw it inside to a lefty. 
Still don't know why no one else on the face of the earth shouldn't throw a 2 seamer inside to a lefty...
I agree JH. My son uses it all the time to a lefty. Starts off the plate, breaks over corner for a strike. Just have to keep it low.
I am with JH as well, if you don't experiment with the use of your 2 seamer, you won't get farther down the road than you want to.
Are you sometimes going to miss the spot, yup, better to give it up than to never try.
2 seam for son does lots of stuff, don't ever be afraid to use it, could be your best friend someday.
Are you sometimes going to miss the spot, yup, better to give it up than to never try.
2 seam for son does lots of stuff, don't ever be afraid to use it, could be your best friend someday.
I had a 2 seam fastball that had a lot of movement left to right. Very tough pitch to pull off consistently, on a lefty, I had a hard time with it. I would either hit the batter or leave it over the middle and then it was "Ouch" hammered. So I can see what SultanofSwat means, but if you can throw it there with consistency, it is a great pitch.
There is no denying that it is a difficult pitch to master and is dangerous if you don't locate it properly. But, isn't that true with every pitch you throw?
As a LHP that doesn't have the velocity to consistently rely on my fastball to get by hitters, I focus on movement and changing speeds to slow bats down. The ability to throw the fastball inside is crucial in throwing off the timing off the hitter. If I throw a 2-seam on the inside to a righty and throw it the right way, it'll run back on the corner. If I throw it too far inside, it'll hit him. If I throw it too far over the plate, he'll usually hit it a long way. There's obviously a risk/reward factor with the pitch, just as many other offerings a pitcher has. But a blanket statement saying that you "shouldn't" throw a 2-seam inside to an opposite-handed batter is misguiding. If executed properly, it can be extremely successful to have in your arsenal and make you a much better pitcher.
As a LHP that doesn't have the velocity to consistently rely on my fastball to get by hitters, I focus on movement and changing speeds to slow bats down. The ability to throw the fastball inside is crucial in throwing off the timing off the hitter. If I throw a 2-seam on the inside to a righty and throw it the right way, it'll run back on the corner. If I throw it too far inside, it'll hit him. If I throw it too far over the plate, he'll usually hit it a long way. There's obviously a risk/reward factor with the pitch, just as many other offerings a pitcher has. But a blanket statement saying that you "shouldn't" throw a 2-seam inside to an opposite-handed batter is misguiding. If executed properly, it can be extremely successful to have in your arsenal and make you a much better pitcher.
JH,
Many pitchers left or right won't even throw a ball inside, they are taught to be afraid!
Many pitchers left or right won't even throw a ball inside, they are taught to be afraid!
You have to use what you have! Lots of pitchers will not throw many 2-seamers inside to opposite side hitters. It's not a swing and miss pitch for the most part. They will throw 4-seamers most of the time they go inside and 2-seamers to the outside of oppo hitter. Out there it is a swing and miss pitch. Just the other way around for same side hitter.
A very good change up and a 2-seamer tend to have somewhat the same movement. The change is also best used outside rather than inside to oppo hitter. But you still have to mix things up at times. BTW, Maddux, maybe more than anyone, was the master of throwing outside edge and farther outside. He was so good at it for a long while that he convinced umpires everything was a strike. That made everything he threw inside that much better.
Of course a lot has to do with the quality of the 2-seamer. If it sinks a lot, you can get by missing location at times.
The rotation of the 2-seamer on solid impact with the bat, out over the plate, can create quite the long ball! As most pitchers have experienced a time or two!
A very good change up and a 2-seamer tend to have somewhat the same movement. The change is also best used outside rather than inside to oppo hitter. But you still have to mix things up at times. BTW, Maddux, maybe more than anyone, was the master of throwing outside edge and farther outside. He was so good at it for a long while that he convinced umpires everything was a strike. That made everything he threw inside that much better.
Of course a lot has to do with the quality of the 2-seamer. If it sinks a lot, you can get by missing location at times.
The rotation of the 2-seamer on solid impact with the bat, out over the plate, can create quite the long ball! As most pitchers have experienced a time or two!
Excellent post PGStaff, I ended up using my 4 seamer on lefties inside and was much more successful and consistent with it.
quote:Originally posted by PGStaff:
BTW, Maddux, maybe more than anyone, was the master of throwing outside edge and farther outside. He was so good at it for a long while that he convinced umpires everything was a strike. That made everything he threw inside that much better.
You got that right for sure, the farther you push it on the outside, the easier it is to go inside.
Good stuff!
General rule (remember, I said general) to the glove side, throw the four seamer. To the throwing side, throw the 2 seamer.
