How to Throw a Four-Seam Fastball & 4 Seam Fastball Grips
The best attribute to have when learning a new pitch ispatience. Don’t have unrealistic expectations when learning a new pitch. This can help to speed up the learning process and reduce frustration along the way.
Check out this two-seam fastball from Henderson Alvarez of the Miami Marlins. Here it is in slow motion as he strikes out Curtis Granderson of the Mets… The ball comes out of the hand as the wrist flexes forward to a neutral position and the hand crosses a line about even with the pitcher’s face. Grip the baseball across the wide seams with the finger pads over the seams.
Don’t set the grip until the ball is hidden in the glove just before the hand break. Hold the ball should slightly unbalanced by off centering the ball toward the ring finger and applying more pressure to the first finger pad. Check out this video clip of Felix Hernandez firing a 92-MPH four-seamer past Prince Fielder for a called third strike. ACTIVE is the leader in online event registrations from 5k running races and marathons to softball leagues and local events. ACTIVE also makes it easy to learn and prepare for all the things you love to do with expert resources, training plans and fitness calculators. For example, an athlete like Nomar Garciaparra used to throw from a very low arm slot.
Your thumb should be directly in line with the gap between your index finger and middle finger. Place the last one-third of your index and middle fingers across the top seam of the horseshoe seam. It is also the most common pitch to throw up in the target pitching machine strike zone since the batter will tend to swing under it, resulting in a popup. This is something you can practice just sitting around your house by throwing the ball up catching it… being sure find the proper 4seam grip as quickly as possible.
Squeeze the ball with your thumb pushing it against your middle finger. Rotate the ball in your hand until you find the “horseshoe seam”. This is where the seams form a C shape, a backwards C shape, or a horseshoe shape. The ball creates a tight spin and rotates from bottom-to-top as viewed by the hitter.
A powerful swing and the ball is flying across the field, just one hit, and we might never forget the thrill it brings. Every baseball game is the chance to compete with others and cooperate with your teammate. Knowing how to grip a baseball in different ways will give you the edge over your opponents. If you liked our post, it would be great if you share it with your team members and friends wanting to learn the secrets of a great baseball pitch.
The throw will stay straight, which is why infielders use a four-seam grip to throw. As pitchers develop, they may experience some natural movement on their four-seam fastball. In time, this pitch is often used to work the cross-corner of the plate.
So it’s a good idea to let young pitchers experiment with different options. As the size of a pitcher’s hand increases, there should be enough space between the palm and the baseball to move a finger in and out of the space . Normally, the four-seam grip moves less than the two-seam, and therefore has slightly more velocity. It is the easiest grip for an athlete to control, with the best chance for consistent accuracy.