Other than adding a little pressure on the index finger, finger placement is the only real difference between the two. There are no real structural changes in wrist or hand action , so this pitch can be taught at the same time a four seamer is taught very early on. Remember, baseball pitching grips are very important so be sure to give them the practice they deserve. A major league pitcher throws a baseball with a spin of around 20 rotations per second . Thus, the batter often perceives the four-seam fastball as faster and higher than a two-seam fastball. If you’ve ever watched a baseball game, you might realize that people talk about 4 seam versus 2 seam fastballs and want to know the difference.

Grip the ball with your top two fingers across the seams and with your index finger and middle finger across the seams at the ball’s widest point. But don’t grip it tightly—grip it like an egg in your fingertips.The key is to get the ball to leave your hand without much friction. Most pitchers throw the 4 seam to the opposite arm-side Chase Zone to keep the ball from moving back over the plate and on the outside edge. It is more common to see pitchers throw the 2 seamer to the arm-side Chase Zone because the natural movement of the pitch will take it towards that edge of the plate.

A 4 Seam Fastball will travel in a directly straight path to the plate, whereas the 2 seam fastball travels to the right or left depending on your throwing arm. A 2 seam fastball, if thrown down the middle, will move to the left with a right handed pitcher, and to the right if you’re a left handed pitcher. I should add is that two-seam fastballs are the most effective when you are a right-handed pitcher throwing for a left-handed batter and vice versa. In these situations, the movement of the two-seamers will work on the pitcher’s behalf better. When targeting the Go Zone (1/2/3) it is our view that any pitch thrown down the middle of the plate should have movement and this translates to a 2 seam fastball. If you ask any hitter whether they would rather see a straight fastball down the middle of the plate or one with movement, every hitter would rather see the straight pitch.

Since the ball will “run” or move, it is best not to use it when you are far behind in the count as it might run out of the zone. The four-seam fastball is the more basic of the two grips and is easier to throw. Keep the ball hidden in your glove when you’re two seam vs four seam fastball throwing, or you might tip off the batter what pitch you’re throwing. When you follow through, snap your wrist down while applying pressure with your middle finger. There should be a little bit of a gap between the palm of your hand and the ball.

The two-seam fastball is more likely to create bad swings on its own since Major League hitters can typically time a four-seam fastball regardless of speed. While each inch of fastball movement matters a lot, it matters more for older athletes who throw harder. Younger athletes should not only focus on throwing hard and to a target but also try to get behind the ball with backspin. Throws in the field will be with a four-seam grip, and we’d want to get good ball flight when playing defense. 2 seamer throws are basically a modified version of a straight fastball pitch, however, the pace of the pitch is very fast, and is often compared to a 4 seamer fastball. There are some key differences between the two, however, such as finger placement, and each serves very different purposes.

4 seam fastball gets its name from the way in which the ball rotates; 4 seams are visible with each rotation. It is an essential skill in baseball which greatly helps the pitcher in delivering a high speed ball, occasionally reaching 100 MPH for some Major League pitchers. Either way, your fingers – whether two or three – should go across the seams. On a four-seam grip, your fingertips should contact the seams, and your thumb should be under the ball.