If you ask me, nothing beats watching Chapman throw a four seamer at speeds up to 102 mph. Explore my pitching workouts and throwing programs for players who work hard and don’t make excuses. The knuckleball is the slowest pitch, and it’s the most difficult to throw.

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.

Post pictures of your pitching grips on mybaseball pitching discussion forums. The index and ring fingers are placed on either side of the baseball for balance, and the thumb is placed directly below the baseball. At its release point, try to turn the ball over a little to get more movement. The deeper the grip, the more friction that is created on the ball, which takes off velocity. A great way to develop the “fastball mechanics” but changeup speed is to practice throwing your changeup as you long toss .

The opening of this C-shape should be opening towards your body. Your thumb should be directly underneath the baseball, not touching any of the seams below. Will create some movement to help deceive the hitter. This is usually the easiest pitch to throw for a strike. As on the fastball, a pitcher may have to use a jump step to recover his balance to field his position.

How you throw a four-seam fastball is pretty simple. The arm movement of the four-seam fastball is a simple, normal pitch. It does not require the snapping of the wrist or a twist of the arm.

Use a full range of motion, don’t short arm the back swing or curl the wrist. The first finger should just lay on the ball and be pitching in slow pitch softball close to the middle finger so the ball can roll over it quickly. A few pitchers will actually lift the first finger upon release.

When talking about spin rate, it is important to know that there are two types of spin. First, there is Active Spin (sometimes referred to as “Transverse Spin”) which is the amount of spin that results in the baseball’s directional movement. The other type is called Inactive Spin (sometimes referred to as “Gyrospin”) which does not impact the trajectory of the ball and works like the spiral of a football or bullet instead. This means that a pitcher with a high spin rate will not generate extra movement unless the majority of their spin is Active Spin. As you prepare to start making your pitch, now is the time to start gripping the ball more tightly.