Would like to learn how to throw a curveball

[KYRF]

I've been messing around with trying to make a tennis ball curve (the dog brings the ball back), and am not sure if what I am throwing IS a curveball. What I am doing is gripping the ball with a "peace sign", the two fingers holding the ball (the rest of the fingers under the ball). As I throw the ball I flick my wrist to the outside, with the ball rolling off the two fingers *sometimes*. If I get lucky the ball seems to move to the left and down (I'm a rightie). Is this a curveball? Or a slider? Or something else? It does hurt my wrist and elbow when I do it, but I enjoy watching the ball move like that, and trying to aim it into the doghouse (about 90 feet away). :D

[Jake Patterson]

How old are you?

[Jesse]

I'm no pitching expert, but I do know that you shouldn't be flicking your wrist. That's a surefire way to damage your elbow. The fact that you're experiencing pain should be an indicator that you're doing something you shouldn't be doing. It's also a widely held belief that younger players shouldn't throw the curveball at all because it will ruin their arm.

That said, it sounds to me like you're determined to throw the curve. The way that you're currently doing it is not safe. Click here (http://www.thecompletepitcher.com/baseball_pitching_grips/beginners_curveball.htm) for a better alternative.

I would also recommend throwing a regulation baseball instead of a tennis ball. Throwing a ball that's too light can mess up your shoulder. I know - I did it last week. My son and I were throwing the ball around, and my daughter (3 YO) was playing with a wiffle ball. I picked it up off the ground, threw it one time, and felt something give in my shoulder. Not a good feeling. Fortunately is was pretty minor and I was back throwing again within a few days.

If you don't want to damage whatever you're throwing at (like the dog house, or the dog), you can get a tee ball. Same size, wt. and feel as a baseball but softer. I use them all the time.

[wogdoggy]

take a tennis can not the ball ,hold it long ways .learn to create 12 - 6 spin by throwing the can end over end.

[bosoxbb]

I don't know how old you are, but I have a feeling that you are too young to be throwing breaking balls. Take it from me, I threw a slider as my number 2 pitch for as long as I threw and it really messed up my arm. I ended up losing 6 years of baseball and now as a healthy junior in college my baseball career is probably over because of it. If you are already having pain in your elbow from throwing the pitch you NEED to stop. It may be fun to watch the ball break that way and if you throw it in a game it will be fun to strike out 3 or 4 more guys each game, but in a few years when your elbow is throbbing while hand writing an essay in Junior High/High School it won't be as fun.

[loopy lefty]

think fastball all release then as your hand gets to your head thurn it so your middle finger is facing the target then snap it off with your elbow i like to think that i am pulling down blinds but doing it alot harder make sure you finsh and snap it off same mecahnics as fastball and make it look fastball as long as possible because if it looks like fastball coming out it will fool a lot of hitters

[yosteve]

Index and middle finger together, middle finger against the seam, thumb approximatly 200-220 degrees from from middle finger. Think fastball, then pull down the blinds as stated before. Don't try to rotate artificially, or torque wrist, pull down the blind smooothly. You should be able to generate over the top rotation with slight left to right rotation. Ball shouold move Left to right and down.

[baseball=my life]

if you were to throw a slider, you would have to keep you wrist loose(I throw evrey once and a while whenI'm fooling around but NEVER in a game)