Pitching Questions

[EdmondsFan#1]

Um, i have a few pitching questions.

When pitching from the stretch, what is a slide step and how do you do it? :noidea

Also, I always gripped my 4 seamer across the 2 laces that are closest together, but i see alot of other people grip the 4 seamer across the horseshoe-looking laces. Is how i am gripping it putting me at a disadvantage in anyway?

[Baseball gLove]

Um, i have a few pitching questions.

When pitching from the stretch, what is a slide step and how do you do it? :noidea

Also, I always gripped my 4 seamer across the 2 laces that are closest together, but i see alot of other people grip the 4 seamer across the horseshoe-looking laces. Is how i am gripping it putting me at a disadvantage in anyway?


Here is a slide step.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-MbklpjUdA

Many pitchers play with their grips. Try both grips and see what works best for you.

[EdmondsFan#1]

Here is a slide step.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-MbklpjUdA

Many pitchers play with their grips. Try both grips and see what works best for you.

oh...

I always use the slide step then. Even when i'm not pitching from the stretch. I never do the cocked position thing because it's harder for me to get a long stride.

[JLeicester]

Um, i have a few pitching questions.

When pitching from the stretch, what is a slide step and how do you do it? :noidea

Also, I always gripped my 4 seamer across the 2 laces that are closest together, but i see alot of other people grip the 4 seamer across the horseshoe-looking laces. Is how i am gripping it putting me at a disadvantage in anyway?

The slidestep is used to upset the timing of the runner on first, so he doesn't get a good jump when stealing second.
As young pitcher this does not have to be used exclusively. If your delivery to home is under 1.2 secs, i would say you a going to fast. Learn to throw from the stretch in under 1.6 secs and use your slide step to upset the runners (or hitters) timing if you think they are trying to steal.

as for your four seam grip. Holding across the sweet-spot (where the seams are closest together) is actually a two seam fastball, or for some a sinker.
Holding the ball across the horseshoe is the only way a fourseam fastball is thrown.
check here for more info about the different fastball grips.
http://propitchingonline.com/pitching-grips/

[Erik Bedard]

Also, I always gripped my 4 seamer across the 2 laces that are closest together, but i see alot of other people grip the 4 seamer across the horseshoe-looking laces. Is how i am gripping it putting me at a disadvantage in anyway?

That's not a four-seam fastball, as the person above me said. A four-seam fastball is so named because (I think) the hitter can hypothetically see all four seams, whereas with a two-seam fastball, which is what I think you're throwing, the hitter can only see two.

[JLeicester]

That's not a four-seam fastball, as the person above me said. A four-seam fastball is so named because (I think) the hitter can hypothetically see all four seams, whereas with a two-seam fastball, which is what I think you're throwing, the hitter can only see two.

Try reading a little closer.
"as for your four seam grip. Holding across the sweet-spot (where the seams are closest together) is actually a two seam fastball, or for some a sinker."

The reason for the names four seam and two seam fastball is not because of what the hitters may see. Its actually how many seams are seen in one rotation of the ball after release. When the ball is thrown, it has backspin. The 4 seams rotating through the air help to keep the four seam fastball straight. When only 2 seams are affected by the air the ball will turn (toward arm side) and lose velocity quicker. This creates the sink and movement.
See Maddux, Lowe, Webb and Zambrano. all great 2 seams (some can be called a sinker)
See Clemens, Schilling, and Beckett for great 4 seam fastballs.

[EdmondsFan#1]

No, I don't think you are getting it, when i say i grip the part where the seams are closest together I mean:

How some people grip the 4-seam like a horsehoe, correct? I slide my fingers over so they are at the seams closest together, both fingers are on 2 seams. Not 2 fingers are on 1 like the 2-seam.

confused :noidea

[Chris O'Leary]

How some people grip the 4-seam like a horsehoe, correct? I slide my fingers over so they are at the seams closest together, both fingers are on 2 seams. Not 2 fingers are on 1 like the 2-seam.

Gripping the ball across the seams at the point where they are closest together is just a different way of gripping a 2-seamer.

[Hawaii]

14379 (4-seam)

14380 (2-seam)

[Jake Patterson]

14379 (4-seam)

14380 (2-seam)

Aloha,
Do you have pics of other pitches?

[Hawaii]

Aloha,
Do you have pics of other pitches?

Here you go. By the way, the credit for all of these goes to Steve Ellis' site. (Disclaimer, I have no connection to him and no financial interest in his site.)

14388 (circle change)

14389 (fosh change-up)

14391 (slider)

14392 (splitter)

14393 (straight curve)

He also has pix of a knuckle curve at his site, but 5 was the max attachments I could do here.

[Dev518]

14379 (4-seam)

14380 (2-seam)

I was gonna tell him he was throwing a 2-seem.

[Dev518]

Here you go. By the way, the credit for all of these goes to Steve Ellis' site. (Disclaimer, I have no connection to him and no financial interest in his site.)

14388 (circle change)

14389 (fosh change-up)

14391 (slider)

14392 (splitter)

14393 (straight curve)

He also has pix of a knuckle curve at his site, but 5 was the max attachments I could do here. Why have I seen 4 different ways to grip a slider? They all work about the same but it got little confusing when I was first looking at them.

[EdmondsFan#1]

In the 2 seam picture, that is NOT how i grip my 4 seamer... this stuff is too confusing, i will take a pic of how i grip mine.

[EdmondsFan#1]

This is my 4-seamer:



http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a389/Funk3yMonk3y/Minnesota001.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a389/Funk3yMonk3y/Minnesota002.jpg

[Hawaii]

Per Bagonzi, your 2-seam grip is ok too. You can hold it along the seams, per the Steve Ellis picture, or like yours, rotate the ball forward and essentially get the two seams under your fingers. Experiment with both--different action with each depending on your own anatomy (size of hand, length of fingers, etc.) Unsafe to generalize, but I find the "Ellis" grip may have more movement side to side, and your grip may have more movement down.

[EdmondsFan#1]

Per Bagonzi, your 2-seam grip is ok too. You can hold it along the seams, per the Steve Ellis picture, or like yours, rotate the ball forward and essentially get the two seams under your fingers. Experiment with both--different action with each depending on your own anatomy (size of hand, length of fingers, etc.) Unsafe to generalize, but I find the "Ellis" grip may have more movement side to side, and your grip may have more movement down.


Sorry, who are you talking too? (Who's per bagonzi :confused: )

[Hawaii]

I was answering your observation, Edmunds Fan. Your two-seam grip is different from the Ellis grip shown in the pix. I was saying that's fine, because there are (at least) two recognized 2-seam grips. The Ellis on shown in the pix is the more common one, but the grip you use is preferred by some and very effecgtive.
Bagonzi is a long-time pitching coach who was written a lot about pitching. I have not picked up his main book in awhile, but I remembered from prior reading that he notes the two diff types of grip for the 2-seam. I believe he recommends experiment with both. Either one can work better for any particular pitcher based on individual characteristics like arm slot, grip strength, length of fingers, size of hand, etc.

[JLeicester]

This is my 4-seamer:





EdmondsFan#1-

From the pics you uploaded, you're holding what I would consider to be a 'sinker'. Its a two-seam fastball variation. By moving your thumb from directly under the ball (first pic, less sink) to the side of the ball (2nd pic, where your thumb is now and more sink) you can control the speed of the pitch and the amount of 'sink'
14423

14424

[EdmondsFan#1]

Well, when i throw it it doesn't sink it's more like a cut fastball... :noidea


I tried the other 4 seam grip across the horseshoes, i can throw it harder but that thing just has way to sick movement for me, it would come on the outside of the plate and tail all the way off the inside...

Maybe bean the batter...

Edit:

And for my sinker i grip it like a Split-finger fastball but instead of having my fingers on the outside of the laces i have them on the laces.

[Dutchy]

Why have I seen 4 different ways to grip a slider? They all work about the same but it got little confusing when I was first looking at them.

The slider "slides" because of the off-center grip and the hand/wrist/finger twist, so as long as you have those you can throw a slider with lots of movement.

[Chris O'Leary]

This is my 4-seamer:

Like I said, this actually just a different way to grip a 2-seamer.

When you release the ball, it will have backspin and will rotate such that 2 seams hit the oncoming air, not 4 seams.

[Jake Patterson]

Like I said, this actually just a different way to grip a 2-seamer.

When you release the ball, it will have backspin and will rotate such that 2 seams hit the oncoming air, not 4 seams.

EF- Your picture is a two seam grip. Picture it this way- as the ball rotates through the air count the number of seams the ball would see on the axis of its spin.

[Jesse]

If you rotate the ball in your hand the same way it will rotate after you release it, you'll find yourself gripping it just like the 2-seam pictures above. You're gripping it such that your fingers are going across the seams instead of along the seams, but after it comes out of your hand it'll rotate just like a 2-seam. That's why you're really throwing a 2-seam. Make sense?

[EdmondsFan#1]

But it doesn't sink it has sideways movement :noidea

I understand you would only see two seams, does this mean that i am throwing slower with this grip then the 4-seam grip most commonly used?