Knuckleball mechanics

[The Cobb]

I don't play ball anymore. Unfortunately I stopped some years ago. I had tons of potential. Wasted potential says a lot of people. But, baseball wasn't something I wanted to do at the time. Looking back I wish I continued because the heart was there, the desire (for awhile) and the skill.

One thing I still love to do is play catch. I still have the arm strength so throwing some looping Uncle Charlies still comes easy. One pitch that I don't understand is the knuckleball. I can get it to knuckle in a straight line with some speed to it. The thing I can't get it to do is move. What am I doing wrong? Is it my release point? Is it speed? I'm gripping the ball correctly (I had an old knuckleballer show me how to grip the ball etc) but I just don't know what else it is I'm doing wrong. The ball will "float" in a straight line but just won't move sporadically like a knuckler should. Are my hands too small? Whats going on! It's getting frustrating.

Any hints?!

[Williamsburg2599]

I'm no knuckleballer, but here is some slow-mo video of Wakefield doing his thing, maybe it will help:
http://webusers.npl.uiuc.edu/~a-nathan/pob/knuckle_slow.mpg

I'm sure someone around here may be able to help you, if not, try here, a knuckleballing message board:
http://www.oddball-mall.com/knucklertalk/index.php

[The Cobb]

Great! I've looked at a few vids on youtube and they weren't very helpful because I was doing all the things they were instructing. I'm getting frustrated! I've been trying this for years. Maybe it's just one of those pitches I'll never master.

[RagArm]

Are you already able to throw it without spin? I wasn't able to tell from your post.

[The Cobb]

Yeah. No spin. No movement either. NO clue what's going on. Hehe.

[RagArm]

With no spin the seams act like glider wings. By turning, tilting, etc. you get different effects. Also the speed thrown has an effect. And you can also get some good movement with a slight spin. A slight downspin will sink when positioned like a two seam fastball. When held like a four seam fastball it will drop and move in the direction the two seams are pointed.

Clear as mud.

[Chris O'Leary]

One pitch that I don't understand is the knuckleball. I can get it to knuckle in a straight line with some speed to it. The thing I can't get it to do is move. What am I doing wrong? Is it my release point? Is it speed? I'm gripping the ball correctly (I had an old knuckleballer show me how to grip the ball etc) but I just don't know what else it is I'm doing wrong. The ball will "float" in a straight line but just won't move sporadically like a knuckler should. Are my hands too small? Whats going on! It's getting frustrating.

First, you may not be throwing it hard enough. A knuckleball will move the most when thrown around 70 MPH.

Second, you have to eliminate pretty much ALL of the spin on the ball.

[RagArm]

Agreed. Once you have the knuckleball down with no to little spin you can stray from it with a bit of spin for additional pitches.

[callyjr]

also depending on your grip, one of our coaches throws a pretty good one and he uses a split finger knuckle grip. Only has 2 knuckles on the ball and applies pressure on 1 side or the other to get it to drop off one way or the other. I can't come close to his, but I can get some movement on mine.

[Noodles]

You also have to force it through the air don't just lolly pop it in there.

[The Cobb]

Guess I'll start throwing it faster. I thought I was chucking it in there pretty fast. I'll try a bit more.

[Noodles]

Well the problem might be that you are getting it so that the airflow doesn't change over the ball and therefore causing it to fly straight, mayb try adding some rotation on it, not much more than 2 rotations on the ball while its making its trip to the plate, also maybe try it off a mound, my movement always increases off a mound.