Is it safe for an 11 y.o. to throw a knuckle curve?

[azmatsfan]

My son is 11. I showed him how to grip a knuckle curve. Warming up before games he'd throw a few and was surprisingly consistent. He grips the ball with his index finger tucked under and uses the same arm motion as his fb. He doesn't snap his wrist nor suppinate/pronate his elbow. I've always been very cautious about him throwing curves due to the stress on the arm, but it seems the knuckle curve puts no more stress on his arm than the change up since his arm motion is exactly the same with only his grip changing. I wanted to see if any of you had experience with boys throwing the knuckle curve.

Thanks.

[bbb3601]

My kid does throw a K curve a few times per game. He can also throw it for a called strike not a swinging one. Our old coach (past college player) showed him how to throw it the proper way, but I just wasn't sold. His circle change which he can throw harder than the k curve bites better, and drops off of the table. Maybe it is because I wont let him throw it more, but IMHO a plus circle change is just as good if not better. Mind you the K curve is a nasty pitch, and will get results, but for my kid it just doesn't have a place yet. He uses it more for a ok show em one ..now they have to wonder if it is coming. We have another kid that throws them, and was taught the proper way, but during the game...not pretty the mechanics are scary. Dad won't listen because he gets results with it and that seems to be the reason most young kids want to throw them. Search old threads (as I did) there are some real good ones. Have fun, and if he starts using it pay close attention because when the cat is away....:twocents:

[songtitle]

A few per game won't hurt him.

20 or so might.

(I'm no doctor, but I play one on blogs)

[AgentX]

The stock answer is that it's not safe for an 11yo to throw curves at all.

That said, I don't necessarily agree. If the kid throws correctly, he's putting less stress on his arm than he is with a FB.

But even if you don't buy that, you should still recognize that arm problems in young players come from pitching too much. What they throw is kind of irrelevant. Good mechanics will allow them to pitch more, but the key to safety is to not let them pitch too much while their bones are still developing.

[HYP]

My son is 11. I showed him how to grip a knuckle curve. Warming up before games he'd throw a few and was surprisingly consistent. He grips the ball with his index finger tucked under and uses the same arm motion as his fb. He doesn't snap his wrist nor suppinate/pronate his elbow. I've always been very cautious about him throwing curves due to the stress on the arm, but it seems the knuckle curve puts no more stress on his arm than the change up since his arm motion is exactly the same with only his grip changing. I wanted to see if any of you had experience with boys throwing the knuckle curve.

Thanks.

My kid has been throwing this for years. we call it a spike fastball. He has never had a sore arm.

As long as he is not changing his motion and everything is released like his fastball it shouldn't be a problem.

[wogdoggy]

there is a knuckle curve and a knuckle change,,at that age stick with the change..it will still drop and move without the over the top curveball motion..throw it like a fastball and it works GREAT for kids that age,,IF you insist on a curve,, throw the football curve,, it is in bagonzi's book..i think its called the little league curve

[wogdoggy]

My kid has been throwing this for years. we call it a spike fastball. He has never had a sore arm.

As long as he is not changing his motion and everything is released like his fastball it shouldn't be a problem.

if he's throwin it EXACTLY like a fastball it is a CHANGE if he trows it like a curve its a knuckle curve..messina i believe throws the knuckle curve,,same motion as a curve but knuckle sticks up

[songtitle]

A knuckle isn't going to move until it's going 50 mph. So, it's just a changeup at 11U.

[azmatsfan]

there is a knuckle curve and a knuckle change,,at that age stick with the change..it will still drop and move without the over the top curveball motion..throw it like a fastball and it works GREAT for kids that age,,IF you insist on a curve,, throw the football curve,, it is in bagonzi's book..i think its called the little league curve

I think what you're describing as a knuckle change is actually what he's throwing. He uses his same fastball motion, just a different grip. It's an off speed pitch, but it does have quite a bit of movement.

I think I'll let him use it as his off-speed pitch this fall and see how it works. Moving from 46' to 50' this year he won't be able to throw it past as many hitters and he'll need to learn to "pitch".

Thanks to everyone for your feedback.

[Baseball gLove]

I think what you're describing as a knuckle change is actually what he's throwing. He uses his same fastball motion, just a different grip. It's an off speed pitch, but it does have quite a bit of movement.

I think I'll let him use it as his off-speed pitch this fall and see how it works. Moving from 46' to 50' this year he won't be able to throw it past as many hitters and he'll need to learn to "pitch".

Thanks to everyone for your feedback.



My son use to throw it until JV. His change was too readable, but his hard knuckle was nasty. It looked like a fast ball until the bottom fell out of the pitch about 10 feet in front of the batter. It would sometime fall to the right and sometimes to the left. He was able to throw it for strikes. Now he throws a vulcan change.

[cdn_ball]

A knuckle isn't going to move until it's going 50 mph. So, it's just a changeup at 11U.

luckily we have kids at 11u consistently hitting 68, 63 and 60, respectively.

[cdn_ball]

Good thread, I've always wondered if the knuck curve was any different (mechanically) than a normal curve. I'm not a pitching coach, but I've kinda been given that roll as we have a weak coach in that position. I only let them use a 2 seam, 4 seam and circle change right now.
Does any one have any pics of the proper grip for a k curve/change up?

[wogdoggy]

Good thread, I've always wondered if the knuck curve was any different (mechanically) than a normal curve. I'm not a pitching coach, but I've kinda been given that roll as we have a weak coach in that position. I only let them use a 2 seam, 4 seam and circle change right now.
Does any one have any pics of the proper grip for a k curve/change up?

knuckle curve or change is held the same way..BUT the change is thrown "behind" the ball LIKE a fastball..and the knuckle curve is thrown EXACTLY like a regular curve"over the top'

tryint to explain the grip


two seam fastball grip BUT your pointer finger places the knuckle ..so your middle finger is laying on the seam and your pointer is knuckled up..you can move them closer together or off to the outside to get more movement

[songtitle]

luckily we have kids at 11u consistently hitting 68, 63 and 60, respectively.

I'm talking about knuckleballs, not fastballs.