How to Throw a Baseball

By Steven Ellis, former Chicago Cubs pitching pro

Throwing a baseball is an act that requires the entire body to work in unison in order to do it successfully. Every position on the baseball diamond requires being able to throw a ball correctly. Being able to throw with accuracy and velocity requires you to have good mechanics. It takes a lot of practice to be able to throw a baseball effectively, but it can be done! This article will explain the basics of throwing a baseball.

To begin, you need the proper grip. The most effective and common grip for throwing a baseball is the four seam grip. Take your index and middle finger and place them across the "horse shoe" of the ball. Your thumb should rest comfortably underneath the ball with your ring and pinky against the outside edge of the ball. The four seam grip will provide you with the straightest and fastest throw.

Once you have the grip, it is time to begin the throwing motion. You want to take a step toward your target with the opposite foot of your throwing arm. As you step, twist your upper body towards your target in order to generate some power.

As your lower body is doing the above steps, your upper body should be doing certain things as well. Your glove should be pointing towards your target, and your throwing hand should be cocked in the opposite direction of your glove arm in an "L" shaped position. As you step to throw and your core twists, you should bring your glove in to your body like a chicken wing. Your throwing arm should naturally come around and you should release the ball out in front of your body.

After you throw the ball, you should finish the motion by letting your throwing arm continue on its path down towards your front leg. Your back leg should naturally come off the ground, and you should finish with your back nearly parallel to the ground.

If you'd like to receive more of my best tips and techniques to throw harder with better control while reducing the risk of injury, I invite you to subscribe to my free baseball pitching tips here: www.pitchingtips.com/free

Subscribe to my free baseball pitching tips Are you a pitcher? Need more velocity? If you throw 86 MPH or less, you better read this... Simply enter your first name and a valid email address below to unlock the secrets of a 90 MPH fastball. You'll discover how high school and college pitchers can quickly add another 5-7 MPH to their fastball in 60 days or less... Plus simple exercises, explosive strength training and velocity boosting techniques to get stronger, throw harder and pitch deeper into games. Don't miss out, sign up now for FREE... Your Name: Your Email: We take your privacy very seriously and WILL NEVER share your contact details. Don't miss out on these pitching tips!