Pitching Grips

By Coach May for PitchingTips.com

Here are some basic baseball pitching grips descriptions to help you throw your pitches better.

Pitching grips #1: 4-seam grip

Grip the ball across all four seams. Excellent pitch to throw hard, up in the strike zone.

Pitching grips #2: 2-seam grip

Grip the ball along the two short seams of the ball. This produces a sinking pitch. Use this grip to keep the fastball down and get a little move movement on the pitch.

Pitching grips #3: Circle change up

Grip the ball by making the O.K. sign with your thumb and index finger. Place the middle and ring finger on the seams and let the pinkie finger rest on the outside of the baseball.

Use the same throwing motion that you use throwing the fastball so you don't tip off the pitch.

Pitching grips #4: Choke change up

If your hands are too small to throw the circle change. The choke change is an excellent pitch. Grip the ball with a 3-fingered grip with the ball pushed back in the palm. Use the same throwing motion that you use throwing the fastball so you don't tip off the pitch.

Pitching grips #5: Curveball

There are a couple of different ways to grip the curve ball. Grip the ball along the seam of the "horseshoe". Put most of the pressure on the middle finger. The wrist is snapped down and when the ball is released, it comes over the index finger.

When thrown properly, the ball breaks down (and away) from a right-handed batter when thrown by a right-handed pitcher.