The Art of Throwing a Curveball

Curveballs are great for pitchers who are physically mature. However, if you are coaching little league, curveballs should never be used. The position of the shoulder and the mechanics of the throw can hinder the growth process and cause permanent damage to the elbow. The recommended age for throwing curveballs is 15 years. Even at that, if the mechanics of the throw is improper, injury can occur. With that said, let’s look at the proper way to throw a curveball.

The mechanics for throwing a curveball is not the same as for throwing a fastball. In order to throw a curveball properly, key elements must be followed.

Stride – If you are having trouble getting on top of your curveball, shorten your stride by two to four inches.

Grip- Your middle finger is the key finger used for throwing a curveball. Find a grip that will allow the seam to provide resistance to the middle finger when the ball is released. This gives the curveball a very tight rotation.

Elbow – When throwing a curveball, your elbow should be equally as high, or slightly higher, than the throwing shoulder. If you lower your elbow below the shoulder, you put great stress on your arm. Be certain the throwing elbow is no greater than 90 degrees to avoid putting more stress on the throwing shoulder.

Ball Path – The path of a curveball is slightly up and away from your ear.

Curveball Release – When you release a curveball, your wrist should be hooked and your hand should pull down in front of your body. The ball has to be released short-arm (close to your body.) If the curveball is released too far from your body, your middle finger will have less resistance on the arm. This will cause the rotation to be loose, which will cause the ball to either hang or spin.

Arm Speed – The speed you maintain with a curveball should be similar to that which you use when throwing a fastball. Batters read arm speed. If you want tight rotation and hard downward movement, you can also throw a curveball with a faster arm speed. The quicker the arm speed, the more break the curveball will have. This makes the ball harder to hit.