Pitch Grips article by the Tampa Bay times

[Richie the Rally Goat]

It's a little old, but I thought it seemed ok. Do we have any verification of accuracy? Thoughts on how good the descriptions/techniques/philosophies?

 

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/05/17/Sports/Here_s_the_pitch.shtml

[gil4]

Just a basic overview - not enough to really figure out how to throw any of the pitches except the fastballs. 

 

It turns out I used to hold my two-seam fastballs "wrong."  My fingers went on the bottom of the u-shaped seam just above the label - the spin still crossed just two seams, but I preferred the feel of pulling down on the that one seam.  Maybe that's why I wasn't very good (or maybe it's because my "fastball" was in the upper 70s.)

[theJemmer]

The grips shown are ok, but more important is using the proper finger placement, pressure, and wrist motion as it relates to making the ball move.  For example, I disagree with a portion of the statement in the article:

 

"The pitcher needs to get his fingers above the ball and then sharply snap his wrist and elbow down as he is letting go of the pitch."

 

If you have the proper grip, pressure and wrist movement, you don't need to "sharply snap his wrist and elbow" - this is how elbow problems develop and conversely, how Zach Britton can throw what is essentially a 96 mph breaking ball without his elbow leaving his body and orbiting the earth.

 

Hold your hand up in front of your face with your palm facing first base - or to the left (for righties).  Your thumb should be the finger closest to your eyes, pinky towards home plate.  If you throw a breaking ball by rotating your thumb from left to right (hand turns so you see your palm) - you have a good chance at developing elbow problems once you start to throw it hard.

 

Hold your hand up again - thumb closest, pinky towards home plate, fingers pointing up.  Rotate your thumb from back of your hand to over your hand, straight up and over so that your palm faces 1st base the whole way.  Now your thumb is pointing up.  This is the over-the-top-spin necessary to replicate Bert's 12-to-6 curveball.  If you apply finger and/or knuckle pressure properly, using a natural motion with your hand positioned in that way, you can get the ball to "pop" out (from the article "it appeared to move up before breaking down") simply using the natural pressure of the forward motion of the ball creating more pressure against the fingers at the top of the ball. 

 

April 14, 1982  Brainerd vs Crosby-Ironton.  14 strikeouts in 5 innings.  Throw 2 fastballs and drop the hammer on 'em.