How To Throw a 4 Seam Fastball
How to Throw a 4 Seam fastball
This article on Throwing a 4 Seam Fastball is just one of the many valuable articles that you will find in the Coaches Corner at Mechanicsburg Baseball Weekly. Please stop by and check them out. We have tips on all aspects of the game including pitching, hitting, fielding, practice drills, game strategy and much much more. If you are looking to purchase a baseball bat or glove stop by and checkout products from our many affiliates. Image is of my cousin John Finnegan with Willy Mays and Brooks Robinson. It was given to me by John's daughter Judy Finnegan Geist.
Contents at a Glance
“Yogi says - "He hits from both sides of the plate. He's amphibious."”
Four Seam Fastball
The 4 seamer is the first pitch that you should master. It is your ability to throw this pitch that will set up all of the rest of your pitches. The key to a good fastball is much like real estate, location, location, location. While it is nice to be able to throw a 90 mph fastball, it is even more important to be able to locate this pitch up, down or in, out. For a young pitcher just starting out, this is the pitch to concentrate on. It has the most speed of all of the various types of fastballs and it will set the stage for all of the pitches that you learn as you progress.Picture provided by Wiki Commons licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.
When to use the pitch:
The four seam fastball is the easiest pitch to throw for strikes. For this reason, it is often used on the first pitch to get ahead in the count on a batter. It is also used when you are behind in the count and need to throw a strike. Be careful though, good hitters will be looking for that 4 seamer when they are ahead in the count so you may want to vary it up some based on the game situation.
Gripping The Fastball:
Always remember, the thumb and middle finger should split the baseball in half regardless of the type of pitch. Place your thumb on the seam at the bottom of the ball with your middle and index fingers lying across the seams on the top of the ball. Refer to the image above. Do not grip this pitch tightly. You should feel like you are holding an egg in your hand and you should be able to see a space between your palm and the ball.
How to throw the Fastball:
Keep the same arm slot that you use for all of your pitches. As you pull the ball from your glove, the ball should face away from you and toward shortstop. As you move towards the release point, keep your fingers squarely behind the ball making sure not to turn your wrist at an angle, The ball should release from your fingers with backward rotation. Refer to the video
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