How to Adjust a Pitch Curve

No pitch in a baseball pitcher's repertoire is more dependent on the feel of the ball than a curveball. While the grip is important, the pitcher's specific feel helps him throw the type of curve he chooses, whether it's a standard "12 to 6" curve, or a ball that breaks straight down, or an "11 to 5" curve, which breaks on a slight angle. Learning to adjust the curve on your curveball requires a process of trial and error and plenty of practice.

Things You'll Need

  • Baseball
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Instructions

    • 1

      Press your middle finger harder or softer against the stitches of the ball when you are holding the baseball in your curveball grip. The relationship between your finger and the stitches is what gives the ball its spin and causes it to break downward. More pressure will typically generate more spin, while less pressure has the opposite effect.

    • 2

      Release the ball on a slightly different plane from where you normally release it to cause the curve to happen sooner or later than usual. A well-executed curveball requires all the proper mechanics; changing the delivery point, and subsequently, the plane, means the ball will curve in a different manner.

    • 3

      Adjust your arm speed during the delivery of your curveball. If you speed up your arm speed slightly prior to delivery, the ball will leave your hand with a more significant rotation, resulting in a more sudden drop when it nears the plate; less arm speed means less of a break on the ball. If you can deliver a curveball with your arm speed similar to when you throw a fastball, your curveball will be lively.