Throwing a Cutter Fastball

A cutter, or cut fastball, is a pitch that's a lot like a regular fastball but contains a small amount of lateral movement. If thrown properly, a cutter can be very effective because it looks like a fastball due to its spin and velocity, but "cuts" at the last moment to fool the batter. Mariano Rivera has a made a very successful career of throwing a cut fastball. Learn to throw it properly and be just like the pros.

Instructions

    • 1

      Grip the ball as you would for a regular fastball. Hold the baseball with a seam facing up in the form of a backwards "C." Place the tips of your index and middle fingers next to each other at the top of the backwards "C." Grip the ball tightly by placing your thumb on the bottom of the ball so that it feels comfortable.

    • 2

      Rotate the baseball roughly 45 degrees counterclockwise without moving your fingers. You should now be holding the baseball slightly off center. This is what makes it a "cut" fastball.

    • 3

      Throw the baseball as you would a fastball. Throw it hard and give it backspin with your index and middle fingers. Don't vary your grip.

    • 4

      Experiment with placing the seams at different angles in your hand. Throwing a cutter takes practice, so find the grip that works best for your hand and arm position. Look for a pitch that moves away from left-handed batters if you're right-handed, and away from right-handed batters if you're a southpaw.