How to Throw a Gyroball Pitch

The gyroball pitch was first developed in Japan by Dr. Ryutaro Himeno and baseball instructor Kazushi Tezuka. Unlike the back-spinning fastball or the front-spinning curveball, the gyroball's axis of spin faces forward. The ball spins in line with the direction it is thrown, similar to an American football. The spin on the ball stabilizes its flight, allowing it to fly straight like a fastball. The pitch is highly effective because it is thrown with the arm speed of a fastball but travels slightly slower, causing batters to swing early, before the ball ever enters the strike zone.

Instructions

    • 1

      Spread your index and middle fingers slightly across the horseshoe seam of the ball. Your thumb should bisect your index and middle fingers on the other side of the ball. Keep the ball elevated off the palm of your hand with your three-finger hold.

    • 2

      Square your shoulders and hips on the pitcher's mound in preparation for throwing the ball. Wind up the same way you would for any other pitch by using a leg-kick for power. Turn your shoulders toward home plate and begin to move your throwing arm forward and down. Instead of following through down and across your body, be sure to twist your arm out and away as you release the ball.

    • 3

      As you release a gyroball pitch, twist your arm so that your palm faces away from you and the back of your hand faces you. The form of the follow-through results in the thumb pointing down. This pronation (rotation of the hand) allows for a bulletlike side-over-side spin on the ball. The awkward release of the gyroball was termed "pronounced pronation" by Kazushi Tezuka.