One of the biggest mistakes I see pitchers make when learning to throw the curveball is thinking they need to twist or snap their wrist to get the right spin.
This is bad on a number of levels…
So in response to one reader’s email, I put together this short video to demonstrate exactly what your hand and wrist should be doing when you release your curveball.
Notice my hand pronating just after release – this happens naturally.
See, pronation (the hand turning, palm out) occurs naturally after every pitch. And as you see in this video, even on the curveball, it happens just after ball release. But when you actively try to twist on the curveball (think “turning the doorknob”), you basically fight against this pronation, causing it to happen much later than it should. You can end up locking out the elbow with bone banging against bone. Not good.
Plus, when you twist you don’t get over it with your fingers the way you need to for a curveball with good sharp drop. As I discussed in my last video post on How to Throw a Good Curveball, throwing this pitch properly (and safely) comes down to 3 things: 1) A good grip, 2) hand position and wrist position, and 3) a strong middle finger.
So I hope you liked this video and find it helpful. Please share this with anyone you think would benefit from understanding the right way to throw a curveball.
And for more Free Curveball Training, head over to CurveballMastery.com for a Free Video where I’ll show you my #1 Coaching Secret for throwing a Big League Curveball.