This article will explain how to grip and throw a curveball. The curveball is among one of the most popular pitching grips in baseball because of its movement, and potential to strike batters out. Almost every pitcher in the MLB utilizes a curveball in their pitching arsenal.

Some professional pitchers with outstanding curveballs include Chris Carpenter, Roy Halladay, and Barry Zito to name only a few.

There are several ways to grip this pitch including the beginners, traditional, and spike curveball grip.

For the beginners curveball grip, you will place your middle finger on the outer half of the baseball on the outside seam. You will then point your index finger up in the air. Only your middle finger and thumb will be placed on the ball for the beginners grip. When you release the pitch, your index finger should be aimed at the target.

The second curveball variation is the traditional grip. This is the most frequently used grip by college and professional pitchers. It is almost identical to the previous grip except you will have both fingers together, placed on the outer seam of the baseball.

The spike curveball grip is the most difficult to master, but it has the greatest potential movement. Just like the previous grips, you will place your middle finger on the outside seam. You then curl your index finger so that the first knuckle or the finger nail is pressed against the baseball.

For each of these pitches, it is best to maintain fastball arm speed. The only difference is that you will turn your wrist right before releasing the ball. The wrist turn should not be excessive. The best to see the greatest amount of movement is by bringing your elbow to your belt buckle after snapping your wrist downward at the release point.

Another strategy for movement and velocity decrease is to shorten your stride length. This technique also applies to throwing changeups. The stride is responsible for a large portion of pitching velocity, so by shortening it, you are slightly decreasing your velocity potential. However, it is recommended that you throw the curveball with good arm speed because this will force the pitch to have sharper break.

One last strategy to remember is that you need to pull your elbow to your belt buckle upon release. This will ensure that your curveball has the proper 12-6 spin.

I hope this article gave you better understanding on how to throwing this popular pitching grip. It's important for players to understand the importance of developing your fastball pitching grip prior to learning a curveball. A good fastball can determine whether or not you can play at the more competitive levels of baseball.