Common Mechanical Faults Throwing the Curve Ball
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A. Faults that add stress on the arm
1. Twisting action of the wrist and hand during the release phase.
2. Attempting to create a 12-6 ball rotation by snapping the hand and wrist straight down during the release phase (hyper-extends the elbow).
3. During release, the hand and fingers roll under the ball. The elbow and forearm drops low causing too much extension of the elbow.
4. Elevates the elbow during the acceleration phase. The pitcher tries to throw too much over the top which overly extends the elbow. This also may cause impingement in the shoulder joint or cause bicep tendonitis.
5. Hand and elbow too low in the cocked position. The arm accelerates upward causing an upward casting of the ball versus the hand accelerating forward.
6. Pitcher has not stretched and warmed up properly.
B. Other common technique faults
1. Grips the ball too deep (“chokes the ball”), which reduces ball rotation. Also, the thumb is placed on theside of the ball versus under the ball.
2. Grips the ball too loosely. The ball slips out, reducing rotation and causes control problems.
3. Cups the wrist (inward flexion) during arm acceleration and the release phase, reducing pitch velocity.
4. Front side flies open early causing the throwing arm to drag and get too low.
5. Starts to flex forward before the trunk squares to the plate.
6. Not focusing on specific spots. Think “curve ball for a strike” or “curve ball for an out” (2 strikes on batter; start the pitch in the strike zone and break it down and away).
Note: When working on the curve ball at a normal distance and velocity, a pitcher should not throw over 5-6 curves in a row. The forearm flexor muscles tend to fatigue quickly. Throw one or two fastballs for arm muscle extension then go back to the curve.
If older and experienced pitchers have an effective curve ball using their own unique grip and motion, do not attempt to change them, unless:
1. They are experiencing elbow or forearm problems, or
2. They cannot control the pitch.
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