Switch Pitching 101

Switch pitcher  Henry Knight   throwing curveballs with both hands.  Watch the arc of the curveball in slow motion. Right-handed Curveballs Knight throwing curveballs right-handed during a bullpen session.  Last year he added the curveball to his repertoire – throwing curves for strikes with both arms. Left-handed Curveballs Knight throwing curveballs left-handed. Watch the pitches in slow motion to see the big arc of the curveball. Popular nicknames for the curveball include "the bender", "the hook," "Uncle Charlie," "yakker," and "Public Enemy No. 1." How to grip and throw a curveball Note about the curveball: Young players tend to fall in love with the curveball and overuse the pitch in games. I suggest that young players focus on proper throwing mechanics first - including throwing a fastball for strikes - before learning to throw a curveball. Henry Knight learned the curveball grip when he was in ...

Watch videos of ambidextrous pitchers on YouTube  >> Switch pitcher Henry Knight throwing a bullpen in Seattle. Knight posted a 12:1 strikeout/walk ratio in high school Henry Knight throwing a knuckleball and splitter Henry Knight throwing curveballs left-handed to coach Ron Queen Videos of switch pitchers on YouTube  >> .

Curveball  - The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. ( Wikipedia  ) How to throw a curveball  (video) Explains the curveball grip and throwing technique. When Should Young Players Start Throwing a Curveball? One thing that I've noticed in my 15 years working with pitchers is that there are more pitchers who hurt themselves from throwing fastballs due to poor mechanics or because they aren't functionally strong or because their workloads are too high - than ever hurt themselves throwing curveballs. Any one pitch thrown with the proper mechanics is not going to hurt your arm. Any pitch thrown with improper mechanics can and will lead to arm problems. (www.hardballacademy.com) Know when to throw the curveball Once a Little League player learns the curveball, they fall in love with the pitch. When the...