Blog by: Eddy Rodriguez
Oct 2, 2023
Grip it and Rip it
Zero debate as to what ball gets more carry then thrown— A 2-seam grip or a 4-Seam grip. 4-Seam by a landslide. Without diving too deep into the analytics of it I will put it simply: backspin is better than side spin when promoting lift/carry of baseball.
During catch play/throwing program we should consistently grip the ball 4-Seam as to train our fingers what they have to feel on all of our throws. Even for you young bucks with smaller hands, make sure to grip the ball across that horseshoe.
A problem that has become more evident with advancement of slow motion video capture is how many kids are throwing with more fingers on the ball that are necessary. Once again the younger players have an excuse but if our hands are big enough to grip a baseball this should not be happening. It is known that in baseball the trick to throwing an effective changeup is decreasing velocity and promoting drop by adding friction on the baseball (a grip with more fingers touching the baseball). None of those qualities are what we are looking for on a throw to second base that is roughly 128 ft away and needs to be thrown at high velocity, with backspin, and accuracy.
Understanding the need to throw the ball with a 4-Seam grip, the question becomes “how can I get a 4-Seam grip in the .65 sec of exchange time?” Our advice at The Florida Baseball Ranch is get that ball in and out as fast as possible just like a hot potato. There is no time consciously to rotate the ball in your figure tips to get a 4-Seam grip.
Get the ball to your barehand. Keep a total of 2 fingers (index and middle fingers) on top with your thumb on the bottom and “let it rip.” With time our hope is that your fingertips subconsciously become accustomed to the feel of that horseshoe and it happens on the fly.
Leather
Hand
Release.
Grip it and Rip It.
Win Every Pitch!
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