Yesterday, I posted about how to increase the effectiveness of your curveball. One of the reasons I try to teach the curveball over something like a slider is the change of speeds. Changing speeds is one of the most effective weapons any pitcher can have. And the more dramatic the change, the more off-balance the hitter will be. Of course, there is more to it than that, but let's leave it at that for the time being and talk about setting hitters up with your curveball.
First, quick quiz...
What is the most important pitch you can throw?
Answer: Strike One.
That's right. Getting ahead on the hitter 0-1 is the best thing you can do, short of getting a weak pop-up or ground ball on the first pitch. Statistically speaking, when the pitcher starts off 0-1 at the MLB level, batters hit the ball at a .285 average. When the count is 0-2, the batting average drops to .120 (2016 MLB Statistics). So as a pitcher, you want to be ahead in the count.
What is the first pitch a pitcher throws to a batter?
Answer? The fastball. Even at the big league level, over 80% of the first pitches thrown are fastballs.
So, what is the hitter looking for when they step up to the plate?
Answer: A fastball! First ball hitters in MLB (2017) hit .320 when they hit the first pitch fastball.
You should be working on your curveball so you can throw THAT for that first pitch strike! That's right... here is a pitch sequence that will set you up for success every time.
First pitch: Curveball over the plate. The batter is not expecting it and will either watch it drop in for a called strike, swing through it or hit if for weak contact. We like weak contact. Need to mix it up? Changeup. Don't have a good changeup you can throw for a strike? Learn one!
Second pitch: Curveball, again! Bring it back! Start it out over the plate, and have it sweep outside the zone. Most of the time the hitter will be off-balance and surprised. If you drop it over the plate and have it tail down, it will still be called a strike but not be hittable. Try to drop the pitch into the catcher's shinguards.
The count is now 0-2.
Finish him: The hitter is going to assume you are going to try to throw the next pitch by him because he hasn't seen a fastball yet. Don't let him have it. Throw a curveball in the dirt. Most hitters will be so ready to swing that the bat will be off their shoulders before they realize you just throw another curve! If you miss or he doesn't swing -- that's OK -- come back with a fastball away, he'll probably swing at that.
I always preach to my pitchers: throw your fastball! Make them prove they can hit your fastball. And that's true -- to a point. If you develop a curveball that you can throw for strikes, and you aren't afraid to throw it as detailed above, it will speed up your fastball, confuse the hitters and make the job of your defense a lot easier!
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Bruce holds degrees in Computer Science, Biblical History and American History from Temple University, Liberty University and American Public University. He is a member of the Epsilon Pi Tau Honor Society, Golden Key Honor Society, Historical Studies Honor Society, and the Saber and Scroll Society. He has worked in educational technology for over 25 years, specializes in building infrastructures for schools that work to support the mission of technology in education in the classroom. He also has served as a classroom teacher in Computer Science, History and English classes. His baseball career spanned almost 15 years from high school, through Division I college ball and big league spring training. He has coached players at various levels from ages 8 through 18.
When I was younger and at my prime, I prided myself on being a smart pitcher. I knew what I could do, I knew what was working on any given day -- even sometimes what was popping nicely in a particular inning -- and then I would analyze the batter's stance, where he was in the box, contrast that with the count, how many outs, who was on base and where... only then would I pick what pitch to throw and where to throw it. I was constantly thinking on the mound from the moment I got the ball, to my circular path around and behind the mound, to the point that I stepped up on the rubber and then went into my approach to the plate. Being a smart pitcher is your biggest asset.
Here are some tips to help you "Be Smart" with your curveball!
1. Grip does not matter! You can hold your curve in a million different configurations - the grip is not the key. Instead, remember to use the grip that is most comfortable for you -- the key is release angle and wrist action.
2. Squeeze it! We all know that spin rate is key to an effective curveball. The key to that is squeezing the heck out of your middle finger and thumb! When you squeeze, it helps firm up your wrist. A firm wrist is essential to snap it off and get good spin. If you are "floppy" in your release, you will have a tendency to get under the ball and leave it up in the zone. That's bad. (Yes, I said that in my Homer Simpson voice.)
3. Throw in the strike zone. Ideally, your curve will start in the zone and break out of the zone (across or down). We want the hitters swinging at the pitch, not dumbfounded. We want them fooled, not amazed. When they are fooled it elicits weak contact. The point of the curve is to get a pop-up or ground ball, not a called strike. This is what they mean by "expanding the zone."
4. Miss low. Don't fret over a curveball that breaks into the dirt. That's where you want it. The alternative is a potential long ball.
5. Hit the dirt like you mean it. Did you bounce that last one in? Who cares - throw it again! Never be afraid to be back to the well on a pitch down. Most pitchers throw a curve in the dirt, think "that's not where I wanted that" and get scared. So they throw a "redemption fastball" up in the zone. If you have an inexperienced hitter, he might let it go by. Odds are, he saw that curve in the dirt and now is sitting on that fastball because he knows that statistically -- that's the next pitch. Don't be that guy. Come right back with another curve down. He'll lean into it and you'll fool him into a weak ground ball more often than he'll hit it with authority.
Remember: don't be afraid of your stuff. Know who you are, what you have and use it to your advantage. The most successful pitchers are not the ones who try and throw the ball by the hitter. They pitch to weak contact and make the hitters hit the pitches they want them to hit. If you do that, you will get your fair share of strikeouts -- but more importantly, you will have short, quick innings that saves your arm and keeps your defense alert and ready to support you.
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Bruce holds degrees in Computer Science, Biblical History and American History from Temple University, Liberty University and American Public University. He is a member of the Epsilon Pi Tau Honor Society, Golden Key Honor Society, Historical Studies Honor Society, and the Saber and Scroll Society. He has worked in educational technology for over 25 years, specializes in building infrastructures for schools that work to support the mission of technology in education in the classroom. He also has served as a classroom teacher in Computer Science, History and English classes. His baseball career spanned almost 15 years from high school, through Division I college ball and big league spring training. He has coached players at various levels from ages 8 through 18.
