Come to grips with your fastball!What the two-seamer and the four-seamer can do for you The fastball is universally considered to be the best pitch in the game. It is thrown more often and gets more hitters out than any other pitch. It may be thrown in a number of ways. The two most common are the four- seam seam (sem) a line of union. osteoid seam on the surface of a bone, the narrow region of newly formed organic matrix not yet mineralized. grip (for the "rising fast ball") and the two-seam grip (for the "sinking fast ball"). THE FOUR-SEAMER The four-seam fastball lends itself to superior control. It allows the pitcher to put the ball anywhere in the strike zone. Since the ball comes up with little movement, if any at all, it facilitates the pitcher's ability to go up and in or down and away. The ball is gripped across the wide seams, with the index and middle fingers about a half-inch apart on top of the ball. The ring and pinkie fingers rest on the side of the ball, while the thumb rests on the bottom half, splitting the index and middle fingers on top. This kind of finger alignment provides stability and balanced pressure on the baseball. The ball must be kept out in the fingertips "Fingertips" is a 1963 number-one hit single recorded live by "Little" Stevie Wonder for Motown's Tamla label. Wonder's first hit single, "Fingertips" was the first live, non-studio recording to reach number-one on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in the United States. , not deep in the palm, so that the pitcher can see daylight between the ball and the palm of the hand. Any time the ball is placed deep in the palm or is choked choke v. choked, chok·ing, chokes v.tr. 1. To interfere with the respiration of by compression or obstruction of the larynx or trachea. 2. a. with the fingers, it will prevent the wrist and hand from snapping down at the release, causing a loss of velocity and control. We want our pitchers to keep the ball up in the fingertips with just enough pressure to ensure the finger/wrist flexibility that will provide the proper spin and rotation. The four-seam grip will also provide the proper backward rotation, as the pitcher's middle fingers will be pulling down on the two seams upon release, causing a tight rotation. This tight rotation will make the baseball appear to be rising in its flight to the plate - which is why it is called a "rising fastball." We instruct in·struct v. in·struct·ed, in·struct·ing, in·structs v.tr. 1. To provide with knowledge, especially in a methodical way. See Synonyms at teach. 2. To give orders to; direct. v. our pitchers to use the four-seam fastball in certain situations, such as: 1. When facing a weak hitter who is having a hard time catching up to the fastball. 2. When the hitter is in a take situation. 3. When throwing to a certain spot, such as up and in. TWO-SEAM FASTBALL The two-seam fastball moves downward on its way to the plate. The right-hander's two-seamer moves down and in to a right-handed right-handed adj. Using the right hand more skillfully or easily than the left. hitter and down and away to a left-handed left-handed adj. Using the left hand more skillfully or easily than the right. hitter. The left-hander's two-seamer moves down and in to a left-handed hitter and down and away to a right-handed hitter. The pitcher usually grips the ball at its narrowest point across the seams or with the seams. The pitcher would do well to experiment with the various ways of gripping the two-seamer - settling on the grip that is most comfortable for him and provides the most movement. The ball should be held in the fingertips of the index and middle fingers, with the fingers kept close together along or across the seams with the thumb aligned under the ball on the seams. We emphasize gripping the ball on the seams rather than on the smooth part of the surface, as the seams provide greater traction Traction Definition Traction is the use of a pulling force to treat muscle and skeleton disorders. Purpose Traction is usually applied to the arms and legs, the neck, the backbone, or the pelvis. for the fingers. The objective of the two-seam fastball is to produce ground balls by forcing the batter to hit the top half of the ball. This makes it a good pitch for the pitcher who doesn't does·n't Contraction of does not. throw hard. By keeping the ball low and away in the strike zone, he can make it harder for the batter to get a good piece of the ball. The hitter will be seeing only the top half of the ball - the kind of pitch that produces ground balls and double plays. Obviously, then, the pitcher who can throw the two-seam pitch correctly most of the time is going to get the ground ball he is looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. - as that will be the only place the hitter will be able to hit. The two-seam fastball will not have the velocity or control of the four-seamer, but it will have more movement and can become an extremely effective pitch. That is why a fastball with average velocity and good movement can make any pitcher a winner, whether the pitch is thrown at 75 mph or 95 mph. References * Barrie Bunting bunting, common name for small, plump birds of the family Fringillidae (finch family). Among the American buntings are the indigo bunting, in which the summer plumage of the male reflects sunlight as a rich, metallic blue; the painted bunting, or nonpareil ( : Head Coach, Mendenhall Middle School, Lecture, March 1997 * Greg Cain: Pitching Coach, Page H.S h.s., n Latin phrase for “at bedtime”; used in writing prescriptions. . (NC), Unpublished Paper * Matt Donahue: Pitching Coach, North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. St., Cary Clinic (NC), May 1996. |
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