R-Phils Kids Site

Fastball
Hold the ball near the ends of your fingers and throw with a normal overhand delivery. The ball should roll off your fingers with a backwards spin (it will tend to rise). Outfielders usually throw the ball this way because the rising action allows them to throw it considerably farther.

Curveball
"Choke" the ball (wedge it down between your thumb and forefinger), and cock your wrist to the left; the ball snaps down and to the right on release. The resulting pitch should drop and curve to the left. Experiment with different speeds and spins. The secret to understanding a curveball is the speed of the air moving past the ball's surface. As the ball spins, its top surface moves in the same direction in which the air moves. At the bottom of the ball, the ball's surface and the air move in opposite directions. So the velocity of the air relative to that of the ball's surface is larger on the bottom of the ball.

Slider
Throw the ball like a football pass, with the wrist cocked at a 90 degree angle. The ball should curve slightly down and to the left.

Change-Up
Pitchers like Greg Maddox have lived their whole career off of locating a change up. One of the advantages of a change up is the ability to throw it on just about any count. The key to an effective changeup is mixing in a "sneaky" fastball.

There are some difficult aspects to throwing the changeup. It can be taught several ways, but the most important thing to realize is that the grip of the changeup is meant for your wrist to be able to break up (like in "high-five") and not flip down as you normally do with your fastball. The reason you release with a high-five action is to put pressure on top of the ball - important for down and away movement.

Tip: The arm should be long in the front.
Tip: The hand should finish with waving motion.
Tip: Spin the ball with back-spin out of your hand.
Tip: Remember to keep your arm speed the same as your fastball.
Tip: Remember the key to hitting is timing -- so the key to pitching is upsetting that timing.