Throw a Great Two Seam Fastball

Every great pitcher has a few different pitches in their arsenal to put batters to the test. The two-seam fastball is a great addition to your skill set. It’s sometimes known as a sinker for the way it drops in the air. The two most important aspects of the pitch are the way you hold the ball and the way your hand goes through the pitching motion. Put your fingers on the seam with the ball deep in your hand and squeeze it tightly. As you throw, be sure to snap your wrist toward the ground and away from your body for the perfect spin.

Steps

Holding the Ball

1. Place your index finger and middle finger on the seams. Find the part of the seams where the gap between them is narrowest. Lay each finger so it runs parallel with one of the seams. The horseshoe shape of the seams should be opened upward.
   • Experiment with your fingers resting just inside the seams as opposed to directly on top of them. Some pitchers prefer this technique.
2. Hold your thumb under the ball. Use your thumb to cradle the ball in your hand. Your thumb should run perpendicular across the seams on the bottom of the ball. The fleshy part of your thumb should be in the smooth part between the seams.
   • The exact thumb placement will depend on the size of your hand. If you have large hands, your thumb will extend farther forward than this.
3. Rest your ring finger on the side of the ball. Use your ring finger to provide balance on the side of the ball. Let your ring finger touch the side of the ball gently and avoid putting too much pressure on this finger. If you press your ring finger against the ball, your throw will be off.
   • Your ring finger mainly provides stability for the ball and can assist in putting spin on the ball.
4. Settle the ball deep into your hand. As you get your fingers and thumb in place, be sure to situate the ball so it is deep in your hand. Part of the ball should be touching the knuckles closest to your palm and also touching the palm itself.
   • The deeper grip on the ball gives it added power and control. This is different than a four-seam fastball, which tends to be held farther forward in your hand.
5. Squeeze the ball tightly until you release it. As you hold the ball preparing for the pitch, apply pressure on top with your fingers and under the ball with your thumb. Distribute the pressure equally between your fingers and your thumb.
   • Increase the power of your grip by squeezing a stress ball or a grip-strengthening workout tool when you are finished with pitching practice.

Applying Spin to Your Pitch

1. Wind up for the pitch. When you throw a two-seam fastball, wind up in the same way you always do. Be sure to hide the ball in the pocket of your glove so no one sees how you are holding it. A standard baseball wind up means standing with your glove side to the plate, lifting your front leg, and stretching it toward the plate as you throw.
2. Bring your arm through the pitch at an outward angle. One way to work on the spin of the ball is to have your arm angled slightly outward. Imagine a clock is facing toward the plate. Your arm comes right between the 10:00 and 11:00 positions.
   • This is different than other pitches that require your arm to go through the pitch from a straight up position or a side arm position.
3. Put more pressure on your index finger. Just before the point of release, press down slightly hard with your index finger. This pressure makes that side of the ball spin faster. Spin is also aided by the way you flip your wrist at the end of the throw.
   • Applying more pressure to the middle finger will cause the ball to spin in the opposite direction.
   • This added pressure differs from the four-seam and other fastball techniques.
4. Flex your wrist down and outward. When your arm reaches the point of full extension, release the ball. Snap your wrist down towards the ground and out away from your body. This wrist motion will put spin on the ball cause it to move in a curve toward the plate.
   • If you apply pressure with your middle finger to reverse the spin, you should also snap your wrist inward rather than outward.
   • This is different than a four-seam fastball, in which the wrist flexes forward rather than outward. This flexing motion creates more spin, which gives the ball more curve than a four-seamer.
5. Release the ball with your arm fully extended. The speed of your fastball comes partly from a full extension of your arm. The ball has the greatest possible momentum once your arm reaches its full extension. Be sure to follow through once you release the ball, allowing your arm to fall toward the ground.
   • The greater curve of a two-seam fastball, as compared to other fastballs, makes it a little hard to control. The flight path is less predictable than a four-seam fastball.
6. Make small adjustments to your form as needed. If you work on the pitch and you can’t get the movement on the ball that you want, adjust one part of the throw at a time. Slide your fingers closer together. Offset the ball a little to the pinky-side or index finger side of your hand. Twist your wrist toward the outside more.
   • Each small adjustment can majorly affect the pitch, so make sure to only try out one adjustment at a time. If you change too much of the technique, you won’t know what aspect helped.
   • There’s no rule that you have to use the pitch a specific way. Take the basic technique and adjust it to fit your strengths and weaknesses.

Tips

• The perfect fastball takes time and a lot of practice. Don’t get discouraged if you can’t get it right at the start.
• Ask a coach or mentor to watch your form during a few pitches and tell you what you need to adjust.
• This pitch requires a lot of power, but you need to perfect the technique first. Power without proper technique will result in a sloppy and ineffective pitch.

Warnings

• If you are a right-handed pitcher throwing to a left-handed hitter, a two-seam fastball is likely to move right into the batter’s swing. It’s best to avoid this pitch in this case. Likewise if you’re a lefty throwing to a righty.

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Sources and Citations

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