How to throw a cutter like Mariano Rivera

How to throw a cutter: Usually you hold it like a fastball. The grip is a little bit off of center. Throwing it is like a fastball, and right here at about the release point, turn over your wrist.

The idea is, it's got fastball rotation, and at about 59 feet, it cuts into a righthander for a lefthanded pitcher. For a righthanded pitcher it cuts into a lefthander.

Why is Mariano Rivera's cutter so good? Because it's so late and so quick, and the rotation has such good fastball rotation. It looks fastball to a hitter because you can't see the rotation.

Comments

[Will Marcal]

If that is how Mo throws his cut fastball why in the picture is he throwing it with a different grip

[Will Marcal]

If that is how Mo throws his cut fastball why in the picture is he throwing it with a different grip

[matt risoy]

maybe thats not a cutter

[JohnnyV]

the top picture is a different way to hold a cutter but the picture with Mo in it,is "his" way to throw his cutter

[Anthony]

yeahh i tried throwing this pitch holding the ball like the picture above, and it actully has good movement. it tails away nicely

[vijay pathak]

would the cutter move more if I added any pressure with my fingers?

[cmac]

mariano's grip is more like a regular fastball than a cutter, he just throws it so well that it breaks like a slider, yet goes 95mph.

[cubs guy]

i hold it like this and it gets a quick sharp movement
but when i hold it along the horseshoe it goes just as fast but it sweeps

[Esbar]

Once, I was trying to throw the four-seam fastball to my brother who was catching me, but what I threw was the cutter. Then I said: "Hey, that Mariano story IS true." Afterwards, I tried to throw the cutter and what I threw was the slider.

[Zita Carno]

A lot of pitchers throw a cutter, but the one Mariano Rivera throws is his and his alone---nobody else throws it the way he does. To hear him tell it, nobody told him how to throw that pitch---one day in 1997, when he was playing catch one day with Ramiro Mendoza, the pitch was just there. He said it was a gift from God, and I for one will not dispute that.

[manny]

the grip to for throwing the cutter varies from pitcher to pitcher it depends on the grip you use for your fastball the key is to move the fingers off center and create pressure on the outside of the balll

[andy]

hes holding a 4seam fastball there guys. not his version of a cutter.

[werewerewrwr]

He throws it naturally, my best friends dad is a scout, and he told me that my fastball has a natural cutting movement because my middle finger is stronger then my index finger or something. It puts much strain on my arm though.