Pitching Split-Finger Fastballs: Is Throwing A Splitter Dangerous For Pitchers?

I am regularly asked by baseball coaches, parents and players alike if the split-finger fastball places an undue amount of stress on a baseball pitcher's throwing elbow and shoulder resulting in an increased risk of injury-related ailments. It seems that everyone wants to know if the splitter a dangerous pitch?

So I decided to take this pitching question to Coach Bill Thurston, head baseball coach at Amherst College and a pitching consultant for ASMI, a baseball pitching biomechanics research facility in Birmingham, Ala.

Thurston, who was my pitching instructor for seven years, said he was concerned about baseball pitchers who threw the splitter, but not because of injury. In fact, it had nothing to do with injury at all — the splitter is no more or less dangerous a baseball pitch than the curveball or slider.

Instead, Coach Thurston's big concern with split-finger fastball pitchers had to do with fastball velocity issues.

Thurston said that pitchers who throw the splitter tend to lose velocity on their fastball because the grip itself stresses the wrist, forearm and throwing fingers more than any other pitch in baseball.

He also said that the pitch is more difficult to control and throw for strikes due to the nature of the downward movement, and as a result, split-finger fastball pitchers tend to throw more pitches in an outing than those who throw other off-speed pitches.

Because more pitches are thrown in an outing, Thurston suggested that split-finger fastball pitchers may lose velocity throughout the course of a game and even worse, throughout the course of the season because of the added stresses additional pitches plases on the throwing arm.

However, if you look around baseball, some of the very best professional pitchers throw a split-finger fastball.

Curt Schilling is one. Roger Clemens is another. Both have made a very lucrative living out of throwing split-finger fastballs. (Clemens' pitch is actually more of a forkball, which is simply a slight variation of the split-finger fastball). And in terms of fastball velocity, neither Schilling or Clemens are at a loss for it. Just look at Clemens. At 42 years old, the Rocket is still pumping 96-97 mph fastballs and winning Cy Young Awards left and right!