Step By Step How To Pitch 4 Different Kinds Of Fastballs

At the big league level, baseball pitchers throw four variations of the fastball, depending on the situation and game plan. Here's a simple overview of what they are, and why they're thrown.

Four-Seam Fastball For Power

Throwing across four seams is a power pitcher's fastball grip. Biomechanically, it maximizes force through the center axis of the ball and imparts a reverse spin on the ball that works in the airflow to minimize the pull of gravity. The ball appears to hop. Actually, it drops less than the other type of fastballs.

Two-Seam Fastball For Movement

Throwing across two seams is a traditional grip leading to throwing with two seams. Both of these grips are for location pitchers who want to run or sink on the ball. The middle finger will impart rotation that works with gravity in the airflow to get movement horizontally or down. At the release point the arm should snap straight to full extension, with the wrist firm behind the ball and the middle finger imparting force through the center axis of the baseball.

Cut Fastball For Movement

A cut fastball or cutter is a type of fastball that breaks slightly just as it reaches home plate. This pitch is somewhere between a slider and a fastball, as it is usually thrown faster than a slider but with more motion than a typical fastball. A common technique used to throw a cutter is to release a fastball with slight pressure from the tip of the middle finger.

Split-Finger Fastball For Sink

A split-finger fastball, or a splitter, is named after the technique of putting the index and middle finger on different sides of the ball, or "splitting" them. The split in the pitcher's fingers allows the use of the same arm speed as a regular fastball without generating the same velocity. The reason the pitch does not travel as fast is because the two "power fingers", which are typically on top of the ball at release, are now on the side of the ball, causing a degree of slippage and thus depriving the ball of about 5-10 mph in velocity. The movement caused by using the split grip is often described as the ball "dropping off the table," which can be attributed to the more pronounced effect of gravity as the pitch speed decreases, but is also helped by the degree of slippage upon release.