Types of pitches
Aug 11, 2020
Types of pitches
Fastballs
The fastball is typically the first type of pitch a player will learn.
Breaking balls
- Dropball
- Riseball
- Curveball
- Screwball
- Drop-curve
- Rise-curve
- Backdoor curve (the pitch starts out of the strike zone and curves back over the plate. Often, this pitch is thrown at a batters hip or hands with the intention of either moving them off the plate or inducing a foul ball)
- Drop screw
- Backdoor screw (the same as a backdoor curve except the ball spins in the opposite direction of a curveball)
- Drop curve
Changeups
The changeup is the staple off-speed pitch, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much slower to the plate. Its reduced speed coupled with its deceptive delivery is meant to confuse the batter's timing. There are a variety of grips and techniques a pitcher may use to deliver a change up such as:
- Flip (or "Back-hand flip") release
- Stiff wrist release
- Circle grip changeup
- Knuckle grip changeup
Other Off-Speed pitches
- Knuckle curveball
- Floater
- This is a pitch used by pitchers in the slow-pitch game. To throw the floater accurately, pitcher holds the ball with just his or her fingertips and does not let them touch the laces. Then comes straight up with her hand and lets the ball go up to the 12-foot mark and come down.
- Knuckleball