Learn These Popular Baseball Pitching Grips:

If you’re a pitcher who wants to make it to the “next level” you should have three great pitches.  Not a “best pitch”, but three outstanding pitches you can throw for strikes at any time. Learn these popular baseball pitching grips and you will dominate your opponents with a good change of speed and great movement on the baseball. If you can throw three outstanding pitches to two locations, inside and outside, keeping the hitter off balance; it will improve your chance of chalking up the win.  Before you learn four of the most popular baseball pitching grips; you should understand pitching ratios: 60-65% fastballs 15-20% curveballs and 20-25% change-ups. Here are a few examples of some of the most effective baseball pitching grips.

Baseball Pitching Grip: four-seam fastball Place your index and middle finger over the “horseshoe” of the baseball. Thumb and middle finger split the baseball in half; so your thumb should be placed directly under your middle finger. Don’t grip this pitch too tight; in fact, it should be held as if you were holding an egg. Doing this allows the ball to leave your hand quickly minimizing the friction, between thumb and middle finger, to create maximum velocity. If your thumb is not directly under middle finger you will not have the correct rotation on the ball; spinning from the bottom to the top. The average speed of this pitch at the major league level is 89-91 Mph. This fastball is the most commonly thrown pitch.

Baseball Pitching Grip: two-seam fastball This grip is simple; First and second fingers lay across the narrow seams of the baseball between the two horseshoe-shaped seams. This ball is thrown the same as the four-seam fastball with thumb and middle finger splitting the baseball in half.
What it does: This pitch goes on average 1 to 3 miles an hour slower than the four-seam. You will see a slight difference in movement with the two-seam as you compare it to your four-seam fastball. Most pitchers throw a combination of both four and two-seams for variation.
Important: Before you learn a variety of baseball pitching grips; it is important you understand the basic fundamentals of pitching mechanics before you start experimenting with other pitches. Every pitch should be thrown with proper pitching mechanics or you can risk arm injury.

Baseball Pitching Grip: Circle Change Make a circle or an “ok” sign using your thumb and index finger. The smaller the circle the tighter the grip is, so this pitch may take awhile to master. I you are just learning this pitch, start off with a C-change; make a large C instead of a circle, with your thumb and index finger. This pitch is thrown with the C or the Circle thrown at the target. Many coaches teach the Circle change because it is a popular pitch. However, they don’t teach their pitchers that the Circle is thrown at the target. By pronating your wrist, turning your palm slightly out, you impart rotation, not force, on the baseball. This way you have a nice fading movement while reducing the velocity of the ball.
Keep your same arm speed and arm slot with every pitch you throw.  Avoid slowing down your delivery when you throw your changeup.  You will find success with this pitch if you keep your fastball arm slot and arm speed as your changeup will more likely deceive the batter. Avoid rolling or pulling the Circle change. It will not only affect location, but put undue stress on you throwing arm.

Baseball Pitching Grip: split finger fastball: With a split-finger you are throwing a fastball with split fingers. Where the two seams come together, lay your index and middle finger on the outside of each seam. The grip should be firm. The wider the split the slower the ball travels. Thumb cuts the baseball in half; the v in the split takes place of the middle finger in the ball. Once you have your grip you throw it like a fastball. It is said that the split can be harder on your arm. That is true, only if you twist your throwing arm at release of the baseball. Twisting the ball is easier to do with this pitch because you are not splitting the baseball with thumb and middle finger like most other pitches.

Baseball Pitching Grip: CurveballPlace your middle finger on the top seam and put your thumb on the back seam, splitting the baseball in half. Apply pressure on your thumb and middle fingers. Your index finger rests on the ball next to middle finger with no pressure on it whatsoever. A curveball does take a lot of work to master the pitch and throw it effectively for a strike, so be patient and continue working on it. Remember to use the same arm speed as your fastball, just use appropriate wrist and forearm angle while you throw the pitch.
Throwing a Curve is harder on your throwing arm because of your arm position at release. Recent studies show that the slider is the most stressful pitch on the arm. What makes most pitches, like the curveball, unsafe is that pitchers try twisting the ball when throwing instead of focusing on wrist and forearm placement.
Because you’re throwing on the side of the ball and imparting rotation; the ball will be slower, so it looks like a fastball because of arm speed, but drops at the last minute. One of the biggest obstacles for beginners is timing the release of this pitch. If a pitcher let’s go of the ball too soon, the ball will stay high and won’t drop. If that happens, a pitcher may have to squeeze the ball a little harder, again, with thumb and middle finger, so he can release the ball later.
Practice these baseball pitching grips and you will improve your game.