Charlie Hough Teaches the Knuckleball: Part 5

[@wheelinthesky300]

There are few people I could listen to talk all day. Charlie Hough is one of them.

[@KnuckleballNation]

listen to him long enough and you'll start chuckin MLB-grade knuckleballs

[@PCRAGE]

If you join knuckleball nation and put the work in, you can develop a nasty knuckleball. Chris is the real deal.

[@KnuckleballNation]

Thanks for the kind words. I was just lucky enough to learn from Charlie side-by-side with RA Dickey years ago and that got me started in professional baseball. And my status as a pro got me to work with Phil Niekro. I'm passionate about the pitch and studied everything they told me, so I'm packaging that up for people to preserve the Knuckleball. I hope I find the next great one, and that may be Alex Blandino.

[@brandonrobinson287]

These pitchers will be something special many years to come.

[@KnuckleballNation]

That's the plan. Teach them properly when young to save the knuckleball from extinction. Check it out at Knuckleball Nation . com

[@derricktalbot8846]

I know it is ethically wrong to ask for his name.... but I also really do not want to miss this kid get drafted out of HS.... so the proper question would be(?) What year is this kid first elidable for the MLB draft? I think that answer would satisfy a lot of curious folks over the next handful of years

[@joeeide9824]

Super nasty. Love this!

[@KnuckleballNation]

He's young, had Passion and potential.

[@wheelinthesky300]

This kid is a child prodigy. If he keeps practicing and walks a straight line in life, he will be in MLB by his 20th birthday. His delivery is so simple, his arm action perfect -this is the best knuckleballer in the Charlie Hough series.

[@p_ramirez06]

How can I practice getting the release nice and consistent other than just playing catch? Wind is also big factor in my area and am curious how you would adapt to something like that?

[@KnuckleballNation]

There are a variety of ways to practice. First, get your fastball mechanics in-line so that you can throw a straight-as-an-arrow fastball right over the middle about two-thirds of the time. No run. No sink. Just straight. Once you have that down, start to throw a volleyball or basketball to a partner or wall with true backspin. That's where your palm needs to be on release.

[@KnuckleballNation]

Then find a target, partner or fence and practice throwing the knuckleball with top spin. That's where you start because you have to control what little spin is left on the ball forward. Any other direction is detrimental or a mistake that can get hammered. And wind does play a factor if it is blowing in towards the catcher. That'll kill the vertical break, so you have to set your sights lower to let them hit it into the wind. That's the best you can do. A crosswind or wind in the face don't really negatively affect the pitch.

[@4nik8]

When this kid is 15, he's gonna be twisting up the 17 yr olds. The speed he's got at 11 is gonna be a huge problem for opposing batters as he grows up

[@KnuckleballNation]

Charlie had nothing to say, kid throws well and hope he continues this trajectory

[@ericmedina5519]

What grip does he use? Does he use the iconic dickey, hough, wakefield grip?

[@KnuckleballNation]

I believe he used Charlie's grip with fingernails across the Rawlings logo