How to Throw a Curveball - Quick and To the Point

[@pug_boss42]

Amazing video I have used both the slider and the curve videos and have mad a tremendous effect on my skill and consistencie

[@geertdezutter9168]

I am a baseball coach in Belgium, Europe. Unfortunately, there are not many coaching courses with us. For that reason I have watched hundreds of youtube instructional videos in recent years. And for pitching, coach Dan Blewett has undoubtedly taught me the most. Your videos are always clear and to the point. Super!

[@DanBlewett]

Thanks for the kind words - I always try to break things down simply so those of you across the world can dive in and find it useful. Really appreciate this comment and that I’ve been a part of your journey.

[@matthewmcclure3181]

Are you affiliated with one of the international schools (like ISB or St Johns)?

[@geertdezutter9168]

@@matthewmcclure3181 No we're not, as far as I know they do not offer any baseball education

[@Rqcist]

Ere pobre tu no tiene entrenamiento

[@hillbillypatriot1]

Thanks for this tutorial, a very good and useful video, I would like to see a video of Adam Wainright do a pitching tutorial for his curve ball.

[@staysober07]

That helped me very well thank u

[@Halo_god2955]

I found this very helpful

[@abrahamornelas160]

Self taught. Umpired over 15 years. Grip made up individual results. Height left or right is what I saw over time.

[@huntzzio]

Holy shit that fingernail forward was so helpful!

[@snip3rassassain265]

Mine always seems to slip out of my hand early and either float or not at all, does anyone know how I can fix it?

[@mrmeme-jq6qr]

I disagree about throwing the big loopy curveball, if a player wants to get in this eephus area with a curveball it just means theyll get into trouble a lot more and if they know this theyll proceed with caution

[@DanBlewett]

we all have the right to make trouble for ourselves and get shelled if we so choose

[@tonioyendis4464]

Most people are clueless on the tremendous skills it takes to be a MLB Pitcher.

[@FinleyKey-n7d]

Great video coach! Thank you. I throw mine differently. Usually it’s the triangle button.

[@America-First2024]

Excellent explanations. Information I could have used 30 years ago. Growing up I would hear: “put your fingers there and just throw it”

[@Fraederichs]

Yes. Back then it was what you said or a book that had a few photos with lousy explanation. KZbin is great for this.

[@nickrobinsonaws732]

@@Fraederichs I’m 33 now and I remember getting a baseball from Walmart when I was like 10 years old that had different colored finger spots painted on the ball for different pitches with a list also painted on it showing what colors meant what. It didn’t come with a book, pictures, anything. Just “hold it this way”. I asked one of my coaches and he was like “yeah that seems right, just hold it that way and throw it, it’ll curve on its own”. Never once did it curve 😂 I wish we had KZbin back then, it’s crazy seeing how quickly kids are doing amazing things nowadays because of the access to information they have.

[@icyd1amond]

I played baseball from what I was 4 until 7th grade. I'm now 20 and 2 years out of high school so it's been about 7 years since I really thrown a baseball like I used to. My cousin who is heading into 6th next year has taken an interest in it, so I've been teaching him the basics as well as me learning some stuff I never did when I played. I was never a pitcher; I was an all-around outfielder with shortstop being secondary, but I would always pitch against the barn wall at home (painted strike zone and all). I never once tried anything other than a normal fastball. I went outside today after watching this video and tried the curve and DAMN that sucker curved. I guess the years of playing and knowing how to throw a ball I guess helped out a lot, so this video was fantastic! Keep up the good work man.

[@Christian-lw7dh]

I picked up the curve ball pretty fast. I keep my fingers close together and throw it hard like a fast ball and it comes in high and drops low as it crosses the plate. When i add side spin to it like you say not to do it acts like a slider for me

[@Dockernan1977]

I throw mine differently. Usually it’s the triangle button

[@micah-ev4co]

ive been a pitcher for a while and i never wanted to through a curve becuase i thought it was pointless. after watching this video and going through it many time, i have strucken out many batters with this nasty curveball. this video helped me out a lot. thank you coach dan blewett

[@Kastrius]

I coached a Little League for a 2 years, and had to constantly tell these 11 and 12 yr old's to stop trying to throw a curveball. They like but but, I made them do a lap for every curveball thrown. I told them a couple fastballs and a half decent change up was all they needed. Sadly pitching wasn't aren't weak point we had a few issue in the field and at the plate.

[@DanBlewett]

yeah I advocate for people to wait until 14-15

[@Sportsshorts95]

@@DanBlewett should I be throwing a curveball at 13 because I just started throwing one

[@DanBlewett]

Id say wait a year and focus on your changeup

[@gabetotherealz7]

The curve ball is a powerful pitch especially if it has a nice big break. It’s my bread and butter as a left-hander and well most guys can’t do anything with it. I know my curve rivals Detmers of the Anaheim Angels and Framber of Houston and-I’m 52!!!

[@abef.9085]

Mine was a NASTY Knuckle Ball...Babe Ruth Team...Hitter"s were scared.

[@SabreMatt]

Excellent tutorial. I wish these videos were around 30 years ago. In my teens, I was a solid fastball(2 & 4 seam)/change-up pitcher but I would regularly hang my breaking balls. This video would have help me out a ton back then. Good on you for passing the knowledge on to the next generation of hurlers.

[@nskr160]

Exactly what I was thinking….30 years ago, I would’ve ate these vids up daily and probably wouldn’t have destroyed my arm before I was 17.

[@rickbady2281]

why is it called a curve ball if it it mainly sinks?

[@DanBlewett]

Google it

[@Spyph]

@@DanBlewett 🤣

[@bruhstar9144]

Thank you so much at my last game I only threw 4 seams and we lot by 12. I hope this will spice up my pitches

[@thedude4762]

Throw your fastballs using different grips and learn how to throw a change up which even if you throw it wrong it wont hurt your arm unlike a curveball

[@bruhstar9144]

@@thedude4762 bet

[@ICLight412]

When I pitched as younger kid, threw a curve ball by holding my middle finger… how can I explain this… okay. Take where the Rawlings is written on the baseball, that’s in between the seam looking like a horse shoe. My middle finger would be on the inside of the seam as my pointer finger right next to it covering the Rawlings. Fingers running the same way as Rawlings written. My middle finger kinds of bent on the seam. The curve balls I threw doing this would break insanely. The problem was I had bad control. Even with fastballs I was on or way off. If you got control, holding the ball this way sure made it curve and drop.

[@thoughtbox6391]

I got a question for you about Charlie Morton and Rich Hill. They both throw curveballs, but they have a large amount of sidespin present according to stat cast on their curves. Are they throwing slurves?

[@DanBlewett]

probably not - theyre probably still 1/7ish and thus still curveballs. I played against Rich Hill in the Atlantic League the year he was signed - his curve is mostly 1/7 from what I've seen, and that's still a bona fide curveball. He drops his arm angle sometimes, though, and that may get him into slurve territory.

[@mandiringelstetter5162]

Thank you for showing me how to throw a curveball.

[@Smljeffyaids]

I’m not a pitcher in baseball but I definitely could be, so I thought "why not try to learn some techniques then?" So here I am.

[@GlenFagmire]

I’m doing the exact same thing lol

[@虎峨たいがの修行]

俳優並みの男前ですね👨

[@overkillblackjack2910]

Hi Coach, thanks for the video. 1) How does a slider differ from a curve? I always thought a curveball curved right to left or left to right, but in this video are you saying a curveball curves high to low? Does a slider curve either left to right or right to left? 2) Does any of your teaching in this video change if the pitcher is instead LEFT-handed?

[@DanBlewett]

curveballs are up and down. sliders side to side. doesnt matter the handedness.

[@overkillblackjack2910]

@@DanBlewett Ok, interesting, thanks so much!

[@maleake56]

Great stuff. I wish I could have seen videos like this about fifty years ago when I was pitching.

[@DanBlewett]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@NinjaMaiku]

Great video coach! Thank you

[@DanBlewett]

Glad you liked it!

[@acbabelgates9386]

Where's the evidence for Your Arm Hurting more?

[@josephfraser4317]

Getting around the ball and not through the ball is hard on the arm. There’s a big difference between a correct 12-6 and a little league curve

[@parishaymakers]

Great video! You always explain things very well

[@gregorypuncer9559]

Great points, I think kids should wait awhile to throw the curve, Why? If you look at all the arm injuries there are today, Its weak tendons and muscles in the forearm and elbow. Isometric, and light weight training to strengthen the body parts that are involved in throwing.

[@CaptionFire]

Thank you so much I play 14u D1 and I was learning how to pitch it better and this really helped you are the best coach ever!!

[@sydnerland9624]

I really appreciate Coach Dan's philosophy, as well as his extensive knowledge. As a fan, watching his videos has greatly increased my enjoyment of baseball.

[@DanBlewett]

I appreciate that!

[@MarkkyBoyy]

This is very helpful, I’ve been struggling to throw a curveball l, so thanks man!

[@1andonlytoonkid]

🤔Okay, but I still don't understand how the ball is curving mid-flight.🤷‍♂️

[@becandjim6080]

Thanks for the great video! I am a fan, a subscriber, and have read your book on pitching. One comment: at 5:07 you say there are studies that show that people that throw more off speed pitches have more arm pain. Would you please cite such research in the description. I feel you may also want to point viewers to other research that shows a curve ball puts the least amount of strain on the arm relative to the FB, CH, and SL. (Driveline study). Great work.

[@DanBlewett]

It's an ASMI study - I would never cite research from places like you're suggesting. Have seen way too much junk science come from baseball academies - studies with no control group, few subjects, heavily biased groups, no peer review, junk standards. I don't know where that study is but it's been cited by many beyond myself - search for it. Side note - studies on arm stress across different pitches were completed by the ASMI long before any of these baseball academies - and are vastly more reputable.

[@bhill32]

Velocity question. I couldn’t find this answer anywhere. I understand you should be throwing your curveball as fast as you can, but how fast would you have to be able to throw a baseball to make it curve. For example…. Can you throw a 40mph curveball?

[@albonthegoat]

They all curve. They just become ineffective curves. a very slow very slight curve just becomes a slow meatball or eephus, where how very little it curves basically won't matter.

[@mramisuzuki6962]

Ephesus pitch isn’t a curveball.

[@Messiah-jy7jk]

I'm 14 and I play for rebault high school going into my sophomore year I'm gonna turn 15 in August 20th I been working on my curveball for a year I see some progress thank you so much

[@michaelmiller4105]

I don’t know maddux pitched 5000 innings so I don’t think it’s the breaking ball that causes the arm pain I think it’s the pitchers try to throw it just as hard as a fastball, which they shouldn’t.

[@DanBlewett]

guessing on causes based on one pitcher isnt a good strategy to find the cause

[@michaelmiller4105]

@@DanBlewett Charlie huff, Tim Wakefield I can keep going if you want. I picked maddux because based of your coaching you probably don’t know much about the sport. There’s a reason why pitcher injuries are increasing every year. Videos like this.

[@thedude4762]

I didnt use any of those grips to throw a curve and mine had a wicked curve just saying those arent the only grips for a curve ball

[@DannyAranda-951]

1. Fastball 2. Curve ball 3. Change Up 4. Slider 5. Knuckle ball 🏈 🎉🎉🎉

[@McConneheyArt]

i thought pure down spin was a sinker and diagonal down spin was a Curve ball?

[@eyeluvverbutterdogsheds4941]

As somebody who is trying on their own to train and make an attempt at being good enough to walk on to a JuCo or maybe an Independent league one day, these videos are a God send. I am trying to find a personal coach, but these videos help alot.

[@samd7601]

My Nana taught me

[@sileatoeleath4236]

whatever 2011 is

[@michaelhunziker7287]

Get those 4 seams tumbling from 12 to 6 and watch'em flail

[@dillondelhoney714]

Yeah, some guys are better at curve balls, others are better slider pitchers.

[@1969EType]

Hello, Williamsport? Yeah...you guys need to watch this video. Coach says 14, Williamsport...14! Either that, or stop trotting out messages about player safety...

[@DanBlewett]

I cant watch the LLWS

[@sisqokid7978]

I gave up on baseball a long time ago. One reason is this: what they call a curve ball acts like a some going down a slide. Too me that would be a "slider" pitch. Then they call a ball that starts from left and goes to the right a slider. Go figure.

[@DanBlewett]

thats an incredibly stupid reason to "give up" on a sport

[@dylans191]

I know this is an old video but are you not describing more of a sinker? Even the MLB examples you show its outward curve but in the video you are explaining you do not want that?

[@DanBlewett]

no

[@LeeVH495]

question, will girls be able to throw all these throw at an even learning rate or will it be harder for girls? Btw love the video ❤

[@DanBlewett]

they can learn it just the same

[@Messiah-jy7jk]

Even my coach was impressed

[@karenmurphy9007]

Do you play for the twins?

[@DanBlewett]

no

[@karenmurphy9007]

@@DanBlewett sorry I thought you played because there's a blewwett for the twins

[@BlazingShackles]

you didnt explain 12-6 or 1-7 at all.

[@grpere1]

12-6 is December 6th and 1-7 is January 7th 😆

[@josephfraser4317]

That is all dependent upon the way the ball is coming out of the hand of the pitcher

[@SOUTHL.A.]

I CONCUR..🤨

[@jonathanpalmos2911]

There are more people watching this video to learn how to throw a curveball that are not old enough to be throwing one.

[@DanBlewett]

people can watch whatever they want to watch - it's a free country

[@willsmith8586]

At what age should someone start throwing a curve or any other movement pitches similar?

[@DanBlewett]

I have a video on that. Search my channel

[@emmanuelwood8702]

pulling down a window blind.

[@scotttaylor8498]

Thanl you coach

[@eriksharar986]

Hey great advice, thank you! Are you in DC?

[@DanBlewett]

yes

[@richiecabo]

You didn't mention how to actually throw it though, grips yes, but should you rotate an snap your wrist downward? Or like Bauer shows, never rotate wrist, turn it sideways and throw like fastball?

[@DanBlewett]

you just throw it.

[@richiecabo]

@@DanBlewett thanks coach

[@standepain]

To quote Nolan Ryan on how to throw a curve "People think you twist your wrist or snap the ball but you don't." "The only difference between a fastball release and a breaking ball release is your wrist position"

[@glennmize1786]

Good 👍

[@rugbird]

"Great rite of passage for young pitchers" Me, a 25 year old: 😧

[@terryjohnson12347]

Do you think that a 12-13 year old could start to learn a curveball?

[@DanBlewett]

could, but it's not how I would do it

[@sparechainge]

Arm is gonna be done by the time ur 20😂😂

[@DingusMaguire]

@@sparechainge i hope so

[@LeoginPlayz]

thats a sinker not a curveball

[@DanBlewett]

Lol no

[@MikeHart72]

Lol no it isn’t. I can see how you might think that because of the 12-6 drop but a sinker has different movement. When I pitched, more years ago than I care to admit, a sinker was my favourite pitch. Its basically a one seam fastball….well that’s how I threw it

[@stpaulisland]

To throw a sinker, you grip the ball differently. The reason is, the ball comes off the hand differently than a curve or even a fastball. By holding it differently, the rotation of the ball is a forward spin rather than a backward spin.

[@MikeHart72]

@@stpaulisland A sinker doesn’t have forward spin, that’s a curve ball. A sinker is a 2 or 1 seam fastball. By 2 seam you grip the ball so 2 seams run the length of your fingers, they don’t go across the seams.

[@mikejennings4495]

Not the way I was taught.

[@DanBlewett]

which is why you're watching a video to learn new things