How to Throw Different Junk Ball Pitches in Baseball

Learn how to throw different junk ball pitches from Coach Darren Gurney in this Howcast baseball video.

Transcript

How to throw different junk ball pitches.

Pitchers can utilize a variety of different grips in order to throw off a batter's timing in throwing junk balls. For instance, when throwing a curve ball, pitchers can keep their pointer and middle finger together on the ball to create a 12 to 6 trajectory on the ball.

Likewise, when throwing a slider, pitchers are going to keep their fingers together on the ball to create a more horizontal movement on the ball, as the ball breaks away from a right-handed batter as released from a right-handed pitcher.

When throwing a gyro ball, pitchers are attempting to put a football spiral spin on the ball in order to deceive the batter. When throwing a palm ball, pitchers are going to use a four finger grip in order to have the ball drop below the batter's eye level.

When throwing a split-finger fastball, pitchers are going to throw a fastball type pitch that drops and darts quickly downward. When throwing a forkball, pitchers are going to use a variety of the split-finger fastball deeper in the grip so as to create a tumbling action with the ball.

Lastly, the shuto pitch, as thrown in Japan, requires pitchers to throw a ball that has side spin on it, to dive into a batter's hands, much like a screwball or a two-seam fastball.