How To Grip and Throw A Four (4) Seam Fastball

To grip a 4 seam fastball you should put your pointer and middle finger on top of the baseball. They should be as close as touching together and as far as an inch away from each other. The further apart they are from each other, the more control you should have. The closer they are together, the more velocity and movement because there is less friction on the baseball. Also your hand may tend to pronate or supinate more the closer your fingers are together. Using the natural spread of your pointer and middle finger will be the best for beginners because it will be the most comfortable and offer a sufficient amount of control. Changes in the space between the fingers either closer or further apart can be done to maximize velocity, control, and movement. The ring finger and pinkie should be comfortably tucked on the side of the ball. The thumb should be extended straight and directly under the pointer finger. Placement of the thumb either closer or further from the pointer finger can also create an increase or decrease in velocity, control, and movement for the 4 seam fastball.

The 4 seam fastball should be gripped with the pointer and middle finger across 2 seams of the horseshoe and thumb across the other 2 seams of the other horseshoe. Therefore, when you throw the baseball, if you stay on top of it, all 4 seams of the horseshoes should be rotating with backspin through the air. Hence the name four-seam fastball. For a right handed pitcher, if the horseshoe is to the left of your fingers, the ball may cut a little. If the horseshoe is to the right of your fingers, the ball may tail. This also depends on how able you are to keep your pointer and middle fingers on top of the baseball at the release point. For a left handed pitcher, the opposite may be true. Either way, the 4 seam fastball is an effective pitch if it can be consistently controlled.