Teaching how to properly hold a softball...

[CoachCeetar]

Someone do the math. It's just math. It's the Magnus effect. you can calculate it. Compare a 10 RPS backspin throw versus a 20 RPS backspin throw. How much more does it add? I suspect it's pretty negligible to a 200ft flight of a baseball, and especially a 90ft throw from third. And that's even assuming you get that much more backspin with the seams, which is probably not the case.

 

[Rolling Hard]

YOU ARE HERE: HOME / HIGH LEVEL THROWING / FUNDAMENTALS: THE 4-SEAM GRIP

Fundamentals: The 4-Seam Grip​

When an athlete is able to understand basic baseball and softball fundamentals such as throwing, swinging, fielding and bunting, hand positioning and grip awareness during a throw should also be discussed.
The majority of athletes who come to us from other programs are still unaware of hand positioning or what a 4-Seam grip is. These athletes are throwing cutters, sliders or even splitters from the outfield and across the diamond to first base.
Make sure the pads of the finger tips are slightly above the seams of the ball, so you have something to pull down against!

 

[uncdrew]

So this thread now has me thinking about this - whenever I catch for my dd or we just have a toss, I always tend to grip the ball the same when I throw the ball back (which is not 4-seam, btw). It feels extremely weird to me if I don’t grip it the same each time. I honestly can’t recall what I did as a fielder when I played and had to quickly get rid of the ball. I imagine I tried to throw with the grip that was most comfortable to me but I can’t say with certainty that’s what I did.

Does anyone else do this? When just having a catch do you always grip the ball the same way or do you just catch and throw?

Yup, I like to grip the same with my fingers on the seams the same. Every tine. (Ode to Domingo Ayala)

 

[Rolling Hard]

You

Ok.
How do you explain being able to throw accurately with Speed without grabbing the seams?
That is a throwing question. Possibly simplest answer is, (my answer is)
Because everything needed to throw the ball has to do with good throwing mechanics and the spin that's produced from gripping the ball anywhere.
Not only in my own softball 24 years of playing. But over 35 years of working with catchers I watch intensely to make sure the spin is accurate and it definitely has increased spin rate when released properly. Proper mechanics are the key to good throws!
No seam grip and still proper throws with high spin rate.

Can most certainly throw with backspin without using 4 seams and as I said before catchers have to spit it out so fast that they don't have time to find seams. I just think the ball tracks better using four seams. Does it add carry? IDK. It just looks better too. Oh, and you can most certainly grip the ball correctly (seams or no seams) and impart poor knuckle curve spin by having poor throwing mechanics which is a much bigger problem than seams or no seams. If you take a softball and wrap a piece of electrical tape around the equator of the ball (I would use four seams) players should be able to throw the ball and keep the equator stay in tact. It wont be 6 to 12 spin but more 10:30 to 4:30. Smaller hands will have a hard time getting thumb on the tape but still should be able to maintain the equator. Its not that every throw a softball player makes will have perfect spin but this is a starting point. In my estimation, less than half of TB softball players grip or throw correctly.

 

[Nuwin]

...a piece of electoral tape around the...

Keep politics out of this! It's apparently polarizing enough for some people. lol

 

[_MIA_]

Keep politics out of this! It's apparently polarizing enough for some people. lol

We need to get rid of the electoral tape..it is outdated.

 

[Rolling Hard]

We need to get rid of the electoral tape..it is outdated.

Amendment is all it would take. Good luck on that one.

 

[_MIA_]

Amendment is all it would take. Good luck on that one.

I should have known better..(but thanks for the Civics lesson)

 

[ArmWhip]

Now I'm curious, for all of you who throw with a specific grip where in the throwing process do you find that grip?

I give pitching lessons to an 11 yr old. When we warm up overhand she takes the ball out of her glove, holds it against her side while she finds the four seam grip, then takes her arm back and throws. I don't like it but that's what her travel coach wants. To me she's getting addicted to a certain feel and when she doesn't have time to find that grip it could lead to a bad throw. She also faces the ball away when her arm is all the way back.

And Wasserman should know better, cutters, sliders, sinkers, etc are thrown with different mechanics than a 4 seam fastball. I can throw a nice curveball with a 4 seam grip.

 

[Dabears17]

YOU ARE HERE: HOME / HIGH LEVEL THROWING / FUNDAMENTALS: THE 4-SEAM GRIP

Fundamentals: The 4-Seam Grip​

When an athlete is able to understand basic baseball and softball fundamentals such as throwing, swinging, fielding and bunting, hand positioning and grip awareness during a throw should also be discussed.
The majority of athletes who come to us from other programs are still unaware of hand positioning or what a 4-Seam grip is. These athletes are throwing cutters, sliders or even splitters from the outfield and across the diamond to first base.
Make sure the pads of the finger tips are slightly above the seams of the ball, so you have something to pull down against!

Wasserman is giving a clinic in my area this weekend. I’ll ask him what he thinks about the 4 seam grip and whether he thinks it is a waste of time.

When I taught beginning throwing, I emphasized finding the 4 seam grip, but never really paid attention to how they gripped it when they threw it once they were older.