The Split Finger Fastball
How To Master the Split Finger Fastball
Goal:
To throw with the exact same arm speed as with normal fastball but with wide finger placement causing the ball to tumble as it reaches the plate
Grip:
Index and Middle fingers are spread very wide on the ball, typically with the seams as the seams separate from the sweet spot of the ball and the thumb places underneath. This pitch is nearly impossible to grip without having big hands and long fingers
Hand Action:
Pitch is thrown just like a normal fastball with pressure being applied through the middle of the ball. The wide finger placement causes the ball to be released with abnormal top spin
Predicted Movement:
Desired movement for this pitch is to dive down or tumble as it nears the plate. It can dive straight down or possibly dive down and to either side
How To Grip It...
This pitch is gripped tightly, deep between the index and middle fingers, with the fingers spread wide going with the seams. The thumb is placed any way that’s comfortable to the pitcher, but typically underneath in the middle. This pitch is designed to be thrown at maximum velocity allowed by the wider grip.
How To Throw It...
Upon release, the ball comes out of the fingers in a way that allows for topspin causing the ball to have tumbling movement as it nears the plate. The topspin on this pitch is no where near as tight as the topspin on a curveball due to the wide placement of the fingers. If the wrist is too loose at release then the ball will likely have backspin rather than topspin. You must keep the wrist a little more firm to help ensure the ball comes out of the hand the way it’s supposed to.
Return from Split Finger Fastball to Pitching Grips
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