Pitching Grips - How To Throw A Screwball

By Steven Ellis, former pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization

A screwball is a baseball pitch that is thrown so it will break in the opposite direction of a curveball. Thrown by a right-handed pitcher, a screwball breaks from left to right from the point of view of the pitcher. The pitch therefore moves down and in on a right-handed batter and down and away from a left-handed batter. Thrown by a left-handed pitcher, a screwball breaks from right to left, moving down and in on a left-handed batter and down and away from a right-handed batter.

Due to this left to right movement of the ball when thrown by a right-handed pitcher, a screwball is often used by righties against left-handed batters in the same way that a slider is used by right-handed pitchers against right-handed batters.

Throw the screw ball like a curveball, but reverse the wrist action and spins. Cock the wrist initially to the right and "turn the ball over" to the left as you throw it. Again, the ball should break down and to the right.

Grip the ball as you would a four-seamed fastball. The index and middle fingers should be on top of the ball across the seams at the widest point. Hold the fingers about 1/2 inch apart from one another. Place the thumb under the ball across the seam and curl the ring finger and pinkie along one side. The two smallest fingers should make little contact with the ball's surface. Hold the ball with your fingertips away from the palm of your hand. The index finger and thumb should provide all the pressure. The middle finger releases the ball.

Now go into your wind-up. Remember to pivot and shift your body weight from the back foot forward toward home plate. Turn your wrist inward in a corkscrew motion just before releasing the pitch. This rotation is the opposite of a curveball. For left-handed pitchers, the ball should break down and away from right-handed hitters.

Follow through the ball as if it were a fastball. Your feet should parallel each other at the end of the pitch, and your throwing arm should come across the front of your body.

How do you throw your pitches? Post pictures of your pitching grips on my baseball pitching discussion forums.