CURVEBALL DRILL

Learning the curveball is a dangerous but necessary process for all pitchers. Many pitchers get hurt because they learn the curveball from an unqualified person and then compound the problem by overusing it in practice and games.

You must study the mechanics of pitching the curveball (Chapter 4) and warm up properly before attempting this drill.

Throwing your curveball high

One of the mechanical musts involving a curveball is extension. You must feel that you are reaching out and releasing your curve out in front of your head. To work on this, have your catcher stand up and station himself 10-15 feet behind home plate (fig. 5-9). Throw 8-10 curveballs to him with a high, slow arc. This will help to give you the feel of extension before you move up to the plate and proceed with your workout. Remember to keep your head on line at all times and maintain the other mechanics that you've learned so far.

5-9. The catcher begins this drill 10-15 feet behind home in a standing position.

5-10. When learning to throw your curveball low, move the catcher 4-5 feet in front of home plate.

Throwing your curveball low

All pitchers must learn to throw their curveballs down in the strike zone. A major league curve is thrown hard, "out" toward the catcher, and not "up" in a big arc. You can learn this skill by moving your catcher forward 4-5 feet in front of the plate (fig. 5-10) and then slowly working his way back to home plate. Controlling your curve vertically is a very difficult skill, but you can improve on it by moving your catcher forward and back to the plate at different times in the workout.

Pitchers at the higher levels must learn to throw their curve into the dirt-a waste pitch. Some hitters will chase the curve into the dirt, especially if the pitcher has shown that he can throw it for a strike at the knees. A perfect time for this pitch is with no balls and two strikes.

Throwing your curveball for strikes

If you are a right-handed pitcher, try throwing your curveball at the catcher's left shoulder-the right side of the plate (fig. 5-11). For left-handers, throw to the opposite shoulder (fig. 5-12). For most pitchers, this will bring the curve into the strike zone. If your curve is still not getting into the strike zone, have the catcher move laterally until it does. (Give it a chance-don't have him move just because you miss once or twice.)

5-11. Right-handed pitchers should throw their curveballs at the catcher's left shoulder in order to throw better strikes.

5-12. For left-handed hitters, the target should be the catcher's right.

You should not throw many curveballs in any one workout - 20-25 for older players and no more than 10-15 for those who may be learning the curve at age 13 or so. We don't teach the curve to players any younger unless they are already throwing it. We feel that teaching them the pitch properly is much better than burying our heads in the sand and believing that they won't throw it behind our backs.