How to Throw a Baseball, Part 1: The Four Seam Grip

Getting a good grip every time is the first step to being an accurate and strong thrower.

The ideal hold for a strong, straight throw is a 4-seam grip. This is achieved by taking your middle and index fingers of your throwing hand, and placing it perpendicular to the horseshoe of the seams on the baseball.

The 4 seam grip.

In this grip, your fingers will be in their best position to use the seams to pull down and hopefully get maximum backward rotation. Also, the seams are in a position where the ball will spin very true and straight.

If you were to place your fingers parallel with the horseshoe the seams when they spin backwards are in a position to catch the wind resistance and shoot left or right.

Every Time.

After we field the ball and it is in our hand, we are holding it differently every time.  We need to work on our feel of the baseball so we can take any hold we initially have and change it to a 4 seam grip every time.

Easier than you think.

No matter how the ball is in your hand, you have no more than a quarter turn any direction to get a 4-seam grip.

Practice.

This is something you can practice just sitting around your house by throwing the ball up catching it and getting to a proper 4seam grip as quickly as possible.

I hope this article helps you to throw harder and more accurately by getting the proper hold on the ball.  Next I will talk more about the mechanics of the throw.  I invite you to comment or ask questions below.  Play Hard!

Read More Articles on How to Throw a Baseball:

• Throwing a Baseball Part 2: Mechanics of Throwing
• Throwing a Baseball Part 3: Feet Position, Upper Body and Feel
• Return to all baseball instruction

About the Author: Doug Bernier

Doug Bernier, founder of Pro Baseball Insider.com, debuted in the Major Leagues in 2008 with the Colorado Rockies, and has played professional baseball for 11 years. After hitting .361 with the New York Yankees this 2012 spring training where he relieved Derek Jeter at shortstop, Doug spent the 2012 season with the Yankees’ triple A team. Click here to get personal, one-on-one instruction with Doug Bernier

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