We are happy that you have come to us to learn how to throw a sinker in baseball. Sinker is a type of pitch which a straight fastball sinks a few feet at the last moment thus fooling the batter. Its one of the basic pitches to throw in baseball.
However, understand that pitchers find throwing the sinker stressful and pretty complicated.
It is because it is hard to learn, and people have different misconceptions about carrying it out. So, keep reading to find out the best steps to throw the sinker.
Table of Contents
Steps in throwing a sinker
In learning how to throw a sinker in baseball, you need to pick a grip that allows the ball to be slightly angled inwards and not outward.
Before we delve into the steps to follow to throw the sinker, you need to hold your baseball well by placing the middle finger and index finger between the two seams inside the baseball.
Your thumb will be lightly placed underneath the baseball as its work is to hold the base all in place.
The steps in finally learning how to throw a sinker in baseball include the following:
- Throw an over the top pitch
- Keep a strong grip for power and control
- Use your middle finger to apply pressure
- Twist your hand as you release
Now we will be getting into detail for each of these steps. Each of these steps are written with detailed instructions so that you will be able throw sinkers with ease with in days of learning. Let’s not wait any longer, here are the steps on how to throw sinker in baseball.
Step One: Throwing the pitch over the top
With your hands perfectly holding the baseball, your arm should be brought forward so you can throw the ball. It means that you will need to try rotating your arm high enough before bringing it down until it is released.
It is because it helps position the arm to heighten the spin on your ball when it is thrown.
When doing this, you must be cautious because plenty of rotation in the arm or shoulder leads to injury.
Step two: Have a powerful grip on your ball
You must be capable of maintaining control of your ball until the point it gets thrown. In addition, you need to have a powerful grip on the baseball as this gives one plenty of control and will give the ball more spin when released.
As you try to keep the ball firm, ensure you do this with your thumb and fingers alone. When the ball is pressed on the palm, friction will be increased, and the amount of spin will be decreased.
Step three: Applying pressure using your middle finger
In a fastball, the pressure comes from the index finger, but with a sinker, the middle finger gives it the needed direction. It would be best if you placed your middle finger on the ball before throwing it.
Ensure the baseball gets out of your hand along the middle finger, not your index or thumb.
Step four: Your hand should be twisted a bit as the ball is released
Finally, as you make your way to release the ball, twist your hand a bit. For those interested in getting an excellent topspin on their sinker, immediately rotate your hand as you let go of the ball.
This move is known as pronation, and you will know if you are doing it right when it looks like you are pouring something out of the ball between the thumb and index finger.
While your middle finger is positioned at the top of the ball, you need to get pronation using your hand’s natural rotation. To get the best sinker, ensure the two moves work together.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
How many types of pitches are there in baseball?
There are multiple types of pitches in baseball but there are eight or ten that are most well recognized and used in MLB. The fastball, sinker, slider, and curveball are the most well known out of all the other pitches thrown in baseball regardless of league level.
What is the difference between 4 seam fastball and sinker in baseball?
One of the most recognizable pitch in baseball is the 4 seam fastball and a sinker pitch is quite similar to it. When you throw a 4 seam fastball in baseball you need to grip the baseball across the seams with your index and middle finger. Your ring finger should be touching one of the seam while your thumb is across one the bottom seams.
Sinkers on the other hand needs to be gripped just like the 4 seam fastball but just with the seams instead of across them. Also, you will need to pitch it on the arm side of the pitcher and down for that downward trajectory.
Which is the hardest pitch to throw in baseball?
Overall the hardest pitch to throw in baseball is the 4 seam fastball since you will need the baseball to move backward to keep it straight. Meanwhile, the hardest pitch to bat in baseball are the splitter and slider. On average, splitters are missed about 19.4% and sliders are missed 17.5% of the time.
Is it good to throw a sinker in baseball?
Yes, you should throw sinker in baseball because it is quite hard to hit. Once you have learned to throw it properly you will be able to make the baseball sink at the last minute while the batter tries to hit it.
Conclusion
Learning how to throw a sinker in baseball may be more complex than you thought because it needs precision, but constant practice makes perfect. With this article, you can become good at it.
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