08:06
Faizan
A knuckle ball bops erratically like a plane pushing through turbulent air, because the ball doesn't spin. The air flows smooth on the rawhide but gets disrupted by the raised seams, creating pressure pockets that bully the pitch into an unpredictable flight path. The knuckle ball is equally beautiful as it is rare because the pitch is very difficult to throw.
File Your Nails
The knuckle ball's nomenclature is misleading -- the pitch is thrown off the fingertips, not the knuckles. And your fingernails play a large role. Cut the nails of your index and middle fingers so that they are long enough to dig into the rawhide of the ball but short enough not to bend with pressure. File the nails flat so that the edge of the nail sits flush on the body of the ball. Make small cuts, testing your fingertips against the ball every so often until you find the right length.
Get a Grip
Roll the ball in your hand until you are staring at the Indianapolis Colts sign, or an open-side-down horseshoe. Place your index and middle fingertips at the top of the horseshoe about one fingertip length apart. Dig them into the rawhide. Do not place your fingernails into or on the seams. Curl your index and middle fingers until the ball rests against your palm. Anchor the ball in your palm by placing your thumb alongside of the ball, not underneath the ball where it could provide spin-inducing counter-pressure. Use your ring and pinky fingers for stability on the other side of the ball. Avoid resting your thumb or ring or pinky fingers on a seam. Seams catch and cause spin.
Stride
Imagine throwing the knuckle ball down a narrow hallway. At the beginning of the hallway is a small doorjamb that you have to step through to deliver the ball. To get the ball down the hallway, everything must be linear toward the target and the doorjamb keeps you from getting your arms and legs too far away from the center of your body. Keep it simple. Raise your glove arm to point at the target, using it as a gun-barrel site for aiming. Stay tall and stride deliberately, landing your lead foot in a straight line with your back foot toward the target.
Release the Butterfly
Pull the ball back into a cocked position, raising your throw arm to create a backward L and a 90-degree hinge at the elbow. Use the momentum gained from pulling the ball back to balance the ball on your fingertips. Then use centripetal force to keep the ball balanced on your fingertips as you throw the ball forward. The ball will get progressively heavier as you begin to throw the ball as long as it stays balanced in your hand. At a certain weight, let go of the ball. Your fingertips should be just above the equator of the ball at release. And the right weight is something you need to find. It is a feel that develops with throwing hundreds, sometimes thousands, of knuckle balls.
File Your Nails
The knuckle ball's nomenclature is misleading -- the pitch is thrown off the fingertips, not the knuckles. And your fingernails play a large role. Cut the nails of your index and middle fingers so that they are long enough to dig into the rawhide of the ball but short enough not to bend with pressure. File the nails flat so that the edge of the nail sits flush on the body of the ball. Make small cuts, testing your fingertips against the ball every so often until you find the right length.
Get a Grip
Roll the ball in your hand until you are staring at the Indianapolis Colts sign, or an open-side-down horseshoe. Place your index and middle fingertips at the top of the horseshoe about one fingertip length apart. Dig them into the rawhide. Do not place your fingernails into or on the seams. Curl your index and middle fingers until the ball rests against your palm. Anchor the ball in your palm by placing your thumb alongside of the ball, not underneath the ball where it could provide spin-inducing counter-pressure. Use your ring and pinky fingers for stability on the other side of the ball. Avoid resting your thumb or ring or pinky fingers on a seam. Seams catch and cause spin.
Stride
Imagine throwing the knuckle ball down a narrow hallway. At the beginning of the hallway is a small doorjamb that you have to step through to deliver the ball. To get the ball down the hallway, everything must be linear toward the target and the doorjamb keeps you from getting your arms and legs too far away from the center of your body. Keep it simple. Raise your glove arm to point at the target, using it as a gun-barrel site for aiming. Stay tall and stride deliberately, landing your lead foot in a straight line with your back foot toward the target.
Release the Butterfly
Pull the ball back into a cocked position, raising your throw arm to create a backward L and a 90-degree hinge at the elbow. Use the momentum gained from pulling the ball back to balance the ball on your fingertips. Then use centripetal force to keep the ball balanced on your fingertips as you throw the ball forward. The ball will get progressively heavier as you begin to throw the ball as long as it stays balanced in your hand. At a certain weight, let go of the ball. Your fingertips should be just above the equator of the ball at release. And the right weight is something you need to find. It is a feel that develops with throwing hundreds, sometimes thousands, of knuckle balls.
Posted in: baseball
