Sinker??

[Small Town Catcher]

After seeing this take place...
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/player...e?statsId=7121

I've decided that the sinker seems to be a good, if not the pitch to throw...

as a Junior in Highschool that doesn't throw hard, I'd love to be able to throw a sinker...

I have a very good curveball, can spot my fastball decently, and I started working a change this off-season, so I still can't spot it as well as I'd like...


I guess that stuff means very little in the question, but I guess since it's my first post, thats alright...

So, my question, how do I go about getting a sinker to move enough to make it worth throwing...

I know
- 2 to 8 spin
- 2 seam grip

but that doesn't quite get it done...

Thanks

[Go Cardinals]

hate to be blunt, but just google it

http://www.google.com/

[StraightGrain11]

So, my question, how do I go about getting a sinker to move enough to make it worth throwing...

I know
- 2 to 8 spin
- 2 seam grip

but that doesn't quite get it done...

Thanks

You're right. That's not going to get it done - because it's NOT thrown that way. You do NOT throw it with a 2-seam grip. A 2-seam grip produces exactly that - a 2-seam fastball. A sinker is thrown with more of a "curveball grip", where the thumb is placed on (what should be) the opposite side of the seam as it would be to throw a curveball, and applies "inward" (down and under) pressure as the fingers pull "down and in" - in other words: aggressive pronation.


THIS is the proper way to throw a sinker.
(the "curved" arrow represents the action of the hand on the ball at release; the "straight" arrow represents how the ball should exit the hand)


I explained this in a previous thread:

The difference between the sinker and the screwball is that the sinker is thrown with fastball velocity, a screwball is not. A screwball is considered an off-speed pitch - it is thrown with more "over spin" (like a curveball) causing it to decrease in speed and "break." A sinker just simply moves down and "in" (to the throwing side of the pitcher) - much like a good change-up.

However, IF you can learn to master and throw this pitch with maximum movement (and velocity), you will be hard-pressed to convince your catcher of this. As the movement will be late, fast, hard, and with a lot of "bite" (he will probably tell you it's "breaking" - it's not, that's just the result of throwing it correctly). He will DEFINITELY want to know when this pitch is coming.

Good luck.

[CoachHenry]

hate to be blunt, but just google it

http://www.google.com/

You could say that about everything in this forum. I think that this place SHOULD be for questions like that. "Baseball 101, etc.".

[wogdoggy]

You could say that about everything in this forum. I think that this place SHOULD be for questions like that. "Baseball 101, etc.".

Unfortunately the kid is starting to wake up with fleas..

[Go Cardinals]

Unfortunately the kid is starting to wake up with fleas..

Then you must be the dog

It makes perfect sense, because there is great info on how to throw many pitches.... look:

http://www.wikihow.com/Throw-a-Sinker

See, it was actually great advice. There are some great sites out there.

[caseyd123]

im confused on the pronation term, i thought pronation is what is used for curveballs and sliders and suppenation is used for changeups. If the sinker is going down and in on a righty, wouldnt you suppenate?

[Go Cardinals]

you've got them backwards...

[caseyd123]

ok so...if im a right handed pitcher:

Suppenation: at release, the ball is tilted so that my hand is on the right side of the ball

Pronation: at release, the ball is tilted so that my hand is on the left side of the ball

right?

[Go Cardinals]

ok so...if im a right handed pitcher:

Suppenation: at release, the ball is tilted so that my hand is on the right side of the ball

Pronation: at release, the ball is tilted so that my hand is on the left side of the ball

right?

flip them if you are talking about your right and your left...

[StraightGrain11]

ok so...if im a right handed pitcher:

Suppenation: at release, the ball is tilted so that my hand is on the right side of the ball

Pronation: at release, the ball is tilted so that my hand is on the left side of the ball

right?

Correct

This is "pronation" -


Pronationn occurs on EVERY pitch. It is just a matter of WHEN and HOW MUCH.
For a curveball

pronation occurs AFTER release.

With the sinker, it occurs BEFORE release.

[Deemax]

"With the sinker, it occurs BEFORE release."

[CoachHenry]

Unfortunately the kid is starting to wake up with fleas..

You lost me there. Not uncommon, I'm old.

[StraightGrain11]

"With the sinker, it occurs BEFORE release."

So you assume this means the arm/hand should be completely inverted with the thumb "pointing down" at this point? Is that his sinker grip?
I stated that it is also determined by HOW MUCH pronation occurs. With a curveball/slider, the arm will pronate 180 deg.(possibly a little more - THIS is what makes the breaking ball so dangerous to the arm) - fingers on the "outside" of the ball to the "indside". With a fastball/sinker/change-up the arm will only pronate 90 deg. - fingers "on top" of the ball to the "inside".
The KEY is to get the thumb BEYOND the mid-point of the ball (toward the pinky finger side, as you hold it). This can either be done with the grip, or THOUGHT of "early pronation".

Would you agree that these pictures were taken at the same point during the pitches? Who has more pronation occuring at each point?

[StraightGrain11]

Clemens throwing a sinker / Webb throwing a sinker (89mph - fastball velocity)


A VERY nasty pitch, indeed.