A Complete Guide to Baseball Pitches + Expert Tips

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Learn about fastballs, curveballs, and more with our full breakdown

Co-authored by Jim Price and Hunter Rising

Last Updated: August 19, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Fastballs
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• Breaking Balls
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• Off-Speed
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• Improving Your Pitching
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• FAQ
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• Video

|Show more |Show less

Pitching is one of the toughest parts of baseball, and there are a lot of different ways to throw the ball. Whether you’re a fan trying to identify what a pitcher is throwing or want to improve your pitching, we’ve got you covered. We’ve found every type pitch from fastballs to breaking balls, and we spoke with a baseball coach to learn how to grip them and when to use them. Plus, we’ll answer your most common questions.

Common Baseball Pitches Chart

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The most common types of baseball pitches are fastballs, breaking balls, and off-speed pitches. How a pitch moves through the air depends on your grip on the ball and the direction it spins when you release it. Pitchers change which pitch they’re throwing based on how the batter squares up to the ball.

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Section 1 of 5:

Fastball Baseball Pitches

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1. 
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   Four-seam Fastball The four-seam fastball is the fastest and most powerful pitch in a baseball game. Four-seam fastballs move straight toward the target without any spin, so it’s one of the most accurate pitches as well.

   • Grip: Hold the ball so the seams are horizontal, and lay your fingers over them so they cross over both seams.
   • How to throw it: On your release, push your fingers forward to put backspin on the ball so it stays straight and on target.
   • When to use it: Use a four-seam fastball when you want to target a specific spot in the strike zone and overwhelm the batter with a fast pitch.

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Jim Price is a baseball coach with over 20 years of experience and the founder of Bash Sports Academy in Chicago.

   Isaac Hess is a baseball coach & instructor with more than 14 years of coaching experience and was ranked one of Baseball America's top 10 prospects for 2007 and 2008.
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   Two-seam Fastball A two-seam fastball, or sinker, is slightly slower than a four-seam, but it’s still one of the most powerful and most frequently used pitches. Two-seam fastballs travel in a straight path that sinks down without a lot of horizontal breaks as it approaches the plate.

   • Grip: Baseball coach Jim Price says to put your finger along the 2 seams, and rotate the ball slightly so your middle finger is the only one crossing over the seam.
   • How to throw it: Price says, “Make sure your fingers stay on top of the baseball when you throw it so it has the proper spin to drop.”
   • When to use it: Try a two-seam fastball when you want a fast pitch that’s tough for a batter to square up to.
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   Cutter Cutters move further to the side than a regular fastball. Right-handed pitchers throw cutters that move to the left, and the left-handed pitchers throw cutters to the right. While it may look like a fastball at first, it’s a little bit slower than one.

   • Grip: Hold the ball with the seams slightly diagonal, and keep your index and middle fingers together along the top of it.
   • How to throw it: Release the ball like you would a four-seam fastball, but flick your fingers to the side to add a slight diagonal spin on the ball.
   • When to use it: Pair a cutter with a fastball because the batter will expect the ball to break one way, but it will move in a different direction.
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   Forkball The forkball is a type of splitter that has a severe downward break when it reaches the plate. These pitches aren’t used very often because it puts a lot of wear and tear on the pitcher, but they can be an effective pitch that a batter isn’t prepared for.

   • Grip: Force the baseball between your index and middle finger and hold it tightly by the sides.
   • How to throw it: Snap your wrist downward when you release the ball to put a lot of spin on it.
   • When to use it: Try a forkball when the batter has 2 strikes to goad them into swinging and missing.
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Section 2 of 5:

Breaking Ball Baseball Pitches

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   Slider Sliders move right to left for right-handed pitchers, and left to right for left-handed pitchers. These pitches tend to be a little slower than a fastball and move horizontally as they get closer to home plate.

   • Grip: Hold the ball closer to one side than the other. Keep your index and middle fingers together along a seam on top of the ball and pinch the bottom with your thumb.
   • How to throw it: When you release the ball, flick your fingers forward and down to the side so the slider has slight topspin and side-spin.
   • When to use it: Try out a slider when you want to trick the batter into swinging at a ball that starts at eye-level and then moves down and to the side of where they expected it.
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   Curveball Curveballs have a downward spin when you throw them so they make a large, slow arc when you throw them. Curveballs look like they pop out of the pitcher’s hand and follow a path similar to a rainbow.

   • Grip: Price says to keep your middle finger along and on top of one seam and your thumb on the other seam at the bottom of the ball.
   • How to throw it: Keep your fingers to the side as you pitch, and let the ball roll over your fingers to add topspin instead of side-spin.
   • When to use it: Throw a curveball right before or after a fastball to make it feel unexpected.
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   Slurve The slurve is like a combination between a slider and a curveball that breaks downward but also moves towards the opposite side of your pitching arm. Slurves usually start high and get lower as they approach the plate, but they also have some horizontal movement that make them hard to predict.

   • Grip: Keep your index and middle finger together along the seam closest to your pitching arm.
   • How to throw it: Throw the ball more diagonally, and release it with a slight downward spin.
   • When to use it: Use a slurve after a fastball or when you want to go for a third strike.
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   Screwball Screwballs have a severe downward break and move sideways toward the same side as the pitcher’s arm. Screwball pitches are some of the rarest pitches in the game because they have a unique throwing motion that can stress the pitcher.

   • Grip: Hold the ball so the seams are horizontal and lay your finger across the top in a 4-seam grip.
   • How to throw it: Snap your wrist so your palm faces toward the throwing side of your body.
   • When to use it: Try to throw a screwball when you want to catch the batter off guard and give them a difficult time squaring up to the pitch.
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Section 3 of 5:

Off-Speed Baseball Pitches

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1. 
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   Splitter A splitter first appears like a fastball, but it suddenly drops lower as it approaches the plate. Splitters are slower than a standard fastball, so a batter has a hard time preparing and squaring up properly to the pitch.

   • Grip: Spread your index and middle fingers wide apart in a V-shape and grip the top sides of the ball.
   • How to throw it: Use the exact same motion and release as a fastball. When you let go, the ball will roll forward and break in a downward motion.
   • When to use it: Pitch a splitter right after or before a fastball so a batter has a harder time dealing with the speed changes.
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   Changeup Changeups look like fastballs at first, but they’re a lot slower when they cross the plate. Changeups tend to have a little bit more of a vertical drop than a fastball, but not as severe as a curveball or slider.

   • Grip: Hold the ball along its seams with your ring and middle fingers, and keep your index finger and pinky on the sides to guide it.
   • How to throw it: Try to twist your wrist toward your body as you throw so your hand rolls over the ball and adds the most horizontal spin.
   • When to use it: Throw a changeup when you want to trick the batter that you’re throwing a fastball. They may swing early or miss the ball because they expected a faster pitch.
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   Palmball Price states, “A palmball is an effective changeup pitch” that you hold in the palm of your hand instead of with your fingertips. Palmballs may look like fastballs at first, but they cross the plate a lot slower than a fastball and even a standard changeup.

   • Grip: “Hold the ball back in your palm so your fingertips do not make contact with the ball,” says Price.
   • How to throw it: Use the same arm motion you would as a fastball.
   • When to use it: Try a palmball when the batter is expecting a fastball because they may swing too early at the slower pitch.
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   Knuckleball A knuckleball doesn’t have any spin on it, so it “dances” erratically and zigzags through the air toward the batter. Knuckleballs are slower pitches, so they’re not used as frequently as other pitches.

   • Grip: Dig your index and middle fingernails into the ball and lift your knuckles off of the surface so your hand makes a C-shape.
   • How to throw it: Keep your wrist stiff throughout the pitch so you don’t add any spin to the ball. Let the ball leave your fingertips naturally instead of trying to “push” it.
   • When to use it: Use a knuckleball late in the game to switch to an easy pitch, or to throw off a player expecting a fastball.
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   Knuckle-curve Knuckle-curves, or spike curves, are like a mix between a knuckleball and a curveball. A knuckle-curve is a little slower than a curveball, but it follows the same downward trajectory. Knuckle-curves usually move a little bit horizontally, so it’s final position when it reaches the batter can be a little unpredictable.

   • Grip: Raise your index finger knuckle and dig your nail into the ball. Keep your middle finger resting along one of the seams.
   • How to throw it: When you wind up and throw the pitch, flick your wrist forward to put topspin on the ball and point at your target with your knuckle.
   • When to use it: Use a knuckle-curve when you want to put a new unexpected variation on a curveball.
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   Sweeper Sweepers have a side-to-side movement rather than the up-and-down movement of a curveball or slider. Sweepers can move on average 15 inches (38 cm) horizontally between the pitcher’s mound and home plate, so batters have a tough time facing off against it.

   • Grip: Rest your fingers along the seams.
   • How to throw it: Twist your wrist to the side as you pitch a sweeper to add side-spin that gives the ball its horizontal movement.
   • When to use it: Use a sweeper when a batter has a tough time squaring up to your pitches to force a miss or weak contact.
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   Eephus The eephus pitch isn’t used very often, so it’s pretty rare that you’ll see them much during a game. An eephus pitch almost has the same arc as a slow-pitched softball, and it moves slowly toward home plate.

   • Grip: There is no standard grip for an eephus pitch. Try holding the ball like a four-seam fastball but with a slightly looser grip.
   • How to throw it: Try to maintain the same arm and body speed when you throw an eephus so the batter doesn’t catch on and prepare for the slow pitch.
   • When to use it: Throw an eephus when the batter is expecting a fastball because they might swing too hard and too early.
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Section 4 of 5:

How to Improve Your Pitching

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1. 
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   Master the basic movements of pitch mechanics. Baseball coach & instructor Isaac Hess states, “Working on your pitching mechanics first will allow you to make your body work efficiently.” He mentions that you should take the time to find the best spot for you to stand on the mound so you can transfer your body’s energy toward home plate.

   • Hess walks through the basic mechanics of picking your knees up, keeping your elbow up, and following through with the motion of your pitch.
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   Focus on accuracy before pitch speed. Hess says, “Focus your priorities on location before you focus on speed.” He adds that trying to throw as hard as you can make you inaccurate or even cause an injury, so hone in on throwing pitches in the strike zone before trying to put more power behind them.
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   Work out your upper body. Hess notes that having a stronger upper body can make it easier to pitch and develop your arm strength. Some exercises he recommends trying out include push-ups, dumbbell raises with 2–5 lb (0.91–2.27 kg) weights, front shoulder raises, and side shoulder raises.
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Section 5 of 5:

Baseball Pitches FAQ

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1. 1
   What pitches are easiest to throw? The four-seam fastball is considered one of the easiest pitches to throw a strike. When you let go of a four-seam fastball, the ball’s laces rotate and help keep your pitch on target.
2. 2
   What is the hardest pitch to bat against? The hardest pitch to hit depends on the batter and their own personal strengths and weaknesses. However, many players say that the sweeper is the toughest pitch to hit because it has erratic horizontal movements. Even if a player hits a sweeper, they usually make pretty weak contact that’s easier to field.
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   What is the difference between a slider and a curveball? Even though a curveball and a slider are pretty similar, a slider is faster than a curveball. While a slider tends to move more sideways, a curveball moves more up and down in a large arc, like a rainbow.
4. 4
   How many pitches do pitchers throw? During a game, pitchers typically throw 100 pitches or less so they don’t get worn out or injured. While starting pitchers may know a variety of pitch types, they tend to specialize in 3 or 4 pitches.
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