How to
throw

Grip the ball in your fingertips

The ball should sit in your fingertips — not buried in your palm. Two fingers on top, thumb underneath for support, other fingers resting lightly on the side. That's it.

In a game, a ball is hit at you and you throw what you've got — there's no time to hunt for seams. But during warmup, when you have a second, find where the seams curve into a "C" shape and put your fingers across them. That spin makes the ball fly straighter, and training that grip in warmup means it'll show up more in games over time.

Fingertips, not palm. Seams in warmup.

Point your glove at your target

Before you throw, extend your glove hand toward where you want the ball to go. Your glove is your aiming device. First base, second base, home plate — point your glove directly at it.

Think of your glove as a laser pointer. Your body follows wherever it points. If your glove drifts to the side, your throw goes with it.

Glove points first. Body follows.

Step and let your body lead

Step toward your target with your glove-side foot — that's your left foot if you throw right-handed, right foot if you throw left-handed.

As you step, your hips turn first, then your shoulder, then your arm comes through last — like cracking a whip. The throw doesn't start in your arm. It starts in your legs and hips. Your arm is just the end of the whip.

Think of skipping a stone: you don't just snap your wrist. You open your whole side up and the arm follows along for the ride.

Hips → shoulder → arm whips through.

Release and follow through

As your arm comes through, let the ball roll off your fingertips. Don't try to guide it — trust the steps you just did and let it go.

After you release, your arm keeps going — down and across the front of your body. That follow-through is the sign of a fast, relaxed throw. If your arm stops short, it means you're muscling it, and the ball will sail high.

Let go and keep going.