How to Throw a Sinker

Finding the Right Grip

Place the ball in your dominant hand. A sinker relies a lot on having a tight grip, so place the ball comfortably in your dominant hand. Keep the part of the ball where the seam narrows together facing outwards, as this will be used to help hold the ball. Both sets of seams should be visible.

Hook your index finger over the closest seam. The seam along the baseball will give you a little more traction when holding the ball, which will help create the right type of spin when you throw it. Wrap your index finger along the seam closest to it. If you’re right-handed, hook your index finger along the right seam. If you’re left-handed, it should be along the left seam.

Place your middle finger alongside your index finger. Your middle finger will be the main point of pressure when pitching, so it should sit near the middle of the ball. Press your middle finger beside your index finger and hook it around the ball. Your middle finger should always be kept along the top of the ball in order to get the best leverage.

Hook the bottom of the ball with your thumb. Wrap your thumb around the bottom of the ball to get a firm grip. Your thumb should line up vertically with your index finger, helping keep the ball balanced in your hand. Feel free to adjust your own grip as you get more familiar with it. While this is theoretically the best grip, the best grip for you will be one that feels comfortable. Move your fingers around until you find a placement that works for you.

Getting into Position

Stand in a normal pitching stance. A sinker is essentially a fastball with a slight twist at the end, so you should stand in a normal pitching stance. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, keeping your knees bent and upper body relaxed. Line your body up with the batter, so that your non-throwing arm is pointed toward the batting plate. Make sure the ball and your grip on it are hidden until you wind up to throw it. Seeing your grip may tip the batter off and take away the surprise needed for an effective sinker.

Aim for the batter’s belt. The sinker should look like it’ll be an easier ball to hit until the last second when it begins to quickly drop toward the ground. Aim at the batter’s waist or belt area when throwing the ball to give it enough room to sink without hitting the ground. As with any pitch, try not to make it obvious where you’re aiming the ball. This can cause you to end up feeding the batter an easy run.

Start winding up. Take a small step to the side and shift your weight onto your back foot as you bring your front knee up for balance. Quickly lean forward, transferring your weight from the back leg onto your front leg as you shift toward the batter.

Pivot your torso toward the batter. Pivoting your torso and following through with your chest will give your pitch a lot more power. As you go to throw the ball, pivot so that your torso faces the batter. Keep your eyes locked on your target as you release the ball and follow through.

Perfecting Your Throw

Throw the pitch over the top. As you bring your arm forward to throw the ball, rotate your arm high and bring it down until you release it. This will help position your arm to increase the spin on the ball after you throw it. Be careful when throwing the ball like this, as too much rotation in your shoulder or arm can cause injury. If you feel pain anywhere along your throwing arm, take a few days off throwing a sinker.

Keep a firm grip on the ball. It’s important to maintain control of the ball right up until the moment you throw it. Keeping a firm grip will give you a lot of control, as well as giving the ball more spin when you release it. While you should hold the ball tightly in your hand, do so only with your fingers and thumb. If you press the ball against your palm too much, you risk increasing the friction on the ball and reducing the amount of spin you can get.

Apply pressure with your middle finger. Unlike a a fastball where the pressure comes from your index finger, a sinker should get its final direction from your middle finger. Keep your middle finger on the top of the ball as you throw it, and make sure the ball leaves your hand along your middle finger rather than the thumb or index.

Twist your hand slightly as you release the ball. To get the best topspin on your sinker, rotate your hand slightly as you release. This is called pronation and should look as if you are pouring something out of the ball between your index finger and thumb. As you try and keep your middle finger directly on top of the ball, you should get pronation with the natural rotation of your hand. Make these two moves work together to get the best throw.