Throwing and fielding the ball is THE most important aspect of baseball. If our team can throw and field the ball, we will be successful. By throwing the ball accurately, we will have less walks, and less throwing errors on the field. Have you ever seen those games where an infield single turned into a home run because the defense kept throwing the ball away. Well, if we can prevent that, we will win games. So how to begin.

It all begins with the proper grip on the baseball. There is only one proper grip for every player on the field except the

pitcher. It is called the four seam grip.  If you look at a baseball and hold it so that the seams form the letter “C”, you then lay your pointer and middle fingers across the “C”. The pads of the fingers should be placed on the top seam. Then, the thumb is placed on the bottom of the ball located directly between the top two fingers. If the thumb is not between the top two fingers, the ball may tail left or right. This is very important to throw the ball straight. If your child's hands are small, they may not be able to control the ball and may need to use a four finger four seam grip. This grip is exactly the same as the three finger grip except that the middle finger is in the middle on top with the pointer and ring fingers beside, and the thumb is directly below the middle finger on the bottom of the ball. The pinky finger just hangs out on the side of the ball and is lonely.

While gripping the ball, there should be just a slight gap between the ball and the palm of the hand. Also, the ball should be held lightly in the hand and not held with a death grip. This reduces the velocity of the ball greatly.

Here's an drill that your child can do at home to practice catching the ball and then turning it into the proper position for throwing.

Toss the ball up in the air and catch it in the glove. Now, without looking, reach into the glove and grab the ball. As you pull the ball out of the glove, you can feel the seams in your hand. Rotate the ball until you feel the seam going across your two (or three) fingers. Then place your thumb under the ball. You're now ready to throw the ball. Now throw it up again and repeat. Your child should do this every day until they can do it without even thinking.

Throwing Fundamentals - Step 2, The Starter Step