How To Throw A Cutter

A baseball game is all about the right pitching of the ball and the right hit. A good pitch can decide the fate of the opposition, confusing the hitter and making him miss several hits. A good pitcher in baseball is capable of throwing different types of pitches. One of the most important and challenging of all pitches for the hitter is the fastball which is again divided into different styles. The most important fastball style is the cutter, which moves away from the hitter just before reaching the home plate. The ability to throw a cutter is one of the most important ingredients for a player to become a successful pitcher. The throwing style of the cutter differs from that of the other fastballs which gives a slight change in the direction of the ball along with the same that of a fastball. Go through the tips on throwing a cutter and learn how to throw a good cutter.

Throwing A Cutter

• The two basic things to learn in order to throw a cutter is the technique of gripping the ball and the technique of releasing the ball. You will have to grip the ball with your fingers on the side of the seam and not straight for the ball to get a twist.
• There are different types of baseball pitching grips used for throwing different types of pitchers. In order to throw a pitcher, your fingers need to hold the ball in a way that they are perpendicular to the end of the seam. Your middle finger should be in close proximity to the closer side of the seam.
• A cutter is a type of fastball throw, however, the difference is that in a normal fastball your thumb supports the ball from below which helps in providing speed to the ball. Nevertheless, in order to throw the cutter, your thumb should be placed towards the side of the ball and not below it. This position of the thumb will provide some balance to your grip. Your ring finger should hold the ball from the opposite side, giving more support to the grip.
• Once you have the grip right, the next thing to concentrate on is the pitch delivery. The way you release the ball is what makes the disparity between a standard fast ball and a cutter. The release of the cutter should be similar to that of a fastball; the speed should also be alike. The trick that makes a difference is that while releasing the ball, your middle finger should press the ball. Pressing the ball with your middle finger during the throwing action will provide the required swing to the ball which will confuse the hitter by moving away from him.
• It is important for you to get the release action right. Practice the release action with different degrees of pressure on the ball with your middle finger. Make sure that you maintain the speed of the ball with every throw. It is only practice that can make your throwing a cutter well.
• Another important thing to keep in mind in order to execute a cutter properly is that there is no snapping of wrist involved while throwing cutter. The throwing action for a cutter is just opposite to that of sinker. It is the outside of the baseball that the ball is thrown in a cutter.
• If you want to be an expert like Mariano Rivera in throwing a cutter, put some extra pressure on your middle finger while releasing the ball. You can even place the finger little off the centre, towards the outside of the ball.