Curve Ball Mistakes: When Should I Start Throwing a Curve Ball?
I am asked this question often. And the answer isn’t black and white. As I tend to do, I will keep the answer simple and applicable. I will avoid using documents, research, or non baseball playing professionals opinions that are inconsistent and leave you guessing. Let me start by giving you some content to digest and thoughts to roll around.
I started throwing a curve ball when I was 10 years old and never had a surgery or major arm injury in the following 20 plus years of pitching. My only injury was when I was playing in Japan and I was overused and misused. Throwing a slider or curve ball never hurt my arm.
The vast majority of major injuries and surgeries I have seen are from throwing weighted balls, overuse, misuse. Overuse and misuse is pitching in multiple games on the same day. Pitching back to back days. Pitching with only one day off etc. Pitchers not getting the recovery time they need. Coaches that try and squeeze pitchers in as much as possible within the pitch count guidelines. I will write another blog on this because coaches are the biggest contributor to arm injuries in youth pitchers and it can be entirely avoided.
The majority of more common injuries I see (tendonitis in the elbow or shoulder, muscle pain, joint pain, etc) are from overuse, misuse, inconsistent use, no plan in place for throwing, long breaks, natural body growth and age, and throwing in to the winter.
My point is, you don’t need to be scared of the curve ball. There are many other things that should horrify you before a curve ball does. Like I said, I am going to write a blog on this because we need to protect our pitchers and keep them pitching for a long time.
So back to our original question, when to start throwing a curve ball. In a perfect world I would teach every pitcher to first and foremost establish fastball command. So if a kid starts pitching at 9 years old, then stick with fastballs until they can command it for 65-70% strikes. Once they achieve that goal then you can add a change up. Then master the change up for 65-70% strikes. This may take a few years. Normally kids don’t start having good command until they are in their early teens at minimum. So yes I am saying, in a perfect world, until a kid is 14 or 15 try your best to avoid a curve ball.
A few good reasons to support my theory: Throwing a higher percentage of fastballs through youth will give more arm strength (for safety) and velocity long term. Youth will develop higher quality pitches as opposed to multiple mediocre pitches. Youth pitchers will actually learn to pitch and not just throw. They will be forced to use their fastball and change up efficiently. As leaders, if we are truly invested in development and the long term future of our pitchers then these should take priority. A curve ball or slider is easy to learn when the time is right. I have had multiple pitchers learn it the very first time we attempted to throw a new breaking ball.
Now, I will oppose myself and argue against my own advice using one main argument, kids will throw a curve ball despite coaches and parents and even myself advising against it. Most of the time they do it wrong and put themselves at huge risk of injury! So what do we do with that? As leaders we need to be realistic about this and educate and teach the kids properly. I have a short video describing how to throw a curve ball. Additionally, proper mechanics are imperative for arm safety with a curve ball. These are outlined in great detail in our courses. If you have not signed up for a course then you need to do this. You will change futures for the good. Best of all, the courses are money back guarantee. In addition to mechanics and safety protocols with a curve ball, pitchers need arm care, warmup, and recovery guidelines. These also are part of our courses.
So my advice now becomes this: teach your young pitchers how to safely throw a curve ball. We will guide you through this with Sportz University. Educate them and teach them safe and controlled use of a curve ball and we set them up for success, not failure. This in itself will be safer for all pitchers. ALSO, appeal to your pitchers to avoid using a curve ball for the benefits outlined above. This is our best option! If you are calling pitches as a coach, don’t call curve balls! We have to find the balance of what’s best for the kids and also the reality that they may not listen!
Leaders, lets be ahead of the game with curve balls. Don’t draw hard lines in the sand. Rather, cover all the bases! This will promote healthy learning and healthy arms!
