Baseball: Curve Ball
The curve ball is the first pitch you should learn after you perfect your fastball. Unless you can pitch the holy grail of pitches, the knuckle slider, I think a quality curveball will do. David Wells has my favorite curveball in the game. It looks like its going to be the level of the batters head and then suddenly it drops right into the heart of the plate. Strike one.
In little league, curve ball pitchers are much less frequent. So if you are able to throw a good curveball in little league, you are going to be a hot commodity. The two things that are most impressive in little league are those pitchers than can pitch over 60 miles per hour and those that can throw a decent curveball.
When to Throw a Curve Ball
Even if you dont perfect a curveball when youre young, at least youll have a head start when you head into your teen years. When youre a teenager, you will have more strength in your wrist, hands, and arms, which will make it much easier to throw a curve ball. In addition, youre going to be facing a lot better hitters in high school, so youd better have a breaking pitch.
Be careful not to pitch a curve before youre ready. The proverbial hanging curveball will come to bite you. Itll look like a beach ball to hitters. The whole point of a curve is to fool the hitter. Theyll think its a fastball and swing where a fastball should be. If the curve doesnt drop, the ball is going to be high, far, and gone.