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| The most basic of all pitches, yet one of the most difficult to hit when thrown properly. The Rising Fastball should be gripped with the index and middle fingertips positioned across (perpendicular to) the seam of the Blitzball (highlighted in red in the pictures).
The Rising Fastball can be thrown either straight over the top or at a three-quarters arm angle, but should always be held with a slightly looser grip than most pitches, which allows your fingertips to whip the ball around, ensuring maximum backspin and velocity. Thrown properly, Blitzball’s Rising Fastball will rise or tail explosively at the last second, making it virtually impossible to hit.
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| The Curveball is generally a more advanced pitch to learn and throw because of the unique mechanics involved. Many coaches feel that younger players (below the age of 15) should not practice throwing the Curveball with real baseballs because it might place too much stress on a young arm. Although it is likely much safer to throw curveballs with a Blitzball because of its light weight, younger players should still ask parents' for their approval before trying to learn it. The Curveball is unusual because it is the only pitch that involves "topspin" (think of it as the opposite of a fastball's backspin).
In order to throw a proper Curveball, it is necessary to get "on top" of the ball and then spin it downwards. The grip is pretty simple: just put your index and middle fingers together and then place the middle finger alongside the Blitzball seam. You should get a good, tight grip on the seam with your middle finger so that you can really get some leverage on it.
When you throw the Curveball, you want to cock your wrist at a slight angle while keeping your middle finger high up on top of the ball so that you can roll your wrist downwards when you release the ball (almost like pulling down the string on a window shade). As a result, the Curveball should spin forward as it approaches the batter, giving the Blitzball a great downward movement. In terms of delivery, some people like to come almost straight over the top to get that great "12-to-6" / Barry-Zito-style drop (drops almost straight down) on their curveball, but this is difficult to do. Most people get better results with something closer to a three-quarters delivery for a "1-to-7" break (a pitch that drops and curves to the side). Try experimenting with different release points and arm slots to find the pitch that works most effectively for you.
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| The "Circle-Change" is a variation of the changeup that has become very popular in recent years and is great to throw with the Blitzball. To throw a proper circle-change, you should make a small circle with your thumb and index finger (just like making an "OK" sign with your hand) and then grip the Blitzball across its seam with your remaining three fingers (middle, ring, and pinky-fingers). For better deception, you will want to grip the circle-change with the ball resting deeper into your palm.
Throw the circle change with the exact same delivery and arm motion as the fastball and you should have a very nice off-speed pitch to throw off a hitters timing. Some people like to turn the ball over a little upon release in order to get a nice little screwball "fade" (Pedro Martinez is a master at this). In order to do this, just let the ball roll off of your three fingers slightly in the direction of your pinky.
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| The Knuckleball is a great pitch to throw with the Blitzball because of the crazy movement it produces. Grip the ball with the tips of your index and middle fingers (keep these fingers curled as much as possible) on top of the ball and your thumb and ring finger supporting the ball on the bottom. As you release the ball, you want to "push" the ball straight out with your fingers so that there is absolutely no spin on the ball (not easy to do). The perfectly thrown knuckler has absolutely zero spin as it flutters and dances its way to the plate.
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| There are several versions of the Slider, but we will illustrate the cut-fastball version (aka a “Cutter”) because it’s the easiest to learn and throw. The Cutter is gripped similarly to a Two-Seam Fastball (index or middle finger along the Blitzball seam), except the two fingers should be closer together and the ball should be held with an off-center grip (towards the outside half of the ball).
Throw the ball just as you would a fastball with your two fingers positioned about a half-inch to the outside and the ball should naturally roll off of your index finger to the side when you release it (kind of like throwing a football spiral). This Cutter is thrown just like a fastball with an off-center grip and involves no wrist snapping of any kind. Just make sure that the ball rolls off of the thumb side of your index finger as you release it and the ball should curve sideways a good 3-4 feet (away from a righty batter if you are a righty pitcher and vice-versa).
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