Always hungry for an edge, baseball pitchers constantly try to invent new pitches to stay one step ahead of batters. Baseball’s pitching evolution has produced the curve ball, the slider, the split-finger fastball, the cut fastball and the circle changeup, among others. Yet the mysterious gyroball, created by Dr. Ryutaro Himeno and popularized by Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, can be a difficult pitch to master.
Grip
Despite its unique characteristics and spin, the gyroball starts with a standard four-seam fastball grip. Simply grab the ball across all four seams, with your middle finger and index finger on the forward seam of the open horseshoe and the thumb secured against the ball’s bottom seam.
Shoulders
You’ll need to have your entire body properly coordinated to throw an effective gyroball. Your hips and shoulders must work in perfect sync, with your front shoulder opening and your pitching shoulder coming through right in time with its same hip. This body alignment makes it possible to produce the necessary gyroball arm action.
Arm Motion
The gyroball’s secret rests with the arm motion and not the grip. When you throw the pitch, start your arm as if you’re unleashing a four-seam fastball, but as you bring your arm forward and down, rotate your arm so the back of your hand points toward your body. Correct positioning has your fingers inside the ball and your thumb pointed toward the ground.
Release
As you release the gyroball, snap your fingers down and through the ball. The necessary arm motion and wrist action is not unlike turning a doorknob. Some gyroball pitchers even recommend releasing the pitch somewhat like a knuckleball, pushing it forward out of your hand rather than throwing it.
Spin
When thrown properly, the gyroball leaves the hand spinning like a bullet. The unusual spin, not unlike a football spiraling through the air, deceives the batter, making it difficult to judge the pitch’s speed and location. The ball usually will dip, causing batters to swing over it.
Physics
The gyroball’s axis of rotation remains in perfect alignment with its direction of motion, making it unusual among baseball pitches. Yet spinning the gyroball with a horizontal axis actually might provide a lift force, causing the ball to seemingly hop on its way to the plate and tricking batters into swinging too low. Dr. Himeno has employed advanced computer simulations to demonstrate the gyroball’s physics and prove its existence, despite many critics considering the pitch little more than a myth.
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