You probably know how to throw a ball, and maybe even how to do so with some force, accuracy, and/or intention. Maybe you played baseball as a kid, or in college, or once a week this very summer with a ragtag group of friends and coworkers.
Readers who have engaged in such baseball-throwing under the tutelage of coaches will likely consider themselves, and may even be, well-versed in the basics covered in this video. But here’s the thing: Professional athletes are really incredibly good at what they do, and having them show you how they do it makes you appreciate the talent involved at every level.
Fans tend to scoff at the less otherworldly among them, but that’s simply a matter of context making elite athletes seem less impressive than they actually are, as well some unpleasant realities of human nature. Josh Roeder of the Staten Island Yankees can obviously throw a baseball much, much better than I can, but seeing just how much better is a good measure of the distance between a civilian and a pro. And despite any well-deserved confidence you may have that you would easily best me in a head-to-head pitching duel, he can probably teach you a thing or two, as well.
Now you’re throwing a four-seam fastball correctly, but not quite fast enough to blow one by a capable hitter. You might still dream of resurrecting a pro career with the sometimes-savior of failed flame throwers: the knuckleball. So we asked Steven Wright, All-Star and owner of the game’s best knuckleball, to show us how it’s done. Turns out it’s not so simple. Still, that shouldn’t keep you from trying.