Big Curve vs. Hard Curve?

[FSTBLLTHRWER]

Which of these two pitches, the bigger "Uncle Charlie" type curveball, or the harder "Yellow Hammer" type curveball is generally more effective? Easier on the arm to throw? Easier to learn/throw for strikes? And which one would be better for specific repetoires (ex. which is better for a finesse guy or a power pitcher)?

I understand that both pitches can be extremely effective when thrown by people who have mastered them, Barry Zito for example has made a career throwing his shoulders to knees 12-6. But on the other hand Felix Hernandez made my Redsox look stupid last week throwing an 85mph hammer.

I'm asking because I'm trying to build a curve that I can use throughout my highschool career, and I'm aiming for the "yellow hammer" type.

[centerfield2150]

In my experience unless you're throwing straight heat, the hammer style is actually more effective. Because the hitter is trying for his life to get around on your fastball, he's able to read the uncle charlie curveball and still get a blooper out of it.
They will often not even pick up the hard curveball until it's to late.

I've also found a hanging hard curveball is damaged much less than a slow one for me.

I think the hard curveball is just more effective in HS.
Last year I threw some great curves, fooled the hitter but too often he was able to drag his bat and get a blooper over my not so quick infielders.
If the hard curveball is not picked up right away the most they seem to get is a grounder to the shortstop.

Don't get me wrong, if you hang it, it will fly a long ways no matter what speed, it just seems the hard curve is less susceptible to giving up weak hits.
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[Roger]

I agree with Centerfield. I like the hard-thrown curve. It has better deception because it starts off looking more like a fastball because it's thrown with the same arm speed and because its trajectory is closer to that of the fastball.

The hard-thrown curve also breaks later and I think that makes it more difficult to hit.

[YoungMarianO]

yep hard curve is my favorite you throw it with a fastball motion and it sinks towards the end always my effective pitch
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[Chris O'Leary]

[FSTBLLTHRWER]

[Tanner Lorenz]

I have both, a power curve and a 12-6 curve, my 12-6 is way more effective.

[andrew.ra.]

I've got a really sharp breaking hard-curve /slider. It's nasty. The only problem is, NO ONE swings at it. They take it for a ball in the dirt every single time.

What's been working for me is a slow, big breaker that I start at the hitters shoulder.
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"Why turn something as simple as throwing into a science project?"-- Leo Mazzone

[ian demagi]

Depens on what type of pitcher you are. If you are bringing high heat then you want the contrast of a large slower curve. If you are a breaking ball pitcher you probably want both!, Ian

[terprhp]

Either pitch has it's purpose, it's all about how and where it's used in the sequencing of pitches. And for my money, there is no pitch more hittable than a flat slider...you speed up the bat AND keep the ball on 1 plane , dangerous combination.

[4pie]

the big-- curveball is extremely effective for any kind of pitchers if not thrown too often. maybe 10 times a game to get ahead on the hitter or to surprise him once in a while. tom glavine has a pretty decent slowish curveball and usually hitters don't even take the bat off the shoulder since it's surprising. they probably know it's not going to be a fastball but it's so rare from him that they probably just go WTF? a sharp breaking ball is usually thrown by a pitcher with a good fastball even though most people said otherwise. the reason for it is that it has to be thrown pretty hard to be considered a hard curveball. anything else is a curveball in the dirt that breaks too early. hitters want to catch up for the heat too so they might swing away sometimes and they end up swinging over the top.

[WhiteSox101]

I don't throw heat, but I throw high 70"s low 80's and I think the bigger breaking slower curveball is more effective the better you can mask it. Just my opinion, I think you can do equally good with both though even though the harder curve is definatly harder on your arm.
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