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Pitch Atlas

Breaking ball

Standard

Curveball

aka curve · hook · yakker (informal) · Uncle Charlie (informal)

The classic dropping pitch. You roll your wrist and fingers over the top so the ball spins forward, and that topspin plus gravity bends it down. It comes in slower than a slider with a bigger, looping break to throw off a hitter's timing.

Schematic baseball cover. This pitch has no filed seam geometry yet — the grip and shape below are sourced in words, not measured here.

The grip

Gripped to be thrown with topspin — the pitcher rolls the wrist and fingers over the top of the ball at release so the rotation runs forward-over-the-top rather than fastball backspin.

Reputable analysisCurveball (CU) — MLB.com Glossary, Pitch Types

What it does

The classic downward-breaking pitch: topspin plus gravity produce a pronounced, looping drop, thrown slower and with more overall break than a slider to keep hitters off balance.

Reputable analysisCurveball (CU) — MLB.com Glossary, Pitch Types

Who throws itClayton Kershaw, Sandy Koufax

Basic file

This pitch has a sourced one-line grip and movement and an honest explanation — not yet a filed specimen with authored grip geometry and a full craft chapter. A fuller breakdown is coming. Sourced, not corrected.