How does a curveball curve in baseball?
Curve's Secret Weapon
How does a curveball curve in baseball?
A pitcher winds up and throws. The ball leaves their hand spinning hard, streaks toward home plate — then suddenly dives sideways like it changed its mind mid-flight. The batter swings at empty air. How does a curveball curve?
The secret is spin. When the pitcher releases the ball, their fingers snap down hard across the seams, making the ball rotate — sometimes over 2,000 times per minute. That spin is what bends the ball's path through the air.
