Booppps Lesson Plan - Gripping a Baseball

For this micro teaching assignment I will be instructing the students on how a pitcher grips a baseball. I will be giving each of my students a baseball and they can follow me as I show and explain the various grips. I will tell them why the pitch is used and how it works. I will be drawing lines on each of the baseballs to make it more evident on how to hold the ball.

Pitching Grips for a Baseball - Teaching the Booppps Way

For the players, baseball is the loneliest team sport in North America. Why is that? In sports like hockey, football, and the other football each of the players constantly come in contact with each other. In baseball, when out in the field, rarely do the players get within a foot of each other. Every play begins with the man on the mound, the pitcher.

But even though the pitcher is all alone on that mound, he is dependent and can rely on the catcher calling the pitches and the 7 players supporting him from behind. Also, a pitcher is not without his weapons. A variety of pitches to fool the batters.

Bridge - Baseball is awesome! Particularly pitching.

Teaching Objectives - To get everyone participating. Time permitting I will try and show the students the following pitches: 4-seam fastball, 2-seam fastball, splitter, the 3 change-ups, curve-ball, and slider. The most important ones (in my opinion) are the 4-seam, change-ups and curve so I will get those out of the way first.

Learning Objectives - To have the students remember how to grip a 4-seam fastball and at least 1 other grip I showed them.

Pretest - Ask them about their baseball experience and if any had played baseball in the past.

Participating Activity - I will demonstrate each grip one at a time and have each person follow my lead with their own baseballs.

Post Test - I will ask each of them to demonstrate to me a 4-seam fastball and one other one I randomly select.

Summary - If you ever have to throw a baseball or similar sized ball in the future, hopefully you remember the 4-seam fastball grip. It is the most effective for any type of throwing of a ball around that size.