You’re standing on the mound. The batter is digging in, probably expecting a 95-mph heater or a slider that bites. They’ve spent thousands of hours training their eyes to track high-velocity movement. Their muscles are coiled like springs, ready to explode at the slightest hint of a strike. Then, you release it. A high, looping arc that looks like a slow-pitch softball toss. It hangs in the air for what feels like an eternity. The batter’s front foot lands. Their hips fly open. They swing with everything they have, only to realize the ball is still six feet away from the plate. That is the magic of learning how to throw the eephus pitch.
It’s embarrassing. Honestly, it’s the most disrespectful pitch in baseball, which is exactly why it works.
The Eephus isn’t just a "slow pitch." It is a psychological weapon. When you pull the string on a hitter like that, you aren’t just trying to get an out; you’re trying to break their timing for the rest of the game. But don't be fooled by the lack of speed. Throwing a ball 40 or 50 miles per hour and actually landing it for a strike is surprisingly difficult. If you mess it up, you’ve just served a "meatball" that will likely end up in the parking lot.
What an Eephus Actually Is (And Isn't)
The term "Eephus" was coined back in the 1940s by Maurice Van Robays, a teammate of Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Rip Sewell. When asked what the pitch was, Van Robays famously said, "Eephus ain't nothing."
Sewell is the godfather of this junk. He used it to win 21 games in 1943. While modern pitchers like Zack Greinke or Yu Darvish use it as a "show-me" pitch to keep hitters honest, Sewell made it a core part of his identity. It’s defined by an incredibly high arc—sometimes reaching 15 to 25 feet at its peak—before dropping vertically into the strike zone.
Most people confuse a changeup or a "slow curve" with an Eephus. They aren't the same. A slow curve still has significant spin and usually travels between 65-75 mph. An Eephus is a "dead" ball. It has almost no spin, or very lazy backspin, and it travels significantly slower than the pitcher’s slowest traditional offering. We’re talking about a speed differential of 30, 40, or even 50 mph compared to a fastball.
The Grip: Finding Your Comfort Zone
There isn't one "official" way to hold an Eephus, because the goal is the opposite of every other pitch. You aren't trying to create friction or seams. You're trying to kill energy.
One popular method is the Palm Ball Grip. You wedge the ball deep into the palm of your hand, keeping your fingers up and off the seams. By removing the fingertips from the equation, you eliminate the "snap" at the end of the release. Without that snap, the ball doesn't get the drive it needs to travel fast. It basically floats out of your hand.
Another approach is the Finger-Up Method. Some pitchers literally lift their index and middle fingers off the ball entirely as they release, pushing it toward the plate with the base of the thumb and the ring finger. It’s awkward. It feels wrong. But that’s the point.
You could also try a Deep Four-Seam Grip. Hold it like a fastball but pull it so far back into the "V" of your thumb and index finger that it feels stuck. When you throw, the ball has to "climb" out of your hand, which naturally scrubs off all the velocity.
The Mechanics of the High Arc
When you're figuring out how to throw the eephus pitch, your biggest hurdle is the release point.
If you use your normal pitching motion and just "slow down" your arm, the hitter will smell it a mile away. They see the "lazy arm" and immediately adjust. To be successful, your arm speed needs to look relatively normal until the final millisecond.
Instead of a downward snap, you’re aiming for an upward release. Think about a shot-putter or a slow-pitch softball player. You want to release the ball much earlier in your delivery than you would a fastball. If a fastball release point is at "10 o'clock" in your arm circle, the Eephus release is closer to "12 o'clock."
Push the ball toward the sky.
Gravity is your best friend here. The higher you throw it, the steeper the "drop" will be as it crosses the plate. A ball falling from a 20-foot height is incredibly hard to hit because the bat's plane is horizontal, while the ball's path is almost vertical. They intersect at a single, tiny point in space. The margin for error for the batter is microscopic.
Why Speed (or Lack Thereof) Matters
Let’s talk about Zack Greinke. He’s the modern master of this. In 2020, he threw an Eephus to Trent Grisham that was clocked at 53.5 mph. Later, he threw one at 51 mph.
Why does this work? It’s the Velocity Gap.
If you throw 93 mph and then drop a 50 mph Eephus, the hitter’s brain has to process a nearly 50% reduction in speed. The human nervous system isn't great at that. The hitter’s "internal clock" is set to the fastball. When the Eephus comes out, the hitter's body reacts to the motion, but the ball just doesn't arrive. By the time it does, the hitter's weight has already shifted forward, and they have no power left in their swing.
Even if they do hit it, they usually "pop it up" or hit a weak grounder because they can't generate any "exit velocity" off a ball that has no "entry velocity." You provide the power; the Eephus provides the frustration.
The Psychological War: When to Pull the Trigger
You cannot throw this pitch often. If you do, the "magic" wears off and you're just a guy throwing slow batting practice.
The best time to use it is when you’re ahead in the count—0-1 or 1-2. The hitter is defensive. They are protecting the plate. They are geared up for something hard and inside to finish them off. That's when you drop the parachute.
Never throw it on an 0-0 count unless you’re trying to be a showboat (which, honestly, can work if you want to get into their head for the whole game). And definitely avoid throwing it when you’re behind in the count, like 2-0 or 3-1. You need to be in control of the at-bat.
There's a famous story from the 1946 All-Star Game. Ted Williams—arguably the greatest hitter ever—faced Rip Sewell. Sewell threw the Eephus. Williams fouled it off. Sewell, being a bit of a gambler, told Williams it was coming again. He threw it. Williams actually stepped out of the box, reset his feet, and launched it for a home run.
The lesson? If a Hall of Famer knows it's coming, you're in trouble. It relies entirely on the element of surprise.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Lowering your intensity: Don't "soft-toss" it. Your legs and body should still move with intent. If you look like you’re giving up, the batter will pounce.
- Aiming too low: An Eephus that doesn't have enough arc is just a slow BP fastball. It needs to go up to come down.
- Tipping the pitch: Watch your glove. Sometimes pitchers widen their grip inside the glove to get that palm-ball feel, and their glove "flares" open. Good hitters see that.
- Using it against the wrong hitter: Don't throw this to the guy who is already "sitting back" or struggling with his timing. You throw this to the aggressive, "pull-heavy" power hitter who wants to crush everything.
Perfecting the "Dead" Spin
If the ball has tight backspin, it will "carry" more than you want. You want the seams to be visible and tumbling slowly. This is why the grip is so vital. By using more of your palm and less of your fingers, you create a "knuckle" effect.
The ball should feel like a dead weight leaving your hand.
Experiment with your release. Some players find that a "flick" of the wrist upward helps create the necessary height without adding too much forward energy. Others prefer a stiff-wristed approach, almost like a "push-off."
Practical Next Steps for Your Next Practice
Don't go out and try this in a game tomorrow. You will get crushed. It takes a specific kind of touch to land a ball in a 17-inch wide box from 60 feet away when you're throwing it into the clouds.
- Start at 30 feet: Just play catch. Try to get the ball as high as possible while still making it land accurately in your partner's chest. Feel the release off the "heel" of your hand.
- Move to the mound: Don't worry about strikes yet. Focus on the arc. Aim for the top of the backstop, then let it fall.
- The "String" Drill: If you can, hang a string about 10-12 feet high halfway between the mound and the plate. Practice throwing over the string and having the ball land for a strike.
- Check your arm speed: Record yourself. Compare your Eephus delivery to your fastball delivery. If your arm is moving at half-speed, you need to work on "selling" the motion more convincingly.
Once you can land it for a strike 7 out of 10 times in practice, you're ready. Use it once a game. Maybe once every two games. It’s a tool, not a crutch. But when you finally see a 200-pound slugger corkscrew himself into the dirt because he swung three seconds too early, you’ll realize why the Eephus is the most fun pitch in the game.