Baseballs have 108 stitches that bind together two figure eight shaped pieces of cowhide.   Air molecules collide with spinning baseball seams to generate forces that change the direction of pitches on their way toward home plate.   Daniel Bernoulli's fluid flow equation explains how 108 stitches generate forces as baseballs move through the air molecule fluid.

     Fluid molecules are in streamline flows when they move from points to points without rotational motions or turbulences.   Because, in pitching, air molecules are the fluid of interest, we can identify the preceding variables.   Density (d) is air density.   Velocity (v) is the velocity with which air molecules rush past baseballs or the baseballs rush past air molecules.   Height (h) is the baseball?s diameter.   Pressure (P) is the interaction between air molecules and baseball?s seams.

     When pitchers pitch, their pitches rush through air molecules at some velocity (v).   Air molecules uniformly collide with the front half of baseballs.   Pitchers cause their pitches to rotate in different ways.   Rapidly spinning baseballs increase the influence of their seams on the air molecules.

     The Magnus Effect explains how air molecules colliding with four seam pitches create forces that predictably move baseballs.   When baseballs spin rapidly, their seams collide with air molecules.   Where spinning seams collide with air molecules, pressure increases.   The German physicist, Professor Magnus, described this phenomenon when he showed why four seam curveballs that have horizontal spin axes changed direction in flight.   When the seams on the top of the baseball rotate forward, they create greater pressure on the top of the baseball.   This increased pressure on the top pushes the baseball downward.   Consequently, my Maxline Pronation Curve and Maxline and Torque True Screwballs move downward.

     While Professor Magnus only explained why curves changed direction, his Magnus Effect also influences four seam fastballs.   My four seam Maxline and Torque Fastballs have horizontal spin axes with the seams on the bottom of the baseball rotating forward.   When the seams on the bottom of the baseball rotate forward, they create greater pressure on the bottom of the baseball.   This increased pressure on the bottom pushes the baseball upward.   However, the downward acceleration of the baseball due to gravity overwhelms this upward force.   Nevertheless, my four seam Maxline and Torque Fastballs do not move downward as fast as gravity pushes them.   When youngsters throw whiffle balls, i. e., plastic balls with numerous holes that create significant surface friction, with high horizontal spin axis velocity, we can see these balls move upward against gravity.

     Four seam fastballs have four seams spinning counter-clockwise with horizontal axes.   Their bottom seams rotate forward to collide with air molecules and create increased pressure.   Their top seams rotate away from air molecules and create decreased pressure.   Consequently, four seam fastballs have increased pressure below the baseball and decreased pressure on top of the baseball.   These pressures cause four seam fastballs to move upwardly.

     Gravity accelerates pitches downwardly at 32 ft/sec².   Additionally, air molecules decelerate pitches.   Decelerating pitches move downwardly.   Therefore, four seam fastballs do not move upwardly.   However, rapidly spinning four seam fastballs do not fall as rapidly as if they did not have the four seam Effect.   The decreased falling rates of four seam fastballs fool batters into swinging below where they actually cross home plate.

     In the following discussion, I will explain how pitchers should grip their pitches.   The scientific designation for the thumb, index, middle, ring and little fingers are the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th digits.   The 2^nd through 5^th digits contain proximal, middle and distal phalanges.   The 1^st digit contains only proximal and distal phalanges.

     Maxline refers to my force application technique that drives pitches to the pitching arm side of home plate.

     To grip my four seam Maxline fastballs, I direct the horseshoe toward the pitching arm side of home plate.   I place my middle finger along the stripe in the center of the baseball and ?hook? the seam with the tip.   I rest the baseball on the platform of my ring finger and I push the baseball against my middle finger with my thumb.

     For my release action, I turn the anterior surface of my wrist slightly outward.   When I forearm accelerate through release, I powerfully pronate my forearm.   To get a horizontal spin axis, the baseball leaves my hand off the tip of my middle finger.   The narrow two seams on the glove side of the baseball make a small circle of friction that causes my four seam Maxline fastballs to move toward the pitching arm side of home plate.

     High speed film of my four seam Maxline Fastball shows that the baseball leaves off the tip of the middle finger.   After release, the forearm continues to pronate.   When the arm reaches as far forward as possible, the deceleration phase ends.

     Torque refers to my force application technique that drives pitches to the glove side of home plate.

     To grip my four seam Torque fastballs, I direct the horseshoe to the glove side of home plate.   I place my index and middle finger on either side of the stripe in the center of the baseball and 'hook' the seam with the tips of both fingers.   I rest the baseball on the platform of my ring finger and I push toward my index and middle fingers with my thumb.

     For my four seam Torque fastball forearm action, I turn the anterior surface of my wrist slightly inward.   When I forearm accelerate through release, I pronate my wrist and hand.   To get a horizontal spin axis, the baseball leaves my hand off the tips of my index and middle fingers.   The narrow two seams on the pitching arm side of the baseball make a small circle of friction that causes my four seam Torque fastball to move toward the glove side of home plate.

     High speed film of my four seam Torque Fastball shows that the baseball leaves off the tips of the index and middle finger.   After release, the forearm continues to pronate.

     My four seam Maxline Pronation Curve has four seams spinning forward with a horizontal spin axis.   The top seams rotate forward to collide with air molecules and create increased pressure.   Their bottom seams rotate away from air molecules and create decreased pressure.   Consequently, my four seam Maxline Pronation Curve has increased pressure on top of the baseball and decreased pressure below the baseball.   These pressures cause my Maxline Pronation Curve to move downwardly.

     Gravity also pushes my Maxline Pronation Curve downward.   Air molecules also decelerate all pitches.   Therefore, rapidly spinning Maxline Pronation Curves have several variables that cause them to change directions downwardly.   The increased falling rates fool batters into swinging above where they actually cross home plate.

     To grip my four seam pronation curves, I run my middle finger along the pitching arm side of a loop.   I strongly press the side of my middle finger against the seam with the tip where the stripe goes through the center of the baseball.   My index finger presses tightly against and helps the middle finger.   I place my ring finger platform on the other side of the adjoining loop and I tuck my thumb under the baseball.

     For my release action, I turn the little finger side of my wrist forward.   With my fingers pointing downward and my forearm sharply angled inside of vertical, I powerfully ulnar flex and pronate my wrist.   To impart a horizontal spin axis, I release the baseball over the top of my index and middle fingers.   With a horizontal spin axis, my four seam pronation curves move dramatically downward.   Again, the curve pitching arm action is inside of vertical with strong wrist pronation.

     High speed film of my four seam Maxline Pronation Curve show that the baseball leaves over top of the middle finger.   After release, the forearm continues to pronate.

     Four seam Maxline True Screwballs have four seams spinning with horizontal axes.   Their top seams rotate forward to collide with air molecules and create increased pressure.   Their bottom seams rotate away from air molecules and create decreased pressure.   Consequently, four seam Maxline True Screwballs have increased pressure on top of the baseball and decreased pressure below the baseball.   These pressures cause four seam Maxline True Screwballs to move downwardly.

     Gravity also pushes four seam Maxline True Screwballs downwardly.   Air molecules decelerate pitches.   Decelerating four seam Maxline True Screwballs move baseballs downwardly.   Therefore, rapidly spinning four seam Maxline True Screwballs have several variables that cause them to change directions downwardly.   The increased falling rates of four seam Maxline True Screwballs fool batters into swinging above where they actually cross home plate.

     To grip my four seam Maxline True Screwballs, I run my middle finger along the glove side seam of a loop.   I strongly press the side of my middle finger against the seam with the tip where the stripe goes around the center of the baseball.   My index and ring fingers ?lock? the baseball firmly in my hand.   I place my thumb below my index finger and I strongly push against my ring finger.

     For my release action, I turn the thumb side of my wrist forward.   With my hand and fingers facing forward, I maximally pronate my forearm.   To impart a horizontal spin axis, I release the baseball over the top of my horizontal middle finger.   With a horizontal spin axis, my four seam Maxline True Screwballs move dramatically downward.

     High speed film of my four seam Maxline True Screwball shows that the baseball leaves over top of the middle finger.   After release, the forearm continues to pronate until the palm turns upward.

     When the four seams of baseballs spin as the four seam Effect describes, about one-eighth of their leading surface contain seams.   Therefore, four seam pitches have their four seams collide with air molecules only about twelve and one-half percent of the time.

     When I learned of the Magnus Effect, I immediately wondered whether baseballs could rotate in such a way as to increase the percent of the seams that could collide with air molecules.   Therefore, I closely examined various ways that baseballs could rotate with seams on their leading surfaces.

     With two figure eight patterns sewn together, baseballs formed four loops.   I determined that baseballs could rotate in such a manner as to have one of these loops constantly on its leading surface.   In this way, this loop could create a circle that constantly collided with air molecules.   I call the circle that this loop creates, ?The Circle of Friction.?

     Marshall Effect pitches have seams that cover over seventy-five percent of the circle and about twenty-five percent of the leading surface.   Also, whereas the seams of four seam pitches collide with air molecules only one-half of the time, the seams of Marshall Effect pitches continuously collide with air molecules.   Therefore, Marshall Effect pitches have significantly increased air molecule pressures acting on them.

     Pitchers can place the Marshall circle of friction at various positions on the leading surface of their pitches.   When air molecules collide with these seams, pressure increases to push the baseballs away from their circles of friction.

     The Marshall Effect explains how air molecules colliding with two-seam circle of friction pitches create forces that predictably move baseballs.   When the circle of friction rotates on the forward surface of the baseball, it creates greater pressure.   Consequently, true Maxline Fastball Sinkers and Torque Fastball Sliders move downward.

     Two seam Maxline Fastball Sinkers have circles of friction spinning counter-clockwise on the top non-pitching arm side of their leading surfaces with downwardly directed spin axes.   Their seams rotate forward to collide with air molecules and create continuous increased pressure.   Consequently, two seam Maxline Fastball Sinkers have increased pressure on top non-pitching arm side of baseballs.   These pressures should cause two seam Maxline Fastball Sinkers to move downwardly and toward the pitching arm.

     Gravity also pushes two seam Maxline Fastball Sinkers downwardly and toward the pitching arm.   Air molecules decelerate pitches.   Decelerating two seam Maxline Fastball Sinkers move downwardly and toward the pitching arm.   Therefore, rapidly spinning two seam Maxline Fastball Sinkers have several variables that cause them to change directions downwardly and toward the pitching arm.   The increased falling rates of two seam Maxline Fastball Sinkers fool batters into swinging above where they actually cross home plate.

     To grip my two seam Maxline Fastball Sinkers, I place the circle of friction on the glove side of the baseball and I run the side of my middle finger diagonally along the inside loop until the tip of the middle finger touches the circle.   My ring and index fingers squeeze the baseball to ?lock? the baseball in my hand.   I strongly press my thumb toward my ring finger.

     To teach my two seam Maxline Fastball Sinker forearm action, I tell pitchers to throw four seam Maxline Fastballs with my two seam Maxline Fastball Sinker grip.   For my release action, I turn the thumb side of my wrist forward.   With my fingers facing toward home plate, I powerfully pronate my forearm and radial flex my wrist and squeeze the baseball out between my middle and ring fingers to spiral the baseball toward the middle of home plate.   With a reverse spiral spin axis, my two seam Maxline Fastball Sinkers move downward and toward the pitching arm side of home plate.

     High speed film of my Two Seam Maxline Fastball Sinker shows that the baseball leaves off the outside of the middle finger.   After release, the forearm continues to pronate.

     Two seam Torque Fastball Sliders have circles of friction spinning clockwise on the top pitching arm side of their leading surfaces with downwardly directed spin axes.   Their seams rotate forward to collide with air molecules and create continuous increased pressure.   Consequently, two seam Torque Fastball Sliders have increased pressure on top pitching arm side of baseballs.   These pressures should cause two seam Torque Fastball Sliders to move downwardly and away from the pitching arm.

     Gravity also pushes two seam Torque Fastball Sliders downwardly and away from the pitching arm.   Air molecules decelerate pitches.   Decelerating two seam Torque Fastball Sliders move downwardly and away from the pitching arm.   Therefore, rapidly spinning two seam Torque Fastball Sliders have several variables that cause them to change directions downwardly and away from the pitching arm.   The increased falling rates of two seam Torque Fastball Sliders fool batters into swinging above where they actually cross home plate.

     To grip my two seam Torque Fastball Sliders, I direct the horseshoe downward and I run my middle finger along the narrow seams at the top of the baseball.   I strongly press the side of my middle finger against the seam with the tip where the stripe goes through the center of the baseball.   My index finger presses tightly against and helps the middle finger.   I place the platform of my ring finger on the other side of the adjoining loop and I tuck my thumb under the baseball.

     To teach my two seam Torque Fastball Slider forearm action, I tell pitchers to throw four seam Torque Fastballs with my two seam Torque Fastball Slider grip.   I turn the little finger side of my wrist forward.   With my fingers pointing downward and my forearm sharply angled inside of vertical, I powerfully ulnar flex and pronate my wrist.   My two seam Torque Fastball Slider spirals toward home plate.   With a spiral spin axis, my two seam Torque Fastball Sliders move downward and toward the glove side of home plate.

     High speed film of my two seam Torque Fstball Slider shows that the baseball leaves off the tips of the index and middle finger.   After release, the forearm continues to pronate.