What Is The Right Age For A Pitcher To Start Throwing A Curveball?
In general, I don’t think that kids shouldn’t throw curveballs until they are 16 or 17. I say this for two reasons. First, throwing a curveball can focus the load on the UCL. This is problematic because it takes this long for the growth plate of the Medial Epicondyle (the bony bump on the inside of the elbow), which is the bone to which the UCL attaches, to close. Second, I’m not convinced that you have to learn to throw curveballs early to throw them well. For example, Trevor Hoffman didn’t throw a curveball until he was in college. Technically, a kid of 12 can safely throw a curveball provided that he does so while pronating the forearm (rather than supinating the forearm). However, it can be hard to tell whether a kid is throwing a curveball the right way or wrong way, which is why I’m cautious. Also, throwing a pronation curveball also tends to require that a pitcher have a larger hand, which they won’t get until they are older.
