[1] The specific goals of off-speed pitches may vary, but in general they are used to disrupt the batter's timing, thereby lessening his chances of hitting the ball solidly or at all.
When thrown, a curveball appears to rise out of the pitchers hand initially and is then followed by a large bending arc downward as the pitch nears home plate.
The pressure from the finger on the outside of the ball creates the horizontal trajectory and the lack of wrist manipulation results in a faster pitch than the curveball.
[5] The changeup is a pitch intended to look like a fastball upon release, however the way in which it is gripped and thrown causes it to be much slower and start to drop down and to the pitcher's arm side.
[6] A knuckleball is a unique pitch not often utilized by many pitchers due to its sporadic and unexpected movement, making it tough for catchers to glove it.
Its name is derived from the grip as the pitcher digs the knuckles from their index, middle, and occasionally even the ring finger on one seam of the baseball.
The pitch is thrown similar to a four-seam fastball, although the pitcher keeps their wrist stiff until release, letting the ball slip out of the hand.
[8] This opposite break is achieved using an grip similar to a circle changeup and an unorthodox pronation of a pitcher's arm upon release.