Pitching Tips - The Fast Ball. Greatest fast ball pitcher since Walter Johnson is Robert "Lefty" Grove of the Red Sox, who makes the most of his six feet two inches of height by throwing overhand. To get utmost speed on the ball, legs, back, arms and wrists must go into the pitch, with emphasis on the final snap of the wrist and fingers. Like all good fast ball pitchers, Lefty's "fireball" has a slight rise as it approaches the plate, a tiny upward curve of; perhaps, an inch that is called the "hop" and causes batters to hit under the ball and pop it into the air. Boys under sixteen should be careful not to overwork or strain their arms in trying for too much speed.