Baseball Pitching Tips: Fourteen Ways To Turn A .300 Hitter Into A .210 Hitter

Baseball Pitching Tips and Techniques

By Baseball Coaching Digest Guest Author: Jay P. Granat, Ph.D.

Baseball pitchers at every level are always looking for an edge over the hitters that they compete against. This is true in little league baseball, high school baseball, college baseball, in the minor leagues and in the major leagues.

Here are a few tips that can help pitchers to throw more strikes in those big games.

1. Pitchers can benefit from utilizing records, data and video from previous games with hitters so that they can understand how best to pitch to certain batters. For instance, if the hitter likes to extend on the ball, it makes sense to pitch him inside. Similarly, if a hitter has trouble with a fast ball, the pitcher may want to rely on this basic pitch.

2. Pitchers can benefit from developing four or five pitches. While this is not a physically easy task, having a variety of pitches can keep batters guessing and consequently, off balance.

3. Throwing strikes is very important. In addition, focusing on throwing strikes can help to remove mental clutter from the pitcher's mind and can help to simplify the task at hand for many pitchers.

4. In fact, according to Carlton Chin, an expert in sports, math and statistics, at the major league level, staying ahead of the hitter can actually turn at .300 hitter into a .210 hitter. This ninety point swing can be a huge advantage for the hurler. Pitchers need to have an appreciation of this simple mathematical fact.

5. Pitchers need to have a good working relationship with their pitching coach, their head coach and their catcher.

6. Pitchers need to know what kind of self talk allow them to "enter the zone" when they are on the mound. As one pitcher told the author, "It is all about how you communicate with yourself."

7. Some pitchers benefit from knowing how to empty their minds of all distractions before each and every pitch. This empty mind helps them to allow their athleticism and years of training to take over when they are on the pitching mound.

8. Some pitchers think in terms of hitting the catcher's mitt. Others try to hit portions of the plate. Pitchers need to choose a target which gives them the right amount of focus but which does not create too much anxiety for them. The right target can very from pitcher too pitcher.

9. While location of pitches is very important, pitchers need to remember that good pitching is also about disrupting the hitter's timing. Varying speeds can be a very useful skill for baseball hurlers.

10. Some pitchers put too much pressure on themselves by forgetting that they have teammates on the field who can help them to win games. A ground out or fly out is as good as strikeout much of the time in baseball.

11. Some baseball hurlers do well by focusing on one simple part of their mechanics. (Follow through, use your legs, easy does it, transfer your weight.)

12. Having a consistent pre-pitch routing helps many pitchers to perform well.

13. Knowing the pace that you like to pitch at is also important. Some pitchers like to work rapidly. Others need more time between each pitch. Pitchers who are struggling may want to adjust their pace of pitching accordingly. Experiment with less time or more time and see what works best.

14. Pitchers can benefit from mental toughness training which shows them how to be relaxed, confident, focused and resilient when the pressure is on. Hypnosis, visualization and meditation can help pitchers to maintain the right mindset in the dugout, in the bullpen and on the mound.

Jay P. Granat, Ph.D. is a Psychotherapist, Author and the Founder of http://www.StayInTheZone.com. He has been featured in many major media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Good Morning America, ESPN and Sports Illustrated. Dr. Granat is available for coaching and for seminars. He can be reached at info@stayinthezone.com or at 888 580-ZONE. He has recently developed a program for baseball pitchers How To Throw More Strikes With Sport Psychology And Self-Hypnosis. Here is the link to get this program. http://stayinthezone.com/shop/how-to-throw-more-strikes-with-sport-psychology-self-hypnosis/

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Baseball Pitching Drills - Improving Accuracy

Baseball Pitching Drills - Improving Accuracy
By Kenny Buford

Some of the most important baseball pitching drills focus on accuracy and placing the ball where you want it to be. The following drills work athletes to continually improve their ability to get the ball where it's intended to go. Drills can be adjusted depending on the age and playing level of different teams and players.

Bullseye

In the bullseye drill, players throw the ball into an ever-decreasing bullseye. Coaches should tape off a square bullseye, either into a padded wall or a throwing or batting cage.

Inside each square, there is a smaller square, with a total of 5 squares. The size of the bullseye depends on the age and playing ability of the team you are working with, but it should be challenging.

Players must throw 3-5 balls back-to-back inside the bullseye before the coach removes the outer-most piece of tape, thus decreasing the size of the bullseye. The number of back-to-back balls thrown into the bullseye is also a decision the coach makes, depending on the age and playing level of the team.

Kneeling Partner Pitches

Each player needs a partner. Both partners kneel on the ground, both with gloves, but with only one ball. The distance between the players is up to the coach, and can be extended periodically during the drill to make things more difficult.

Each pair pitches back and forth. The pitch is considered "good" if the catcher does not have to extend his arms out to his sides in order to catch the ball.

If the catchers extend their arms, the pitcher gets a point. If the catchers lift a knee to reach for the pitch, the pitcher gets two points. If the catcher falls in an effort to get the pitch, the pitcher gets three points.

Pitchers must keep their point total under 5 to stay in the game. The catcher counts the number of pitches the pitcher completes before reaching 5 points, and then the catcher becomes the pitcher and vice versa.

To make the drill more exciting or competitive for the players, pitchers can be ranked against each other to find the pitcher who completed the most pitchers before reaching 5 points.

Increasing Difficulty

Each of these drills can be made more difficult with just a few small tweaks. As already mentioned, coaches can increase the distance between players or between the pitcher and the bullseye. Coaches can focus on pitching speed, or measuring accuracy against each other pitchers to create some friendly competition.

And if you'd like to see more free baseball drills and coaching tips, go here to watch a free video:

http://www.baseball-tutorials.com/vid/

Kenny Buford is a youth baseball coach, and the owner and publisher of Baseball-Tutorials.com, the web's #1 resource for baseball drills, tips, and practice ideas for youth and high school coaches.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenny_Buford

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Baseball Pitching Tips - How to Get to Know a Hitter's Tendencies Very Quickly!

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Baseball Coaching and Pitching Tips
By Larry Cicchiello

It is mandatory for baseball pitchers to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the baseball hitters they face. There are certain very clever things a pitcher can do. If the hitter takes a practice swing before facing you, pay attention to his practice swing! If he appears to be hitting an inside pitch with it, he is probably a pull hitter. If he appears to be hitting the ball the opposite way with his practice swing, chances are he likes to go the opposite way. If he appears to be hitting a high pitch, he probably likes the ball up. If he appears to be hitting a low pitch, you guessed it, he's probably a good low ball hitter. One of the best baseball pitching tips to remember is that professional baseball hitters, all the way down to very young players like to practice what they do well and not what they do NOT do well.This very often includes their practice swings.

Some Guidelines To Use BEFORE You Actually See The Hitter Swing:

Batter Has A Closed Stance. He probably likes the ball away from him and out over the plate. Find out if he can handle a pitch inside.

Batter Has An Open Stance. He probably likes the ball inside. Find out if he can handle the low and away strike.

Batter Stands Deep In The Box. I would be thinking primarily breaking balls.

Batter Stands Shallow In The Box. Well, if the batter wants to give me an extra couple of feet on my fastball, I'll take the extra foot or two he's giving me to see if he can catch up to my heater.

Batter Has His Hands Held High. Almost always likes the ball LOW, with very few exceptions! You can check it out for yourself right now. Put your hands up high right now, by your back ear and pretend you are holding a bat. Move your hands like you are swinging at a chest high fastball. It doesn't feel right, does it? Pitch him primarily up in the zone until he proves you to be wrong.

Batter Has The Bat Curled Around His Neck. Find out if he can handle a pitch that is up and in. His bat has to travel extremely far to hit that pitch well.

Some Thought Processes To Use AFTER You Have Seen The Hitter Swing:

Your first pitch is a real good fastball and he pulls it and hits a seed that's a foul about 350 feet from home plate. You now know there is a very good chance he loves the fast ball. You should strongly consider going off speed on your next pitch. The only risk is that if he's a good hitter, he might be thinking along with you after what he just did to your fast ball. (This is part of the chess match that takes place between a good pitcher and a good hitter.)

Good hitters are good hitters for a reason and that's because they are always thinking. OK, he has clobbered your first pitch fastball. I'm not saying that you should not go off speed but you do have another option, considering this guy appears to love the fastball. The thought process goes like this...OK, you love the fastball, well I'll give you another fastball. But this time it's going to be six inches or so off the outside corner. Remember, if he loves to hit the fastball, he may chase one out of the strike zone because he doesn't know if he'll get another one from you. After two fastballs, he may start to think that you are going to stay with your heater. You might then go off speed, on your third pitch. If this sounds like a chess match to you, it is because it IS a chess match that should be going on between a good pitcher and a good batter!

What If You Start The Batter Off With A Curve Ball?

You may start a hitter off with a curve ball and he may act like he's never seen a curve ball before. I experienced this first hand when I was pitching at the age of 15. I had a very successful outing in our championship game. A player on the other team was a feared and OUTSTANDING HITTER! I knew very little about him other than that EVERYBODY knew he was a tremendous hitter. Now please keep in mind the purpose of this article...I want to get to know him as quickly as possible. He had smoke coming out of his ears when he came up to the plate and I thought, "Oh boy, here we go." My first pitch to him was a slow curve ball. He swung down at the ball with the very unusual appearance that he was hammering a spike into the ground. I had him "chopping the wood," as it's referred too. I remember his timing was disrupted and literally saw the look of bewilderment on his face after the pitch. After this peculiar swing, I actually saw his eyes squint as he was shaking his head from left to right and right to left as if saying "no." Well, the only thing I knew about him was that he batted something ridiculous like 600. I now also knew, after only one pitch that he does NOT like my curve ball.

In two subsequent at bats, he hesitated and decided to swing at the last fraction of a second. He was 0-3 against me and did not come close to getting a hit off me. Please...I am not making fun of Danny nor am I bragging. I have always and still have total respect for everyone on the baseball field. The ONLY point I'm making here is for your benefit and NOT mine. The point is that I was able to learn a lot about this hitter after throwing one pitch!

He saw fastballs off the plate and medium speed or slow curve balls the entire game. I still had to show him the fast ball because he's a good hitter for a reason and he will make adjustments. If I threw him only curve balls, probably about the fifth one would go over the fence. He would progressively go from looking terrible to looking very good and that's why he's a very good hitter.

I have to be honest and level with you here. I told you I had a very successful outing and that's totally true. We lost the game 2-1 in extra innings. I had a two hit shutout going into the last inning. We led 1-0 in the last inning and I was starting to get tired. With one out, I walked a batter. I struck out the next batter on a fastball. So there is a runner on first base and two outs. No problem. The next batter hits a fairly easy grounder to second base. Our second baseman runs over about three steps to his left, is in front of the ball and it goes through his legs. (OUCH!) I should be celebrating a 1-0 victory with a 2 hit shutout! But instead, there are now runners on first and second and still two outs.

I still need one out and they have their second best hitter up. I threw him a "mistake," a high curve ball and he singled to left center to tie the game up. The next batter popped up to end the inning and I was done for the game, as the league rules required me to leave after six innings.

They scored in the first extra inning on a walk and then a double and beat us 2-1. It's amazing how I can remember the details from over forty years ago but I was heart broken and that's probably why I can remember it so well. I was very upset and emotional after the game and my father, God rest his soul, had a very nice chat with me. We lived less than a mile from the park but my father and I drove around for about twenty minutes before returning home to break the bad news to my mother and sisters. He kept dwelling on my solid performance and told me, "you pitched your heart out and that's all you can do." My father was great and made me feel a LITTLE better but this one hurt and my tears reflected just that. (Thanks for letting me share my heartbreaking story with you.)

OK, let's get back to knowing a batter quickly. Let's make sure we are clear on something. Remember that even if I see that a hitter does NOT like a pitch in a certain location, it does NOT mean that I can throw that same pitch over and over and over again and expect to be successful. Good hitters will make adjustments at the plate. I still have to show him other pitches and other locations also.

Be cautious that a batter doesn't start out one way and then when he is actually swinging, he changes. For example, a batter may have his bat curled around his head but when he's actually ready to hit, he changes and it's NOT curled any longer.

Another example is if a batter has an open stance. He may possibly close his stance just before getting ready to swing. You have to pay attention, just like a batter who takes your pitch and follows it all the way into the catcher's mitt to see how your pitch is moving.

Baseball pitching tips require clever use of the mind as well as the body and pitching is NOT simply getting the ball and throwing the pitch. Please make sure you learn a hitter's tendencies as quickly as possible!

Larry Cicchiello is the successful author of several very user friendly eBooks covering 320 topics on playing or coaching excellent baseball. ANY player, coach or parent who wants to help their child will be fully equipped! Check out some FREE baseball tips on hitting and FREE baseball pitching tips at LarryBaseball.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Larry_Cicchiello

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Pitching Mechanics and Velocity

Pitching Mechanics and Velocity

By Nate Barnett

Can proper pitching mechanics help increase velocity? Absolutely!

First of all, mechanics are important for your overall health as a pitcher. There is no doubt that pitchers who have the best mechanics throw harder and last longer each outing; it also makes sense that their careers are typically longer than those pitchers who have poor mechanics. Why? They understand that energy has to be transferred correctly toward home plate. If not, they are more prone to arm injuries.

But, how do pitching mechanics effect velocity?

When a pitcher is mechanically efficient, he will throw with his entire body, from feet to fingertips, every part of their body functions properly as it moves in the right direction; toward home plate. Pitchers with mediocre pitching mechanics suffer the consequences of mediocre velocity because they rely too much on arm strength for speed. You may have heard that a pitcher get his power from his legs. Wrong! That is only a small piece of this mechanical puzzle we will talk about on this site.

Here are a couple things you can do to increase your velocity using proper pitching mechanics!

Lengthen your stride: How long should your stride be? As long as you can make it while maintaining proper balance toward home plate. Pitchers should strive to stride at least as long as they are tall; 100% of their height. The reasoning behind this is to take time and generate momentum to foot strike. The shorter your stride, the less momentum you have and that means it directly effects how hard you are going to throw.

Explode to Foot Strike: In order to throw faster you need to get to foot strike faster. Of course, you need to do this strategically with proper pitching mechanics; maintaining your balance. So many pitchers not only have a short stride, but they mosey on down the mound. Pick up the pace! You've got to speed up that weight transfer, while maintaining proper form and balance.

Nate Barnett is co-owner of The Pitching Academy.

After finishing a professional career in the Seattle Mariners Organization, Nate pursued his coaching and motivational training career. You can find The Pitching Academy's videos, blog, and more articles on pitching mechanics when you visit the website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nate_Barnett


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Baseball Pitching - Smart Pitchers Set Goals

Baseball Pitching - Smart Pitchers Set Goals
By Dan Gazaway

You may have read my previous article, "Reaching a Higher Level of Success." If so, you saw that pitching tip #2 was setting goals. Many athletes don't know how to set and achieve goals. The following are a few simple steps to ensure your goals are met. Remember, no professional athlete gets where they are without having both a clearly defined goal, and a clear plan of action to accomplish it.

Setting goals should be a big part of every pitcher's priorities. Without goals, you lack focus and direction. As a result, you can sometimes forget what you want to achieve or lose sight of the big picture of what your objectives are. Before you set a goal, you have to understand what it is you want. You must then ask yourself the right questions to reach them. The answers to those questions will help you reach your goals.

Question #1: What am I attempting to achieve?

Sounds simple right? When answering these questions, write them down on paper. It is important to have clearly defined goals. Don't be vague in describing what your focus is, be clear and specific.

Example:

Let's say your goal is to be able to throw an effective curveball by September of this year. Did you notice the time frame? Setting a realistic time frame to accomplish the goal sets some standards for you. Now that you have identified a specific goal and time frame, ask additional questions so you can take action steps to achieve it.

Question #2: What am I going to do on a daily basis to ensure I achieve this goal?

Do I need personal instruction so I'm throwing the pitch correctly? What pitchers can I study who throw that pitch effectively? What information can I gather, or what resources do I have, that will give me accurate information about the curveball? Are there pitching-specific exercises or pitching drills I can work on to develop proper control of the curveball? If so, what are they?

Now it's time to take action on your goal! Set a schedule for yourself, ensuring that if you follow your pattern for success, there should be no reason why you won't achieve the goal by the date you've set.

Dan Gazaway is the owner and founder of The Pitching Academy in Utah. His expertise includes instructing athletes about proper pitching mechanics, pitching workout programs and different pitching grips He is known as a premiere pitching instructor in that area and is branching out to other states very quickly. Coach Gazaway has been an avid student of pitching for over twenty years and is continuing that pursuit so he will always offer the most up to date pitching information. Dan also has received his coaching certification from The National Pitching Association in San Diego.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dan_Gazaway

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Baseball Pitching Tips - Checkpoints Are Mandatory For All Pitchers!

By Larry Cicchiello

Checkpoints are something that every baseball pitcher should do before every pitch in order for him to be the most effective!

Usually, baseball pitchers have about three or four. They will vary from pitcher to pitcher. Checkpoints are very simply mental reminders that a pitcher gives to himself before every pitch.

Some Common Checkpoints That Pitchers Use:


Step toward your catcher's target.
Keep the front shoulder closed when driving toward the plate so you don't "fly open."
Throw the ball and don't overthrow the ball.
Don't rock left and right and keep everything straight during the windup and delivery of the pitch.
Remember not to tilt the head and to keep it straight.
Remember to "stay back on the rubber" if you have a tendency to get your body ahead of your throwing arm and it causes you to rush when throwing.
Keep the windup slow if you have a tendency to rush and it causes pitching problems for you.
Get the legs involved in the pitch to share the work load.
Stay "on top" of your pitches or they will flatten out and be much more hittable.
Turn the hip enough when pivoting.
Raise the throwing elbow up to shoulder height or you will "push" the ball and not throw it.
Break the hands apart early so you don't have to rush the throwing arm.
Raise the front knee to at least waist height.
The list can go on and on. (And it almost did.)

As an individual baseball pitcher, you have to decide what the three or four things are that should be your personal checkpoints. Only you will know what these things are that you should do, or should not do to pitch the most effectively.

Think of them before you throw every pitch!

It's not nearly as complicated as one might think. Simply think of an abbreviated form because it is not like you have to think of thirty, forty or fifty words before every pitch.

A typical checkpoint list may be staying back on the rubber, front shoulder closed and point the landing foot to the catcher's target. A more logical and abbreviated version would be "stay back, closed and foot." It takes about one second at the most.

Spending this valuable one second will help you tremendously as a baseball pitcher!

Larry is the president of Larwenty Online Enterprises Inc. He is also the author of "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." If you are a baseball player or baseball coach at any level of play, or a parent who wants to help your child improve, you will be fully equipped! His baseball website offers several FREE baseball tips from his very informative and very fairly priced eBooks.

Larry's baseball website is http://www.larrybaseball.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Larry_Cicchiello

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Pitching Mechanics - Using an Elastic Chord to Fine Tune Your Mechanics?

By Dan Gazaway

My favorite topic to discuss as it relates to Baseball is Pitching Mechanics. But I want to write about pitching mechanics as they relate to elastic chord pitching workouts. If you aren't involved in a pitching workout routine that involves using elastic chords to strengthen the tendons and ligaments that support your surrounding muscles, I would highly recommend it. However, were you aware that an elastic chord can help you with your pitching mechanics?

Here is the exercise that I would recommend you try if you want to see if your pitching mechanics are up to par. Attach an elastic band (surgical tubing) to a fence (or anything stationary) shoulder height. Stretch the band far enough to feel resistance. You'll want to hold the band away from you (toward second base if you were on the mound) as you would with your fastball pitching grip. Once you do this you can try any mechanical maneuver (the correct way or the wrong way) from the stretch position to see if you need a mechanical tune-up. The key to doing these drills is to "feel" the difference in power as you pull the chord the right way and "feel" the difference when you don't.

To prove this drills effectiveness, you need to understand some basic mechanical flaws so you can try it yourself. One of the most common mistakes a pitcher will make is opening up too soon. They will open up their shoulder and hips prematurely before foot strike. To "feel" that this isn't mechanically correct, purposely open your hips and shoulders before foot strike and pull the elastic chord forward. What do you "feel"? Do you feel less power?

Another common mechanical flaw is to lift your pivot foot up too soon before release of the baseball. To prove for yourself that this will decrease your pitching velocity, try it with the elastic band. Once you lift your pivot foot too soon (before release) the stretched elastic band will start pulling you back. You know you have lost power; you also know you shouldn't do it. If you keep your foot planted on the ground until release you clearly have control.

You can try these drills to test your strength throughout your entire delivery. If something doesn't feel right (pressure in your arm; less power) when you pull the elastic band forward, then you know it's time to tweak your pitching mechanics. If your serious about improving your overall pitching performance, I would recommend you get some pitching instruction from a certified coach in your area.

Dan Gazaway is owner and founder of The Pitching Academy in Utah. He is known as a premiere pitching instructor focusing on pitching workout programs, pitching mechanics an baseball pitching grips [http://www.thepitchingacademy.net/Articles/Pitching-Articles/Maintain-Proper-Pitching-Mechanics-and-Technique-with-Curveball-and-Changeup.html]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dan_Gazaway

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The Categories they have are: Baseball Training Equipment, Youth Baseball Training Equipment, Training Bats, Pitching & Throwing Trainers, Defensive Trainers, Batting Cages, Pitching Machines, Jugs Equipment, Game and Practice Baseballs, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, Portable Pitching Mounds, Baseball DVDs & Books, Clearance Items on Sales, BatAction Hitting Machines, Hurricane Hitting Machines, NEDCO Bataction Replacement Parts, SKLZ Hurricane Replacement Parts and Much Much More! Visit Baseball2U.com today!

Coaching Baseball Pitchers - Multi-Purpose Baseball Pitching Drills to Improve Control

By Nick Dixon

Learning correct baseball pitching mechanics are the first step in the making of a pitcher. Once proper mechanics are mastered these two drills can be used to hone skill, increase concentration, build confidence, and improve control. Here are two drills that can bed used to help improve a pitchers control. The two drills are "Pitch Tracking" and the "20 X 4" Pitching Drill.

"Pitch Tracking"

Great Drill for Hitters, Catchers, and Pitchers!

The pitcher is throwing to a catcher as he normally would in pitching practice or bull-pen work. The pitcher is throwing at his normal pitching distance. The purpose of the drill is to increase a pitcher's level of concentration, to work a catcher, and to allow one batter or two batters learn to "track" every pitch.

Variation #1: One Batter - Right or Left handed

C --------------------------------------- P

B

Variation #2: Two Batters - One Right and One Left handed

B

C --------------------------------------- P

B

Variation #1 - One batter is standing in and tracking every pitch from the pitcher's hand to the catcher's mitt. The batter does not have a bat. The batter will assume his regular stance and imagine that he is holding a bat. The batter will "track" or watch the first three pitches out of the pitcher's hand until they hit the catcher's mitt, making sure to keep his head down and eyes on the ball all of the way. The batter must have a batting helmet on. The next steps to the drill are explained in the second paragraph below.

Variation #2 - Two batters are standing in the batter's box without bats. Each batter will assume his regular stance and imagine that he is holding a bat. The batters will "track" or watch the first three pitches out of the pitcher's hand until they hit the catcher's mitt, making sure to keep his head down and his eyes on the ball all of the way. The batters must have a batting helmet on. The next steps to the drill are explained in the paragraph below.

Next the batters will swing away with their "imaginary" bats. The batters will read the location of each pitch the pitcher throws and hit the ball where it is pitched. When two batters are tracking, they will do opposites. One will pull a pitch in a location that his tracking partner will hit to the opposite field.

The coach can call out a count such as 2-0, 3-1, 1-2, and 0-2 to allow the batters, pitchers, and catchers certain mind-sets in different situations.

Note: If your hitters are too young to perform this drill, have a coach to stand in. The coach may wish to wear a helmet and wear a glove for protection. This is a tough drill, but it is great for developing concentration. Make sure all batters wear helmets and other proper protective equipment.

Coaching Point: The hitters do not hold a bat. The batters will swing a "invisible" bat. They must attack and hit every pitch according to its location. This drill is great for teaching hitters to see spin and to teach them to see a pitchers release point.

"20 X 4" Pitching Drill

Improves Control & Concentration

This drill is a pitching drill in which the young pitcher works at a smooth, rather fast pace, but only throws 50-60% of normal speed. The pitcher should not be allowed to throw full speed. The objective of the drill is to teach concentration and develop great control. The pitcher has to throw 20 strikes before 4 balls are thrown. The pitcher should be allowed to perform the drill at a shorter distance at first. After several practices, the pitcher should be able to move to the regular pitching distance within. If 4 balls are thrown before 20 strikes, the pitcher must restart. Care should be taken to not overwork the pitcher. Keeping the distance short, emphasizing accuracy not speed, and making sure the pitcher is properly stretched and warmed-up should prevent any chance of arm injury.

With younger players you may want to make the drill a 10-3 drill. 10 strikes must be thrown before 3 balls or the drill is restarted.

Check out the BatAction Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Dixon

Baseball Pitching Mechanics - How Long is Your Stride?

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By Dan Gazaway

How long should my stride be? That is a question that I get from many coaches, parents and pitchers. Many experts give their opinion of how long a stride should be; some say as long as you are tall, some say longer and some say 75% of your height. The answer is as far as your body will allow you to while maintaining proper pitching mechanics. You don't want to jump to foot strike (loosing balance and posture) just so you can add a foot to your stride. You want to push off the ball of your pivot foot while maintaining a closed posture to foot strike. Don't jeopardize your pitching mechanics at the expense of gaining distance. There is a way to do it right.

Why is a long stride important? There are two reasons why you need a good stride. One is to gather enough momentum to foot strike so your fastball has pop. The most exciting reason is that 1-foot = 3 mph perceived pitching velocity. The closer you are to home plate when you release the ball the better. To the batter's eye the ball appears to be going faster than it really is. So, you are working with distance. Furthermore, when you throw inside, the batter has to react that much quicker to the pitch as well. In order for him to hit the ball on the fat part of the bat, he has to react much quicker to get the bat around. Again, distance helps you as a pitcher.

How do you get a longer stride? Maintaining a proper strength and flexibility pitching workout is important. For example, if your hip flexors aren't conditioned to handle the demands of the workload pitching places on them, it will affect your distance and you will be more prone to injury. To add distance, try a delayed shoulder rotation. Some pitchers gain an extra 6 inches to a foot delaying their shoulder properly. Work on releasing the baseball later; this will also help you gain some pitching velocity.

Dan Gazaway is owner and founder of The Pitching Academy in Utah. He is known as a premiere pitching instructor and is an expert in the area of pitching mechanics. Coach Gazaway also teaches proper pitching grips, pitching workouts and drills.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dan_Gazaway

Three Tips For Improving a Pitcher's Control

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By Mike Posey

Are you confident the next pitch will go exactly where you planned? How can you be sure your pitcher will locate the next pitch exactly where you want it? A pitcher with great control can sure make the the coach look good.

A few years ago we had one of our HS pitchers throw a perfect game. Not only did no one reach base (zero hits, zero walks, and zero errors) but he had ten strikeouts. What's even more amazing is that it only took 55 pitches (in a five inning ten run game) and 42 of them were strikes.

So, he must have had a blazing fastball? No, his fastball was in the neighborhood of 82 MPH with a 70 MPH change up. The most impressive feat? Every pitch was exactly where he wanted it to be. He was in complete control at all times. A real thing of beauty to watch and enjoy.

Here are three tips to help your pitcher maximize their control.

1. Good control starts with practicing good mechanics--every day.
Pitchers must practice quality mechanics daily. A secret is to develop a good visual image of how to perform correctly. From a good balance point, properly breaking the hands, a good landing, release, and follow thru. A Tip to help pitchers develop visualization: purchase a full length mirror and have the pitcher practice each day facing the mirror. Balance point, break the hands, release, and follow thru. Practice and visualize.

2. Pitchers must master both sides of the plate with their fastball.

Assuming the pitcher is practicing correct mechanics daily, emphasize that importance of pitching in and away. Many young pitchers today are afraid of pitching in. Teach your pitcher the importance of throwing to the inside half with confidence and accuracy. It will make the pitches away more effective. If you pitcher can not do this consistently with their fastball, don't go to another offspeed pitch until they have mastered the fastball to both sides of the plate.

3. More important than a pitch count is the ratio of strikes.

Pitchers must have feed back of the total percentage of strikes thrown during the game and the total percentage of first strikes thrown to each hitter. Use a pitch count device that will give you these percentages during the game.

Mike Posey "CP"
Expert Baseball Pitching Stats

Expert Baseball Tips from a championship coach's perspective and experience, offering creative insights into helping others learn the game of baseball.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Posey

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Baseball Coaching Tips - How to Tell If Your Pitcher is Getting Tired

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By Larry Cicchiello

Here is a list of some obvious things that anyone involved in baseball coaching should look for.

Keep track of the number of pitches thrown. There isn't anyone on the planet that can give one valid reason as to why baseball coaches at any level of play do not keep a pitch count on their pitchers. In no time at all, you will know for sure at what number of pitches any of your pitchers are starting to run out of gas. It can influence the outcome of the game by leaving the pitcher in the game too long but more importantly it can increase the chance of injury to your pitcher's arm! It's one of the easiest things to do on the ball field. You can pick one person on the team to do it. It can be the manager, coach or a player on the bench. If you are not doing this, you really should start immediately.

Watch to see if the pitcher's elbow is dropping down lower. Watch carefully to see if the pitcher's elbow is starting to drop below the point that it is normally raised to, which is usually about shoulder height. When the elbow starts to drop down low, it's because fatigue has set in and the arm is saying "no" when the pitcher is asking it to elevate. Obviously, this would not apply to side-arm pitchers because their elbow is low already. Aside from a pitch count, which is foolproof, this is a VERY STRONG indicator that a pitcher is getting tired. It also causes a pitcher to "push" the ball instead of throwing the ball. It will make the fast ball and off speed pitches miss high and the curve will flatten out. "Pushing" the ball instead of throwing the ball will also increase the risk of injury to the pitcher.

Is your pitcher taking more time between pitches? Be very observant if your normally fast worker has slowed down the pace considerably and is taking more time between pitches. Occasionally, the opposite can also be true. A normally slow and deliberate pitcher is starting to take less time between pitches. This is because he knows he's tiring and wants to hurry up and get the inning over with.

Watch for a pitcher who stops following through. The more a pitcher tires, the less he follows through and doesn't "finish" his pitches. It's affectionately called "getting lazy." Remember that the follow through protects the arm from coming to a sudden halt. It's not good for your automobile if you're driving 60 m.p.h. and jam on the brakes and it's not healthy for your pitcher's arm accelerating and then coming to an abrupt stop either. When a pitcher stops following through, the risk is not just the quality of the pitch but more importantly, the risk is to injuring his throwing arm.

Watch for any changes in your pitcher's usual mechanics. Watch everything in general. He may be raising his front leg more, he may be raising it less, he may be turning his hips more or less, he may be leaning back more, etc. He may be consciously or sub-consciously changing his mechanics because he is tired. Knowing your pitcher's normal mechanics ahead of time will make it easier for you to recognize a change in his mechanics.

Is your pitcher striding longer than he usually does? This clearly tells you that the pitcher is trying to use his legs more to compensate for his tiring arm.

Observe the pitch selection. He may be throwing more of a certain type of pitch and less of another type of pitch. Watch to see if your pitcher hardly ever throws breaking balls and all of a sudden he's throwing them often. It's quite possible that he's tired and finds the breaking ball easier to throw but of greater concern is the fastball may be hurting his arm when he throws it.

Is the fast ball losing velocity? If you have a power pitcher on the mound and have watched batters swing late for several innings and all of a sudden they are out in front and pulling his fastball, he is running out of gas. You should strongly consider making a pitching change.

Please take these eight guidelines very seriously and put them near the top of your baseball coaching tips. They can determine the outcome of the ball game but the real imporrtant thing here is they will lessen the chance of injury to your pichers.

Larry Cicchiello is the author of the very informative book "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." He is unique in that his site offers visitors several FREE TIPS that are straight from his book. Baseball tips on hitting, baseball pitching tips, baseball fielding tips, baseball base running tips, baseball coaching drills and more. Your baseball "help desk" will be open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year and very user friendly. Larry invites you to check out his FREE TIPS. You will be FULLY EQUIPPED as a manager, coach, player at any level or a parent who wants to help their child improve or overcome any baseball struggles.

You can visit his website at http://www.larrybaseball.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Larry_Cicchiello

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Tips on Baseball Pitching Mechanics

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By Alan Karpuch

It is a known fact that it is hard for any pitcher to have three innings. A pitcher needs to give up hits and walks, as well as work with fielders who make errors. If you are a pitcher and wants to improve your skill, it is recommended to ask advice on pitching mechanics. Remember that a lot of problems in pitching are due to poor mechanics.

Pitching mechanics can be hard for a coach to analyze at full velocity. If the basic structure is inconsistent, remember that even if you change one feature, the problem is still there. One of the most important things you need to know which motion is wrong and it is essential to solve the trouble in lack of control.

Every pitcher is required to practice everyday and remember that it is impossible to perfect the skill in just one day. Pitching is like any other sport - it requires practice to be good at it.

It is a fact that it is hard to find a new pitcher that has good pitching mechanics. Pitching needs dedication and hard work and you must take care of yourself completely. It is essential to be in perfect shape and pay attention on your arm and you must work on the right pitching mechanics in order to lessen the risk of arm injury. If you are just starting out, make sure to do a lot of throwing in order to develop arm strength.

Aside from physical strength, you must also develop your mental element of pitching. You must also be tough mentally in order to be a skilled pitcher. This element can be developed eventually and it is necessary to examine your performance every game in order to improve more. Always focus on the game especially on the hitter and face any problem appropriately. Remember that with good pitching mechanics, you can ensure your good health and success.

Alan provides information about Pitching Workouts through his website on Baseball Pitching Mechanics

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_Karpuch
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Baseball Pitching - Coaching Pitchers to Succeed by Starting With the Basics

By Nick Dixon

The coaching of baseball pitchers does not require a degree in "pitchingtology". There is no such degree to my knowledge. I just made that up. My point here is that coaching baseball pitching is not rocket science. However, having a basic knowledge of the terms and mechanics is a must. Having a commitment to be attentive to details in instruction and and to have frequent quality practice sessions is a good start toward becoming a coach of a successful pitcher at any level.

Here are the 5 basics elements of pitching success:

1. Beginning with the basics and keeping it simple

Let we first say that one of the basic rules on our high school team is that if you make our team, you are going to pitch. Every player participates in pitching workouts until it is determined that player simply can not help us on the mound. Over the years about 75% of our players pitch at least 10 innings during the season. With that said, I want you to know that my philosophy is to keep the terminology simple, the technique simple, and to make the process of pitching as easy as possible to master.

2. Balance is Key

The first thing we want out kids to understand is the importance of balance. Pitchers must learn to achieve and maintain balance from the start to the finish of their delivery. This is done by learning to keep the weight evenly distributed on the balls of the feet. Nothing happens on the heels. Keep head and body movement to a minimum. The head should stay still. This allows the head to stay over the ball of the pivot foot and over the body core or center. Special attention should be directed at eliminating any tendency to lean back, lunge forward, or to arch the back.

3. Knee Lift and Proper Stride Leg Motion

The lifting action of the stride leg should be smooth, straight up, and to a point of perfect balance. Make sure that the leg is not swung. The stride foot should go downward and then out. Many you pitchers want to lead with their hip and this cause major problems. Make sure that the leg action is down and out in smooth path. The stride foot should land on the ball of the foot. The stride should be in a direction with at least part of the foot landing on a straight line toward the catcher. Some pitchers will land more closed and some will land more open. The main point to remember here is consistency. A pitcher must land in the same spot time after time. If the landing spot is all over the place, control problems will be evident.

4. Elbow Dynamics

Much has been written and many studies have been made on the dynamics of the pitching process. To keep it simple, we want the following to occur. When the front foot lands both elbows should be up and even with each other on a direct line. The glove and ball may be above or below the elbow, but both elbows serve to reverse mirror each other. If the front elbow is tucked when the front foot lands, then a problem is evident. Both elbows should be extended away from the body in perfect opposite directions from the body to form a perfect straight line.

5. Late Break of the Hips

What I mean by this term is that we want the weight out and onto the front foot before the hip and trunk rotation occur. This late rotation generates velocity. Early rotation causes the pitcher to throw with all arm and will cause arm problems.

COACHING POINT: Make sure that the pitcher finishes low with the throwing arm finishing outside the stride knee. Many young players want to lock the front leg thus pole vaunting or lifting their body up and over the front foot. The stride leg should bend slightly.

As mentioned before, make sure that the stride foot is not heeling- out or landing on the heel. This is a flaw that causes jar and control problems. Also make sure that pitchers set up on the pitching rubber in the correct location. We want right-handed pitchers on the right of the rubber and left-handed pitchers on the left. This makes the ball more difficult to pick-up by the batter because of the increase in angle. It gives the pitcher more plate to work with.

Check out the Bat Action Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Dixon

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Baseball Pitching Mind Games

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By Jack D. Elliott

Confidence in your Baseball Pitching can be a very fickle business. Some days you can feel like you are rolling along fine. Then, suddenly one bad thing happens. Then, another happens, and then another. Then, things really start to snowball. Other times you may feel that you can do no wrong. In this state, everything happens very easily for you and, you are able to do just about whatever you want. You are in what athletes call "the zone".

The challenge for every pitcher is to try to get most of his starts into this zone range. One reason pitchers have difficulty getting into or remaining in the zone is due to a lack of concentration. A pitcher can improve his concentration during a game by following this simple ritual:


Block out Background Noise: Before every batter, make a point to block out all the background noise and to focus your attention only on the catcher's mitt. You do not want to be thinking about the fans, the backstop, the umpire, the batter, or anything else. All your focus is on the catcher's mitt.
State, "Focus on the glove": You should let any thoughts that come into your head pass right through. Do not try to think about those thoughts, just let them pass. Your focus remains on the glove and it is a good idea to even state this mantra under your breath, "focus on glove" or some similar type expression.
If Difficulty Focusing, Re-Focus Again: If you are still having difficulty focusing, consider bringing down the bill of your baseball cap to make even more of a tunnel for your eyes to follow to the catcher's mitt. Also, feel free to restart this process again and again until you feel you have reached the desired state.
Begin Your Pitching: Once you feel you have blocked out the background news, you should begin your pitching.

If you would like to see an example of this exercise, go rent the movie, "For The Love Of The Game". In this movie, Kevin Costner's character goes through this type of ritual when he uses the phrase, "Clear the mechanism" before pitching to the batter. Ultimately, you would like to get to a point where you have this level of concentration.

A second challenge some pitchers have is confidence in their pitching when a mistake is made. A smart pitcher must recognize that mistakes will happen. He could throw a hanging curveball that gets hit for a double to the wall or maybe the second basemen boots an easy grounder. Regardless of how frustrating this might be, a good pitcher must have a short term memory for these errors. Much like a quarterback who just threw an interception, he must immediately forget that error and move onto the next pitch. This type of short-term amnesia ensures the error doesn't get you twice by dwelling on it with the next batter. Here is a basic thinking ritual that can be performed to help with these situations:


Breathe In and Exhale After the Error: Take one deep breath and then exhale deeply. This will help you address the situation constructively.
State, "Oh, well. Nobody's Perfect": After you exhale, state under your breath, "Oh, well. Nobody's perfect." This step will help you compartmentalize the error.
Perform Focusing Ritual: Finally, start going back into the focusing ritual mentioned above. This will allow you to shift your focus away from the error and direct it toward a ritual that you have practiced again and again.

This type of thinking ritual is good because it gives you a ready-made response for a stressful situation. It allows you to address the problem right away and compartmentalize it. Once you are able to do this, it is much easier to turn your attention to the next batter. As you advance in your baseball pitching career, you will begin to notice your success in baseball pitching tends to focus more on how you handle these situations more than any other aspect of your game.

Jack Elliott, is a former player and fan of the game. To read more tips and techniques like the ones in this article, please click here: http://www.baseballtrainingtechniques.com/Baseball-Pitching/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_D._Elliott

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Pitching Mechanics Drills - Yes Drill Sergeant!

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By KC Andrus

Pitchers control the entire game of baseball, it is one of the most coveted positions in the game. Think about it, the game can go absolutely nowhere unless the pitcher throws the ball. With all this power in their hands pitchers need to feel confident on the mound. This will enable them to pound the strike zone with and at a high velocity. The most prudent way to do this is to improve your pitching mechanics. So how do you improve your pitching mechanics? What's the most important thing to focus on? Here are some drills to help out.

1. Extension Drill- This drill is fantastic for making sure you are fully extended and releasing the ball out in front. Simply drop to one knee and put your throwing elbow in your glove out in front of your face. Then throw the ball using only a flick of your wrist, concentrating on getting that good extension and producing consistent results. This will help improve your velocity as well by improving the rate at which the ball comes out of your hand and helping you reach further towards home, in effect putting you closer to the plate.

2. On a Knee- This drill still requires you to remain on one knee. All you need to do to perform this drill is to find a partner and play catch on a knee. The thing you need to focus and this drill will really help is your follow through and finish. It is very important that you concentrate on your throwing arm finishing over the opposite knee. This drill will help create great consistency within your throwing motion.

These are only a couple drills that will help with your pitching mechanics. This drills in particular help with your actually arm motion, but there is so much more to pitching mechanics than your arm action. There are many pitching mechanics drills that will help you improve both the velocity and command of your pitches. Follow the link below to learn how you can add 10 mph to your fastball"

Pitching Mechanics Drills

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Mastering The Curveball - Basic Tips And Techniques

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By Sumit Bhatnagar and Parul Aggarwal

It is indeed quite difficult to master the curveball. Managing to hit the great curveball consistently can take you to the hall of fame.

But, bear in mind that recognizing a curveball is not very easy. If you are willing to master the skill of hitting a curveball, you should get into a certain routine to practice it.

Following are some basic tips and techniques that will surely help you in planning a routine for yourself:

• During the practice sessions, when your team pitchers are throwing in the bullpen, stand in and find out how early you can recognize the ball out of their hand.

• Also, during your batting practice, ask the pitcher to mix in some curveballs. These pitches need not be only strikes. All you got to do is practice to recognize pitches.

• Moreover, during batting practice, whenever someone else is hitting, opt to stand behind the cage and try to recognize the pitcher’s release point.

• Try to see the ball out of the pitcher’s hand much before hitting in the on deck circle. You should recognize the ball before it is halfway to the home plate. After that it will be too late to recognize the ball.

In order to succeed against the curveball, here are some more tips to follow:

• It is very necessary to recognize the curveball as early as possible. It is really tough to recognize a good pitcher’s curveball.

• If the curveball is hard, the trajectory of the ball will pop up out of the hand to a lesser extent.

• The harder a curveball is thrown by a pitcher, the more difficult it is for him to control.

• Just after the release, you should look for the 12/6 rotation of the seams.

• Apart from this, hands and body should be kept at your back. Also, your weight should stay back to at least 70%.

Easy Baseball Betting - Baseball Betting!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sumit_Bhatnagar

Pitching Mechanics - Maintain Proper Throwing Mechanics With Your Pick Off Moves

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By Dan Gazaway

Learning different pick-off moves to all of the bases is important to your success as a pitcher. It boosts your confidence at a young age, so you can focus more on the batter as opposed to worrying about what you don't know as a pitcher. Knowledge about your pick off moves will give you that confidence. However, this isn't an article about how to pick anybody off, how to catch a runner stealing or even getting out of a pickle. It is information about maintaining proper throwing technique while you keep the runner close to the bag.

I will share a few pitching mechanic tips before I talk about proper throwing technique to the bases.

Here are some basic pointers you need to know when you throw the baseball. First and foremost, when you throw the ball it is imperative that all of your energy is going toward your target. If you are on the mound and you want to throw to the catcher, all of your momentum better be going toward the catcher or you run the risk of not only making a bad throw; but putting undue stress on your throwing arm. So, maintaining your balance ensuring that your head is going in the direction of the throw is the first step.
Staying closed is another important aspect of throwing the baseball. You want to ensure that your feet, hips and shoulders remain in a closed posture all the way to foot strike.

Another mechanical adjustment many pitchers need to make is keeping "equal and opposite" arms. Equal and Opposite was a term coined, I believe by Tom House. It means that your glove arm is a mirror image of what your throwing arm is doing. It is a form of maintaining balance and posture throughout your delivery. You can have a difficult time throwing strikes or hitting your target if you don't learn this strategy.

Now, moving on to proper throwing mechanics to the bases:

While your intent is to hold the runner on the base, it is imperative when making your throw to any base that you have good throwing mechanics. If not, you risk an overthrow which is giving the runner a free base or two.

Many right handed pitchers have the tendency to open up when they throw to first. Left handed pitchers tend to open up when they throw the ball to third base during a pick off. Staying closed while keeping a runner close to the bag is something that takes a lot of practice. Most pitchers have a difficult time maintaining their throwing mechanics when they throw to second base because most mounds, particularly at the little league level, don't have much of a slope. When you make the throw to second, it's like taking a step down a steep stair; you can lose your balance very easily.

Learn correct pitching mechanics first and then use them when you do your practice drills for your pick offs.

Dan Gazaway is the author of two books on pitching mechanics and pitching workouts. Coach Gazaway has also written many articles on proper pitching grips, technique, nutrition and many other aspects of throwing the baseball. He is owner and founder of The Pitching Academy in Utah.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dan_Gazaway