Pitching Tips: Fundamentals

In working with young pitchers, the fundamentals of pitching are key. Make clear that good pitching takes good practice. Pitching fundamental skills won't develop by just pitching a baseball, but pitchers can learn by throwing at a target, facing a hitter and trying to use a consistent, correct delivery.
When teaching baseball pitching fundamentals, you can break the pitching motion down into six areas.
1. Gripping the ballTeach your players that holding the ball in their fingertips - as opposed to jamming it into the hand - will help them get good velocity and wrist snap for control.
Have your pitchers vary their grips on the seams to experiment with the fastball and change ups. For example, gripping the with seams causes the pitch to sink; gripping the ball across the seams makes the pitch appear to rise.
2. Delivery
As with general throws from the field of play, the overhand delivery is the most effective throwing motion for young pitchers. The overhand technique ensures maximum control and puts less strain on young arms .
3. WindupThe pitching motion begins with the windup. Keeping the front part of the ball side foot in contact with the plate side of the pitching rubber, the pitcher shifts the weight to the back leg and takes a backward step.
4. Pivot
The pivot is the most essential part of the pitching motion. During the pivot, the pitcher keeps the weight balanced and eyes towards the target. The pitcher pivots on the ball of the front (ball side) foot to turn it parallel to the rubber. At this point , the pitcher shifts the weight forward onto the pivot foot and lifts the opposite leg into the air.
5. Stride
From the pivot and leg lift, the pitcher must drive the back foot off the rubber and stride toward the plate with the leg kick. The length of the stride depends on the height of the pitcher and what feels most comfortable. Too long a stride makes the ball go high; too short a stride makes the ball go low. Have your pitchers experiment to find what works best.
During the striding motion, the stride or the glove side foot remains closed (the stride foot points towards third base for a right handed pitcher ). The moment before the foot lands, it opens and points towards the plate. When the foot opens, the hips open, which brings the upper body through
The toe and heel of the striding foot should land simultaneously ( although the ball of the foot takes most of the shock ), lands in the same spot with each pitch and land softly to avoid any jarring in the delivery. The front knee bends so it can absorb the impact of landing with full weight on the front foot. Keeping the knee straight causes undue stress and strain on the front leg.
6. Follow through
A good follow-through is critical for speed, control, and proper fielding position. As the pitcher releases the ball, the wrist snaps after coming over the top. The arm snaps across the body, and, ideally, the pivot, (ball side) foot swings around to a position that squares the pitcher up to the plate. The pitcher's eyes must be on the target in preparation to field any balls hit back to the mound.

Pitching Tips: How To Throw Harder

To become an effective pitcher you need a lot of different qualities. Throwing hard is one of those qualities. And although throwing hard is far from the most important, it is important enough to mention as well as a popular subject.
While it's true, most of velocity is God given, but some can be produced to help you throw harder.
I have mentioned on this site a number of drills and workouts that can be used to help you throw harder. Yet proper mechanics is perhaps the most important aspect.
Good pitching mechanics will give you the efficiency you need when you pitch.Think about it this way: If you are pitching at 85% efficiency, increasing efficiency could increase pitching velocity and help you throw harder by a good 5 mph.
Like cars, a sleeker car is usually faster than a boxier car. For proper baseball pitching instruction to improve your pitching mechanics, you can read the pitching mechanics article on this site.
Pitching fitness is also very important in throwing harder.
Push-ups, sit-ups and running are all recommended. More advanced pitchers should be using 3-5 pound dumbbells during season for their shoulder, while lifting heavier weights off-season. More over, before and after games you must put aside 10-15 minutes of good stretching.
In between starts you can long toss for how to throw a baseball harder, too. Any chance you get, unless your arm is too sore, long toss! This is where the muscles in your shoulder stretch out and build up. Long tossing for 15-20 minutes is critical to building velocity and helping you throw harder at pitching a baseball.
Start with regular distance, close up. Gradually move back further and further until you are using all your might to reach your partner on a line. A little arc will be needed, but do not make it like a "hail mary" type arc. There is no set distance, it will vary will each pitcher. Also if you or your partner does not have the arm strength to reach, one hopping the ball is fine. This will increase velocity.
Set aside a time to throwing the ball with good arm speed off the mound in between starts. Increasing arm speed will result in a faster fastball.
Much of arm speed is developed in high school. Many pitchers are throwing a lot of breaking balls to get hitters out. But these pitchers are looking short term. By doing this they are slowing their arm speed down. Not building up strength.
Primarily breaking balls are not taught to younger pitchers not because they will hurt there arms, it is because the development of their fastball will be stunted. Thus not making them noticeable to college or pro scouts.
The fastball is the foundation for curveballs, sliders etc. If you work on the good arm speed and throwing harder, your breaking balls will become more effective. Harder curves, sinkers, better change-ups, etc.
So you want to know how to throw harder in baseball?
Perfect proper mechanics.Become more fit.Throw more in between starts (long toss, etc.).Throw less breaking balls, slowing the arm speed down.Throw more fastballs/sinkers, speeding the arm speed up.

Pitching Tips: Grip

A proper grip is one aspect of pitching that is often overlooked by pitchers and baseball coaches. Yet the quality of your pitching grip will help determine the level of your control.
The better your baseball pitching grip, the more control; the better your control, or ability to throw strikes, the more successful you will become at baseball pitching.
For good control, your fingers should have secure contact with the seams of the baseball. Finger tip traction on the seams causes rotation of the ball.
The more rotation, the greater the speed and the more movement in the pitched ball. The more movement on the ball, the harder it is to hit. Proper rotation should "roll back" toward the pitcher or over the top.
Grips involve individual preference and may take some getting used to. Hand size, for one, is a determining factor in your baseball pitching grip. Very young players may need to grip the baseball using three fingers (not counting the thumb) in order to grip it properly. Older players should use two fingers.
Test the grips in practice to decide which are most effective for you. Remember, you are most concerned with control - throwing strikes consistently.
If you're a coach teaching proper pitching grip, check the player's grip every four or five pitches until you are confident he is gripping the ball correctly. Have your pitcher hold the ball firmly, but without squeezing it. Make sure your pitcher understands the concept of finger tip control with the pitching grip.
Even when your pitchers are away from practice, at home, encourage them to practice holding the ball, handle it, grip it whenever he has the opportunity. It will help toughen his fingers and stretch his hands, particularly for some of the off-speed pitches.

Pitching Tips: How To Throw Harder

To become an effective pitcher you need a lot of different qualities. Throwing hard is one of those qualities. And although throwing hard is far from the most important, it is important enough to mention as well as a popular subject.
While it's true, most of velocity is God given, but some can be produced to help you throw harder.
I have mentioned on this site a number of drills and workouts that can be used to help you throw harder. Yet proper mechanics is perhaps the most important aspect.
Good pitching mechanics will give you the efficiency you need when you pitch.Think about it this way: If you are pitching at 85% efficiency, increasing efficiency could increase pitching velocity and help you throw harder by a good 5 mph.
Like cars, a sleeker car is usually faster than a boxier car. For proper baseball pitching instruction to improve your pitching mechanics, you can read the pitching mechanics article on this site.
Pitching fitness is also very important in throwing harder.
Push-ups, sit-ups and running are all recommended. More advanced pitchers should be using 3-5 pound dumbbells during season for their shoulder, while lifting heavier weights off-season. More over, before and after games you must put aside 10-15 minutes of good stretching.
In between starts you can long toss for how to throw a baseball harder, too. Any chance you get, unless your arm is too sore, long toss! This is where the muscles in your shoulder stretch out and build up. Long tossing for 15-20 minutes is critical to building velocity and helping you throw harder at pitching a baseball.
Start with regular distance, close up. Gradually move back further and further until you are using all your might to reach your partner on a line. A little arc will be needed, but do not make it like a "hail mary" type arc. There is no set distance, it will vary will each pitcher. Also if you or your partner does not have the arm strength to reach, one hopping the ball is fine. This will increase velocity.
Set aside a time to throwing the ball with good arm speed off the mound in between starts. Increasing arm speed will result in a faster fastball.
Much of arm speed is developed in high school. Many pitchers are throwing a lot of breaking balls to get hitters out. But these pitchers are looking short term. By doing this they are slowing their arm speed down. Not building up strength.
Primarily breaking balls are not taught to younger pitchers not because they will hurt there arms, it is because the development of their fastball will be stunted. Thus not making them noticeable to college or pro scouts.
The fastball is the foundation for curveballs, sliders etc. If you work on the good arm speed and throwing harder, your breaking balls will become more effective. Harder curves, sinkers, better change-ups, etc.
So you want to know how to throw harder in baseball?
Perfect proper mechanics.Become more fit.Throw more in between starts (long toss, etc.).Throw less breaking balls, slowing the arm speed down.Throw more fastballs/sinkers, speeding the arm speed up.

Pitching Tips: Arm Care

For youth pitchers ages 8, 9 10 and 11, many parents and coaches want to know what is the appropriate arm care method after competitive pitching, and does it matter whether the arm is aching or not?
What is best to properly care for youth arms and avoid arm injury?
Following these baseball pitching arm care guidelines and techniques can help point you in the right direction - one that allows youth pitchers to pitch healthy and be successful.
Make sure you spend enough time and effort warming up and stretching out before pitching.Learn the fundamentals of throwing early and remind yourself of them often.Know your limitations and be patient about working within them.
Know the difference between a sore pitching arm and a hurt pitching arm.Many different methods exist for recouping your muscles after they have been torn down from practice or from an outing on the mound in a game. The most effective treatments for repairing your torn down muscles including have your arm massaged, treating it with alternating heat and ice, going for a light jog, performing lightweight shoulder exercises, using tubing exercises, throwers 10 exercises, and even vibration. Just make sure you are doing one of those treatments to repair your throwing arm after a day at the park.
Pitching arm injuries can come from a variety of causes, from throwing too much to throwing the wrong way, to throwing too little in preparation for the season. Let your arm tell you when it needs rest or adjustment. That big game for which you are supposed to pitch six innings won't seem so big in a few years when you can't use your pitching arm without pain.
If your arm needs need rest, let your baseball coach or pitching coach know right away.These are a few simple but effective guidelines for pitching arm care that can help you to reach your full potential with a strong, healthy pitching arm.

Pitching Grips: Slurve

Being able to throw multiple pitches with good command is a good goal for any pitcher to have. Almost every advanced pitcher can throw some sort of breaking pitch, whether it be a curveball, slider, or a slurve. In this article, you will learn how to throw a slurve, which is a combination of a curveball and slider. 

To throw the slurve, grip the ball like a four seam fastball. However, slide your index finger over so it is next to your middle finger. Your fingers should be on the outside seam of the baseball. Bring your thumb up to the inside of the baseball. This grip should allow you to generate the proper spin on the baseball. 

Throwing the slurve is similar to throwing any other pitch. You should be using the same basic mechanics that you use for any other pitch. The difference comes at the release point, as well as the grip used. 

There are two main ways to throw a slurve. One way is to throw it like a fastball, and let the grip do all the work. You might not see as much movement with this method. Another way to throw the slurve is with a quick snap of your wrist. As you release the ball, snap your wrist inwards almost like you are opening a doorknob. This will give the ball a good amount of spin and should produce the desired movement. 

When thrown properly, the slurve will move in a 3-8 pattern (for a RHP). The velocity should be slightly less than a fastball. 

Keep in mind, learning the slurve will take a lot of time and practice to master. Be sure to throw it in bullpen sessions and during warm ups. Eventually you will be able to use it in game situations. 

Have a question about the slurve? Ask about it in the Let's Talk Pitching discussion forums!

Pitching Drills: Towel Drill

A lot of older pitchers may have heard of or seen some of their teammates performing baseball pitching drills with a towel.
If you don't know what the purpose of the towel drill is, or how to apply it in your own practice, this is what I consider a good application of the towel drill for baseball pitchers.
With towel drills for pitching, what you are looking for is proper form and proper timing - and it manifests by making contact with the glove like he shows it being done in this video clip (below) of a college pitcher performing the towel drill in pitching practice.
Remember this, however, the pitching towel drill is about putting it all together with your baseball pitching mechanics to let the release point happen where it ought to.
Good posture and balance, good momentum, good timing to stay closed and rotate late, etc., will get you out front and hit the pitching target with the towel correctly.
The towel drill is NOT about arm extension or "snapping down."
Here's the pitching video to see how the towel drill can be applied in practice or while working on specific elements of your own baseball pitching mechanics.