7 baseball pitching drills for better success

There are innumerable pitching drills to use, but a few pitching drills covering the key points should be emphasized in practice.

Balance point drill
The pitcher brings his front knee up and stops at the balance point, holding it for five seconds.

Weight-shift drill
From the first balance point, the pitcher throws his hip, lowers his leg in a controlled fashion and lands in the cocked position.

Hand break drill
Start with the hands together and practice synchronizing the raising of the glove-hand elbow and the throwing hand into the cocked position.

Kneeling drill
Kneel down and throw to a partner, practicing bending at the waist.

Lead leg brace drill
Kneel down and go through the throwing motion. When the arm is about to release the ball, brace the front leg and stand upright and throw. Bend over the waist with a good follow through.

Hand speed drill
Start with the stride already taken. Perform the hand break and accelerate the hand after reaching the cocked position.

Back up bases drill
The pitcher stands at the mound, and then breaks to back up either third or home. A coach throws a ball to the appropriate base, the fielder lets it go, and the pitcher has to practice backing up the play.

How to develop better control

Throwing with control comes from a mesh of having good pitching mechanics and developing a good rhythm on the mound. The best pitchers are able to throw low strikes on both sides of the plate consistently. That's something to aspire to. But you also should aim to throw low strikes ... and just throw strikes, period.

The left-right direction of a throw is dictated by where the front elbow (and front shoulder) are pointing at the moment the stride foot lands. It is decently simple to eliminate this variable, as long as the player maintains a feel for lining it up, much like lining up a sight on a gun. A feel for proper hip rotation also helps left/right control. These can be worked on in practice when throwing bullpens or playing catch on the side. It's important to develop a ood feel of your mechanics so you can develop the ability to repeat them.

The height of the throw is more difficult to quantify. It is essentially a feel for being balanced, for a consistent stride length, for good hip rotation, and for a consistent release point, although it is essential to make sure to reach the first balance point, with all the weight on the back leg. This is commonly referred to as staying back. It is important not to go out too fast onto the front leg, usually referred to as rushing.

Video clip of Sandy Koufax's pitching mechanics

How to develop a mental approach to pitching

Don't take long between pitches. Catch the ball after a pitch, step back onto the rubber and get ready for the sign. Pitchers who linger on and around the mound between pitches not only inhibit themselves from gaining a rhythm, but they force the fielders to lose focus and lose their rhythm. By establishing a ritual, a rhythm develops where you will feel like you are throwing without thinking.

Be relaxed, yet focused. Develop a good game plan. Make sure your pitching mechanics are as good as possible in practice. On game day, mentally let the technical side all go and just focus on the game. Don't make big mechanical adjustments in games. Remind yourself of one or two mechanical points, and work on them only. For instance, you can make sure you doesn't rush out. This won’t bog down your mind, and will allow you to get into a good mental rhythm that won't interfere with the muscle-memory of your mechanics.

Additional pitching tips:

• Throw your fastball at 90-95 percent, then throw it at 100 percent when you need a little extra.
• If you fall into a slump and can't throw a strike three pitches in a row, change your grip.
• Change-ups can be controlled better than curveballs, and thus should be utilized. A good time to throw changeups is after a hitter pulls a fastball foul, or fouls it straight back.
• A change-up in the strike zone will invariably result in a ground ball or a pulled foul ball. Long fouls on change-ups are actually good pitches. Don’t be fooled by the distance as the purpose is to get the hitter out on the front foot. Also, don't throw a changeup two times in a row to bad hitters who are late on your pitches, because it will look like a regular fastball to them.

Pitching strategy: Understanding balls and strikes

• Pitchers should regularly throw their fastball for strikes 60-70 percent of the time, curveballs for strikes 55-60 percent of the time, and changeups for strikes 55-60 percent of the time.
• Batters who walk with zero outs score anywhere from 40-60 percent of the time.
• A good pitcher’s strikeout-to-walk ratio should be 3-1 in college, 2-1 in high school.

Where to make the play in 5 defensive situations

How to cover first base correctly

• You need to cover first on all balls hit to the right or first-base side of the infield. Here are some tips to do help you do that more effectively.
• Sprint to the foul line, two-thirds of the way toward first base, and then run up the line on the inside of the foul line.
• Hold your glove up and catch the ball with one hand while stepping on the base with the right foot. If the throw isn’t there, hold the bag by dragging the right foot.

How to make a play at home on a comebacker

• Square up the shoulders before throwing home on a comebacker.

How to make a play at second base on a comebacker

• On bunts, square your shoulders to second base before you field the ball, and then stay low, take a quick step with the left, and throw to the bag, not the fielder, because the base is the one immobile constant.
• On comebackers, do a quick crow-hop to square-up, and again throw to the bag. If the fielder is not there, it’s not your fault. Do not hesitate, he will be there.

How to field a bunt with a man on first base

• Charge directly at the batter, and think aggressively about getting the lead runner. If not, reset your feet and throw to first.

How to field a bunt with men on first and second base

• Cover the right side (third base side). Break for the halfway point of the foul line between third and home.
• Call for the ball, and do a reverse pivot to throw to third without hesitation...
• Or reset your feet and throw to first.

Pitching video of Kerry Wood striking out 20 in a game

Kerry Wood's stuff was just plain nasty back in the day. Here's a pitching video clip of Kerry Wood striking out 20 in a game.  It's fun to watch.

How to quickly gain 2 MPH on your fastball

Want a rocket arm? Here are six exercises Men's Health magazine came up with to do it. I'm not sure if I'd call this a comprehensive list. It leaves out a number of exercises that VERY important for pitchers. But it's a nice list of some of the things that you can do to develop a little more strength and arm speed. Read more »

What high school pitchers can do to prepare before meeting with college baseball coaches

This article originally appeared in Baseball Parent magazine. It concludes an eight-article series on pro baseball tryouts and pitching in college.

Many questions - some trivial - others not, will occur to you before, during, or after your campus visits. Will your son have anything in common with the student-athletes he meets? Will he be able to handle the snowy winters at the school, or would he rather play in the South with its longer playing seasons? Does the coach have a vision for your son... for his playing time, his position, and his potential?

Your son's high school coach may send the first letters expressing your son's general interest in certain baseball programs during his sophomore year. Then the coach may call a few college coaches. Next, you or your son will call those coaches to arrange visits. After all, even top college coaches may spend an hour with you talking about their baseball philosophy, the university, and their recruiting strategy.

If your son's an ace, he'll probably be able to command time from a college coach most anytime. However, for players who may not be impressive on paper yet, an informal trip to a college sometime other than during the spring baseball season or fall workouts might assure a better chance for an audience with the coach.

Prepare your questions in advance. Does the school have mandatory study hall off-season? Do tutors travel with the team to games? If your son misses a class, will the coach let him play the next game anyway? Do players have to be in by midnight? Even in the off-season?

Talk to your son about the questions he should ask. As a Southern boy, will he be happy in the Snowbelt? How far does he have to walk to class? Coach him on how to present himself to the point of reminding him to sit up straight during the interview.

After visits, recruits may regret not having talked to players away from coaches. That's often the best way to get a feel for what their future teammates are like, to gauge their views of the program, to find out what practices are like, or to discover how much running the team does in practice. Players can make visits and like the baseball program, yet have little in common with the players they meet.

College coaches and pro scouts talk to each other about players. Prospective players never know who a coach might know. For this reason, keep as many doors open as you can by having your son take all calls from college coaches and respond promptly to all questionnaires, even though there may be no possibility he'll attend that school.

The Unofficial Visit. It's never too early in your son's high school career to begin visiting colleges and assessing their baseball programs. The more information he gathers about various universities, the more informed he'll be when it comes time to make his decision about what school to attend. For example, at one school, he might be eligible for academic aid, while at another he might struggle just to meet their academic standards. You may learn that a coach can submit a list of preferred players to the academic office as early as September, whether or not the coach is allotted any "exemptions" for lower-than-normal SAT scores, and what positions he's now recruiting.

A coach may suggest you meet him at the baseball field rather than at his office. By doing so, he can give you a five-minute briefing, while also giving you the once-over to determine whether the meeting should be continues or whether he should end the conversation after a short, polite visit. If you're asked back to his office, among the many things you may hear about are the first-rate players the school has received commitments from for the next season, who their backups are, and who the backup's backups are. But keep in mind that such plans can change. Some prospects get drafted, others decide at the last minute to attend a different school.

The coach may say he will keep an eye on your son, he may say he'll try to see him play, or he may say a lot will depend on the kind of season your son has during his senior year.

How high school pitchers can get the attention of college baseball coaches

This article originally appeared in Baseball Parent magazine. It's part of an eight-article series on pro baseball tryouts and pitching in college.

Chances are, the college coach your son will play ball for someday doesn't even know your son owns a glove.

"You can't just sit home and tell yourself coaches will beat down your door," says Jim Zerilla, a Pennsylvania-based recruiting consultant. "Families must take an aggressive approach to recruiting and college selection to avoid heartbreak and financial hardship."

In order for your son to play at any level, he must first have the grades. Then, his athletic tools and skills must match the needs of a particular baseball program.

"Finding a college is a research project," says Mickey White, former general manager of the Florida-based Baseball Academy and now assistant general manager of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays baseball club. "You must gather information, as well as supply it to others. But the most important thing to keep in mind, however, is that your son must go to a college where he can play." 

During his freshman and sophomore years he should concentrate on academics, during the summers attend "select" camps at colleges where he might want to go to school, and play lots of summer and fall ball. 

At the beginning of his junior year, he should develop a list of schools -- from junior colleges to top-30 Division I programs. As a parent, you should start thinking about what level of ball your son can play at and how often you want to see him play. 

As you begin your search, you may discover that not only are you trying to put together a very complex puzzle, but you may not even be sure where all the pieces are.&

For example, just how do you market your son's baseball talents? Who might really be interested in him? How many -- if any -- athletic "exemptions" (special academic     consideration for athletes) do prospective colleges allow? Where does your son want to play? What will determine where he chooses to play?

And will anyone help you with the search? Maybe not. You and your son may just have to do it all by yourselves.

For starters, his high school coach may be too busy to worry about your son's college baseball career. On the other hand, he might be a great help in steering your son to the best program for him. He might take the initiative to send introductory letters to coaches notifying them of your son's interest in playing college ball and his legitimacy as a prospect. He might also provide spring, summer, and fall game schedules and post-season stats. Over the course of a several-month recruiting process, he might spend hours on the telephone with coaches promoting your son. Some coaches may even spend still more hours helping your family weigh this decision. 

Early on in the process you'll want to assess the reputations of college baseball programs that are of interest. Eventually you'll want to contact coaches and make visits to check out baseball facilities; the coaching staff; the quality of the program; the off-season conditioning and training facilities; the number of fall, intersquad, exhibition, and regular-season games (which could be as many as 100); and to check out community support. 

Explore the possibility of signing early, in November of your son's senior year. For some families, this can be a good decision, because it could spare your son the frustration of a prolonged search and allow him to enjoy a less anxious senior year waiting to see who wants him. If an early signing is an option, college visits should begin during the fall or winter of your son's junior year.