Guest Post: Establishing Mound Presence

Jeff Moree, a high school pitcher at Carmel Catholic, in Illinois, submitted this article on establishing mound presence. I really like his advice on the importance of body language and the role it plays on mental side of pitching. As always, I encourage you to submit your articles, details here.

So you have the 90 mph heater, a dirty curve, and a sneaky change. What are you missing? It is one thing to have the tools of successful pitching, but it is another thing to show the hitter that you have what it takes to get them out. 

I am talking about mound presence. It is the unspoken pitching tool that separates the good from the great. Being able to intimidate the hitter and get into their head will give you the advantage when push comes to shove.

Having "command presence" is proving your ability to take control of the situation at hand; that situation being the pitcher versus the hitter. If you can demonstrate that you are in charge of the situation, and can attack the hitter, you will have the upper hand in the battle. If you allow the hitter to intimidate you or get in your head, he will pick up on this and thrive. It is in your best interest to show the hitter that you are the boss, and that you are in charge of his impending strike out. 

Another key factor of Mound Presence is "body language." As a pitcher, we have tendencies to show our emotions through our body motions. If you let up a screaming double and slowly walk back to the mound, it gives the impression that you are defeated, and therefore gives the hitter all the more confidence. A solid physical presence will give you the look of "mental toughness." Pitching mechanics tend to differ when emotions set in. Some pitchers may over throw when they are getting shelled, others may drop their arm angle. These flaws in a pitcher's mechanics usually lead to more hits and a fatigued arm. A strong mental pitcher keeps his mechanics sound throughout the entire game, regardless of his emotions.

Having a certain aura about you as a pitcher will help to give you the upper hand in a game. If you show your confidence on the mound, the batter will realize that you mean business. However, if you allow the emotions of the game to affect your body language and mechanics, you will lose any advantage you may have had over the hitter. You are the pitcher ... you are in charge of the game ... be the boss.