Pitching is a skill that is probably the dominant factor in determining winning and losing in baseball. Although majestic home runs are among the most exciting plays in the sporting world, and great defensive plays often bring the crowd to its feet, it is solid and consistent pitching that will help teams play their best. Pitchers get advice from coaches and managers who give them drills to help them improve.
One-Knee Drill
Have the pitcher put his left-knee on the ground and the ball in his right hand. The opposite should be done for the left-handed pitcher. Have the catcher line up about 20 feet away.
In this drill, the pitcher will start out with the ball straight over his head in an overhand manner. The pitcher should snap his wrist and release the ball when the ball is directly in front of his right shoulder. After the ball has left the pitcher's hand, the arm should continue in a downward motion until the pitcher's elbow has reached hip level. The goal of this drill is to learn release point and follow through.
Corner Drill
One of the keys to effective pitching is to make the batter swing at pitches outside of the strike zone and take pitches that are over the plate. In order to do this, pitchers need to get ahead in the count and make the batter hit their pitch.
One of the ways to do this is to throw for the corners. In this drill, the pitcher is not supposed to throw strikes. His goal is to miss the strike zone at the four corners. Have the pitcher throw three pitches up and in to a right-handed batter, three pitches low and in, three pitches up and away and three pitches low and away. If you can stay out of the strike zone on two out of every three pitches, you are successful in this drill. The caveat is that the pitcher cannot miss the zone by more than 12 inches.
Beyond The Mound
In order to build control, throw 25 pitches from a distance of 70 to 75 feet. This is a difficult task, but it is an ideal way to prepare for pitching from the regulation distance of 60 feet 6 inches. If a pitcher can hit the strike zone when practicing at 70 feet, he will feel confident when he steps on the pitching rubber from the regulation distance. In youth baseball, the mound is 45 feet from home plate. Young pitchers can warm up at a distance of 50 feet. Then when they step on the mound in game competition, they will feel confident and comfortable.
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