Pitching has long been considered to be the most important single element in baseball. Teaching kids how to pitch is about the fundamentals of the game. You need to know how to throw the ball properly and must also take care of your arm. When learning to pitch, you have to learn how to stand on the mound, wind up, deliver the ball and follow through.
Step 1
Strengthen your arm by doing exercises and throwing. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Extend your arms out and hold them straight. Make small forward circles with your arm and do this for 30 seconds. Repeat the same exercise with your arms making backwards circles. Do this five times in each direction.
Throw the baseball every day. If you are going to pitch, you need to build arm strength by throwing. Stand about 40 feet from your throwing partner and gradually move backward until you are 75 feet apart. Play catch for 15 minutes at a time.
Step 2
Stand with your right foot on the pitching rubber and your left foot facing home plate if you are a right-handed pitcher. Do the opposite if you are a lefty. This is known as the stretch position. Pick your front knee straight up until your front foot is at about the height of the opposite knee.
Step 3
Extend your front leg toward the catcher and bring your pitching arm up to head height. Bring your arm forward and release the ball as your front foot hits the ground. Snap your wrist and release the ball, keeping your vision focused on the catcher's mitt throughout the process.
Step 4
Bring your right leg from the pitching rubber forward until it is in front of your left leg. Follow through with your arm until your fingertips are extended just a few inches from the ground. To help you remember to follow through, pretend that there is a dollar bill on the ground and that you need to pick up that dollar.
Step 5
Run in the outfield every day you are not pitching. You are not throwing with just your arm and upper body. Much of the power your get comes from your legs. Running is essential for building power, endurance and balance on the mound.
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