Pitching Philosophy

My philosophy on becoming a good pitcher requires a lot of hard work and dedication, not only from the player, but also the parents. First, she must have the desire to practice, AND most importantly, practice the correct fundamentals. Without a solid foundation of the proper mechanics, the pitcher’s control will be inconsistent and she will never be able to master other pitches.

Once the pitcher is consistent with her fastball technique, then it is time to work on placement of the pitch. Notice I didn’t say anything about SPEED as the second step . My belief is that if the player is using the correct mechanics and moving her body forward in the proper sequence, then her speed should already be there. Naturally, strength training of the legs, arms, wrists, and shoulders will help, but the majority of the speed will come from using the proper windmill motion.

Too often, players and parents are so concerned with how fast a pitcher throws, that not enough emphasis is put on placement and spot work. A hitter WILL catch up to a 60 mile an hour fastball IF the pitcher does not have the ability to keep the hitter off balance by hitting spots, changing speeds, and moving the ball into different planes. A pitcher must consistently have the ability to hit her spot, whether it is to hit the corner of the plate, or to pitch to a target that is one, two, or even three balls away from the plate. This control is a must to be an effective pitcher.

After the player shows the ability to hit spots on a consistent basis, then it is time to focus on changing the speeds of the pitch. By varying the speed of the pitch, the hitter’s timing is off , resulting in weak hits and easy outs for the defense. As a pitcher, it is so important to keep the hitter guessing on what is going to come next, and to be deceptive about which pitch and location is being thrown.

When the off speed pitch is mastered, then it is time to work on movement pitches. I feel that the two most important movement pitches a pitcher can develop is the drop and rise ball. Generally, the drop ball is the first movement pitch I teach, because the technique is easier to acquire than the rise. Obtaining a “true” hopping rise ball can be rather difficult, but if a pitcher is able to do so she will be a force to reckon with. The curve and screw ball are also nice pitches to have in a pitcher’s arsenal, but I am a firm believer that it is best to have one EXCELLENT pitch rather than three mediocre ones.

Throughout the entire pitching process , the player must not only focus on the physical aspect of pitching, but also should be developing the mental and psychological portion as well. Players who do not understand the game will struggle with pitch selection, and if the psychological side is weak the player may not be able to handle pressure situations. All of these elements (physical, mental, and psychological) combine to make a complete pitcher. If one ingredient is missing then the others will be negatively affected.

To conclude, a pitcher must have a solid foundation before moving forward. In my lessons, I stress mechanics and WILL NOT proceed to the next step until the player can consistently pitch with the proper form as well as have a good command of the strike zone. Once that is established we can move ahead and begin working on speed variation, and then movement pitches. During the lessons, I will also work on the mental side of pitching as well as put pressure on the pitcher so she may practice in “game-like” conditions. I strongly believe by training ALL the elements the pitcher will have the tools she needs in order to achieve her complete potential.