Pitching Instruction

With the Proper Baseball Pitching Instruction and Accurate Baseball Pitching Tips Every Player can be a Pitcher and Learn to Throw the Major Baseball Pitches.

I believe that with the proper pitching instruction and by learning the proper pitching technique that every youth baseball pitcher, from someone learning about little league baseball pitching to the collegiate level, can become a fundamentally sound pitcher.  I am not suggesting that every player has the ability to become a major league pitcher, but each one has the ability to learn the correct baseball pitching mechanics and enjoy the game at a much greater level.  Pitching from little league into more competitive baseball allows a player to enjoy the game at a depth not understood by non-pitchers.  The proper pitching mechanics and correct pitching technique can give each player the ability to control the game at its core, having direct involvement with each pitch, each batter and each out. Being a pitcher raises the competitive spirit of anyone who has ever walked to the mound during the baseball game.

To be a truly great pitcher requires somewhat of a gift – the great pitchers have terrific arms and great fastballs (oh yeah, did I mention they also have great pitching technique!).  Some pitchers are able to compete at a high level with slower, off-speed pitches that keep hitters guessing what is coming next and then causing them to half-swing into ground outs throughout the course of a game.  I think that with the correct pitching mechanics many players can become fine pitchers by working within their given talent set. Those players can be successful by developing their ability to provide a smooth delivery that consistently throws strikes, their ability to hit specific locations, and can be very successful by developing a wide assortment of off-speed pitches.

Young pitchers in little league baseball should focus more time on learning the proper pitching technique required to throw a baseball perhaps more than any other area of pitching.  With the knowledge of the proper technique and correct pitching mechanics they will develop the confidence needed to compete and they will protect their arm over their baseball career. The proper throwing technique breaks down quite simply into pitching delivery and arm motion – both of which are equally important in developing pitching skills.  The arm motion and delivery will provide more speed to a pitcher’s fastball than will the strongest arm of a young athlete alone. 

The best way to approach pitching instruction is to focus on developing skills in 4 areas of pitching. 

The first skill to develop is in the area of pitching mechanics and pitching technique.  Good coaches spend a great deal of time teaching proper pitching technique.  This pitching series will focus primarily on developing the players and coach’s knowledge in order to teach and learn proper pitching instruction so please, read the series completely.

The second skill area to develop is the strength in the pitcher’s throwing arm.  There are terrific drills to help the young player to learn great pitching mechanics and to throw harder, but throwing harder is only one reason for developing strength.  Other important reasons are to protect the pitcher’s arm from the wear and tear of a full season and to allow the pitcher the benefit of keeping their delivery consistent throughout the course of a game.  When a pitcher begins to tire during a game, the first thing many do to compensate is to put additional strain on their arm to attempt to throw harder.

The third skill to develop is control – coaches and pitchers will discover that the more they throw, the more natural their rhythm becomes, the harder they throw and the more control they have over pitches.  The tools all work together to offer a set of building blocks that, when they become solid in a young pitcher’s toolbox, are often unbeatable.

The final skill to develop is something of an intangible – pitching savvy and knowledge. Once a player has developed the proper pitching technique and pitching mechanics, the focus then turns to increasing their knowledge of the game and to truly become a pitcher, not just a player who throws hard.  True pitchers take all of their skills, highlighting their pitching knowledge, and use them to get hitters out.  They are consistent in their delivery while throwing pitches at different speeds and they realize that the most important number in pitching is not how fast their fastball is thrown but the difference between the speed of their fastball and the speed of their change-up. 

My son has the good fortune of working with a former minor league pitcher who was not blessed with a wicked fastball when he was a professional player and needed to rely on his ability to get hitters out any way possible.  That coach became a student of the game during his professional career as a way of being able to continue to play the game he loves.  As a result, my 15 year old high school freshman son has more pitching knowledge and confidence than many players participating at the collegiate level. 

Becoming a pitcher will enhance a player’s love of the game.  I have played on and coached many teams where we carried eight pitchers to get through a season.  The pitchers typically seemed to know the most about the game, had the most passion and exhibited their love of the game more than the others.  My wish is that all players learn to pitch with the proper pitching mechanics and pitching technique and that, whether they are in little league baseball or the major leagues, they take their baseball knowledge to a level they only dreamed of. 

Let’s step through the elements of learning to pitch a baseball – follow the consecutive links to read the complete 11 page, step by step approach towards learning the proper baseball pitching fundamentals, correct baseball pitching technique and to learning each of the major baseball pitches.  While some of the concepts are advanced, any little league baseball pitching coach will want to completely understand the correct baseball pitching mechanics.

The first step to learn is the proper Pitching Motion.

If you would like to return to the Baseball Skill Aids homepage, click on our logo in the upper left-hand corner.