Baseball Pitching Tips - How to Easily Improve Your Control!

Baseball2u.com


By Larry Cicchiello

Take a look at almost any inning in which three or more runs are scored and I would venture that in at least 75% of those innings one or more walks were involved. I teach pitchers that you must throw strikes consistently and I don't care if a batter hits the ball into the trees past the outfield fence. You can NOT give the opposing team free gifts. Often control problems are caused by pitchers OVER throwing the ball instead of throwing the ball.

A lot of people don't realize that control also means being able to throw a ball off the plate and not just over the plate. That means that I can throw a ball three or four inches off the plate to get a hitter out who "chases" bad pitches. If I'm ahead in the count, the batter almost has to swing at the pitch that's just off the plate.

Control obviously also means control within the strike zone. Being able to control pitches up and in or low and away is very important. If I'm shooting for low and away and I'm too high by a foot, the pitch is not nearly as effective and could very well get hit hard.

If I'm shooting up and in and I'm off by ten inches and get the middle of the plate, once again, it's not nearly as effective. If you are serious about pitching, you should aim for a target every time you throw a baseball. Every time you throw a baseball!

When I'm having a catch with my sixteen year old son and I'm NOT behind the plate, we play a game we invented called "Target." We are both very competitive and this game is FUN! Twenty points usually wins and you have to win by two points. We have a regular catch and give each other a target. The target can be left or right shoulder, left or right hip or basically wherever you want to place the target. If you are throwing and are within a foot of the target with a fastball, you get one point. If you throw a changeup or breaking ball and are within a foot, you get two points. (This gives you the flexibility to go after two points if you are trailing late in the game.)

Not only will this help your control, but you will have a blast playing it!

Even if you want to insult my son and I and NOT play "Target," remember that before we invented our game, I have always recommended that to improve your control, aim for a target every time you throw a baseball! It can be your throwing partner's left hip, right hip, left shoulder, right shoulder, etc. How can this not help your control?

Larry Cicchiello is the successful author of several very user friendly eBooks covering 320 topics on playing or coaching excellent baseball. ANY player, coach or parent who wants to help their child will be fully equipped! Check out some FREE baseball tips on hitting and FREE baseball pitching tips at LarryBaseball.com.

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Coaching Tips For Young First Year Pitching Prospects

Derek Jeter Baseball Training Machine

By Jeff A Heath

A good training rule is always to have the members observe a number of professional baseball games, paying special focus on the style of the pitchers when they wind up and throw. Currently have them note how their legs launch them, and that the throwing arm is really just a means of directing the ball. Kids are not analyzers, and a lot of them will attempt to pitch a baseball using mostly arm strength. This is sure way to injury!

The coach needs to show the young pitcher that the elbow has to lead the hands. The elbow must keep ahead of the hands until just before letting go of the baseball. This takes some practice, however when a child learns to make it happen without forcing it, he is on course to greater command, extra strength, and (most importantly) a safe baseball throwing motion.

Each child which really likes baseball has fantasized on the subject of as being a fantastic pro hurler and hurling the best event. It's actually a kind of widespread American hope for small kids everywhere you go. Even though dreams such as these should never be crushed, it is necessary for sensible grown ups to teach kids exactly how to pitch a baseball using the right form and technique. Without such advice, overly enthusiastic kids are in jeopardy of a genuine risk of causing harm to their throwing arms, elbows, as well as shoulder any time tossing baseballs.

First of all every youngster has to learn before he goes to the pitchers mound to throw a baseball game is the right style. This will give his throws more power and command, it will in addition add a lesser amount of tension on the necessary and susceptible parts of the body. There are 2 big recommendations for baseball pitchers. Initially, it has to be coached to youngsters that effective and safe throwing is actually powered largely by the legs, not necessarily your throwing arm.

A good idea is to impress on the young pitcher that velocity is not the top priority with great baseball pitching, command will be. This will serve a couple of needs. First, it helps you slow him down in order to ingrain the best as well as safe movements outlined previously. Next, its typically easier to build increased speed after control is learned when hurling a baseball compared to coaching control following speed.

Caution: together with this particular step, baseball pitchers need to figure out how to maintain the throwing arm's shoulder in close to their body. One of the biggest hazards is letting the shoulder to flail ahead or perhaps to the outside at the start of the throwing movement. The elbow moving ahead will put strain to the shoulder joint if it is not held close in. Again, this takes repeated practice, specifically for kids for whom baseball pitching is new and whose physiques usually are not yet within their full influence.

Hampton Little League
Every youngster which loves baseball also has fantasized with regards to being a superb professional hurler and putting together a perfect event. It's one of those universal American hopes for small kids everywhere you go. While ambitions like these should never be squashed, its necessary for responsible adults to show youngsters how to pitch a baseball with the right form along with technique. Without having this kind of advice, overly enthusiastic kids are in jeopardy of a genuine threat of doing harm to their arms, elbows, and shoulder any time throwing baseballs.

Learn more about coaching little league players here: http://hamptonlittleleague.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_A_Heath

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Youth Baseball Digest - Pitcher Having Control Problems - 3 Pitching Delivery Flaws I Check First

Youth Baseball Digest - Pitcher Having Control Problems - 3 Pitching Delivery Flaws I Check First
By Nick Dixon

You are a youth baseball coach. One of your pitchers is having trouble throwing strikes. When a pitcher is having a bad day on the mound, there has to be a reason. In most cases bad days are caused by simple pitcher delivery flaws. Often times these flaws can be quickly identified and corrected. What are the first three things that a coach should check in the pitchers delivery? Here I discuss the first three things that I always check first.

1) Target Focus and Concentration
2) Front Leg and Landing Foot Action
3) Release Point Consistency.

These three elements of a pitcher's delivery are extremely important when it comes to becoming a good pitcher with good control.

Target Focus and Concentration - Many pitchers let their eyes wonder during their delivery. They get their sign from the catcher and start their motion. At some point they may look away from the target. They do not keep their eyes zeroed in on the catcher's mitt. When a young pitcher takes his eyes off the target, even briefly, the results can be poor concentration and inconsistent control. Coaches should always watch the eyes of the pitcher. Make sure that the younger pitchers keep their eyes on the target throughout the pitcher's pitching motion.

Front Leg and Landing Foot Action - The second element of the pitchers delivery encompasses the action of the stride leg and stride foot. The lead or stride leg should can be locked or stiff during the final stages of the delivery. There must be some give or a slight bend in the stride leg knee. A stiff front leg tends to "pole vault" the player's body upward causing the pitch location to be altered. The stride foot should land flat. Many times a pitcher will get the bad habit of pointing the toes upward and landing on the stride foot's heel. Landing on the heel will in most cases cause control problems. Make sure that the stride foot is landing on the ball of the foot with the entire foot landing flat.

Release Point Consistency - I first check to see if the pitcher is properly releasing the baseball out front and in the same spot pitch after pitch. I want to make sure that the pitcher is consistently releasing the ball in the same location. It is impossible to have good pitching control without perfect release point execution. Stress to your pitchers to get the ball out front. The pitcher should practice enough to master a consistent release point that never varies.

I hope that these tips are helpful to you. The main thing you need to remember as a youth coach is that if strikes are not being thrown, there is a reason for the problem. Every pitcher is to have his great days and bad days. But, the key is to make sure that the bad days are not caused by a simple pitching flaw that can be quickly identified and corrected.

Thanks for taking the time to read this article. For more articles like it, you can visit the Baseball Coaching Digest, Youth Baseball Digest, and Little League Digest. Good luck to you and your team. Thanks for taking the time to read my articles. Have a great day, Nick

The CoachesBest and Baseball2u Baseball Store has a great selection of 1400 Baseball Products. Check out the BatAction Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty.

Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, a sports training company established in 1999. Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of the BatAction Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Target Trainer, the SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and the SKLZ Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Youth Baseball Digest, the Baseball Parent Guide, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, and Blog4Coaches.

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Baseball Pitching Tips - Controlling Emotions With Umpires!

By Larry Cicchiello

First and foremost, don't ever put an umpire on display by letting everybody in attendance at the ball park know that you think he may have missed a strike call. Don't glare at them for several seconds or stomp around the mound between pitches. Umpires are regular people like we are and none of us like to be shown up. You will not get any close calls during the rest of the game if you show them up and put them on display. Even worse yet, you may not get the calls that you should be getting!

As a pitcher, showing up an umpire is not in your best interest.There are going to be several pitches that can be called "either way" and you increase your chances of getting these close calls if you don't get the umpire annoyed at you.

If you truly feel you are being "squeezed" by an umpire on several pitches, a quick glance that lasts only about a half second may be in order and then quickly look the other way. And by a half second, I mean exactly a half second and not one second, one and a half seconds or two seconds. By glancing for a half second, you have politely made your point to the umpire that you think he may have "missed one" and you're getting that message across to him. You are letting him know and not letting everyone in attendance know that you think he missed the call.

Another way to let the umpire know that you think he missed the strike call is to politely ask him, "where did you have that one blue?" You have to walk a very fine line here and your tone of voice is critical. If you ask him where the pitch missed in a nasty tone of voice, you have blown it and made a huge mistake. When he lets you know where the pitch missed, give him what at least appears to be a sincere thank you.

Remember, baseball umpires have a very tough job to do and every close call they make is going to make one team happy and the other team upset.

Don't ever hesitate to compliment an umpire about his knowledge on a certain baseball ruling or for his hustle on a certain play.

It is clearly in your best interest to stay on their "good side" at all times!

Larry Cicchiello is the author of "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." His site offers many FREE baseball tips on hitting, baseball pitching tips, baseball coaching drills, baseball fielding tips, etc. You will be FULLY EQUIPPED! You can visit his website at http://www.larrybaseball.com/

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