It has long been said in baseball that "good pitching beats good hitting every time." It's obviously true when analyzed. If hitters can keep smacking the ball all over the park, and scoring at will, the winner is simply the team which scores the most runs.
However, if batters can't hit, they can't score runs, and that means they can't win games. That is why pitching is so very important ”it is "the key to success." How then, can a good pitcher become an even better pitcher? There are a number of factors involved, however, let's take a look at just a few of the more important ones.
First of all, the pitcher needs to understand how to achieve his main goal, which is to get the batter out. The object of pitching is not to overpower the hitter by blowing a fastball past him on every pitch. Nor is the idea to locate every pitch down the middle of the plate. In fact, these two fundamental miscues will actually ruin a pitcher and guarantee failure!
According to pitching coaches from little league to the pros, a good pitcher must become a master at the art of deception. Learning how to change pitch speeds and location are paramount to success. Once he has mastered three to four different pitches, and is able to strategically locate them as desired, he is half of the way to becoming a better pitcher. The second half of the job is learning which one of his pitches to throw in certain situations.
The pitcher is not only in a physical battle with the hitter, he's trying to out think his opponent as well. Planning a sequence of pitches, based on an element of surprise is always helpful. For instance, he may start the batter off with a fastball, followed by an off-speed pitch and try to finish him off with another fastball. If a pitcher can fool the batter with the speed of a pitch, he can increase the chances of getting him out dramatically!
Another important factor is the pitch location. While speed is vital, so is where the pitch is thrown. For instance, as a rule, pitches delivered on the inner half of the plate and down lower, (around knee level), are harder to strike. That's because a batter can't extend his arms, nor turn his hips as well in order to make solid contact. This reduces the batters ability to elevate the ball and drive it a long distance.
At other times, if a batter has made an adjustment to his swing in anticipation of a low, inside pitch, the pitcher may choose to offer up something located on the outer half of the plate and a bit higher in the strike zone. By keeping the batter off balance, guessing at both the speed and location of the ball, the pitcher will have much greater success in keeping his opponents off the bases and back on the bench!
Finally, there are a few things a pitcher can do to help develop the skills necessary to control pitch speeds and location. Many baseball experts offer a number of tips on training techniques, but again, here are just a few of the "tried and true" methods.
1). STAY IN A LOWER STANCE TO BEGIN PITCH DELIVERY. If a pitcher delivers too many pitches up around the belt and shoulder levels of a hitter, he is feeding the strength of the batter. To assure the best success, the pitcher needs to keep the ball DOWN while changing speeds and locations!
2). DO NOT THROW FROM OVER THE TOP. By releasing the ball nearer the "12 o'clock" position, there is more stress placed on the pitching arm, shortening a pitcher's stamina and career. It is easier to control a pitch from a 3/4 position of delivery motion. Lastly, 3/4 or sidearm pitching motions help with posture and standing straighter usually results in throwing more strikes!
3). CONTROL RELEASE POINTS WITH FOOTWORK. By releasing the ball sooner, a pitcher delivers the ball higher to the plate. A later release means a lower pitch. But adjusting the arm position alone is incorrect. The body always pulls the arm through! Flexing the trunk of the body forward and changing the landing point of the front foot so that it lands in the same place consistently will add velocity and control to the pitch.
4). TRANSFER THE BALL TO PITCHING HAND BEFORE ARMS ARE DIRECTLY OVERHEAD. If a pitcher grips the ball WHILE his arms are directly overhead, it creates a timing problem and poor body mechanics. The arm is in the throwing position before the ball is in the hand! There is a lot more to pitching than what we have discussed in this article. Depending on what level you want to take it to, learning to pitch is a long and continuous process that requires constant practice. However, by following just the very basics we have looked at here, a person with some ability should be able to improve his pitching game substantially!
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