It takes a special type of athlete to be a successful pitcher.  You touch the ball more than any other player on the field.  You stand on a mound completely alone, elevated from every other player as though you are on display.  You are also the only player who is credited with winning the game, or losing it.

Pitching a baseball requires more skill than any other position on the diamond.  And with the pressure of the eight other players counting on you to succeed, you need to be prepared and able to consistently execute your pitches.

To make sure you are throwing with velocity and with pinpoint accuracy the next time you take to the mound, try out these five drills you can do at home in your own backyard.

 

  1. BALANCING DRILL

This drill helps you develop exactly what it sounds like better balance through your windup and your pitch.  If you have a practice pitching rubber, you can use it for a starting point, but it isn’t necessary for this drill.

Start the drill with both of your feet on the pitching rubber.  Now go into your wind-up lifting your lead leg as you normally would.  Now at its zenith, hold your leg in place for 10 seconds, then simply place it back on the ground.  Repeat this nine more times.

By holding your lead leg up, you practice keeping and finding your balance with your drive leg.  If you don’t understand where your own balance point is, you can develop a bad habit of simply falling towards the plate as you pitch, rather than driving towards it, resulting in lower pitch velocity. 

RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT:

Schutt Throw Down Bases Complete Set

DURATION:  5 Minutes

REPETITION:  Daily

 

  1. TAP DRILL

This builds upon the Balancing Drill but moves the focus to honing control of your lead leg.

Stand on your pitching rubber as though you will be pitching from the stretch.  Now go into your pitching motion, lifting your lead leg and holding it for a few seconds, similar to how you did in the Balancing Drill.

Now drop your leg and tap your toes on the ground BEHIND your drive leg.  Lift your leg up again, hold for a few seconds, then drop and tap your toes IN FRONT of your lead leg.  Lift and drop behind your drive leg one more time, then complete your full pitching motion with both your legs and arms.

RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT:

Schutt Throw Down Bases Complete Set

DURATION:  5 Minutes

REPETITION:  Daily

 

  1. DOWN ANGLE DRILL

This drill can be done just about anywhere and is a great way to get you in the habit of remembering to drive down on the baseball as you throw.

Stand up straight and begin your throwing motion (you don’t need to go into a full wind-up for this one).  Then pick a spot on the ground about one foot from your toes and drive the baseball into that spot.  Repeat this multiple times, trying to hit the same spot on the ground each time.

This drill gets you in the habit of throwing the baseball on a more downward trajectory, ensuring you don’t float any pitches over the plate, or completely overthrow your catcher with a wild pitch.  You can do this with an official baseball, but we strongly recommend using a soft stitch training ball.

RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT:

Rawlings Flat Seam Practice Baseball

DURATION:  5 Minutes

REPETITION:  Daily

 

 

  1. WALL DRILL

In this drill, you will go through your entire pitching motion, all while learning to keep your mechanics, compact and clean all while taking a straight path to the plate.  You can do this throwing phantom pitches, but we recommend grabbing some baseballs and setting up a net to throw to and go for the real thing.

Stand next to a long wall and go through your entire pitching motion.  The goal is to not touch the wall with any part of your body. 

If your glove or hand hit, you are probably too wide with your arms.  If your shoulder hits, you are opening up your body too much, which most likely results in a loss of command and velocity.

This drill helps you correct your mechanics if necessary, and keep them clean and consistent. 

RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT:

                  

Rawlings Pro Style Practice Net / Wilson A1010 HS1 Pro Series SST Baseball

DURATION:  10 – 15 Minutes

REPETITION:  Every Other Day

 

 

  1. PITCHER FIELDING PRACTICE

Pitcher fielding practice, or PFP, is probably a pitcher’s worst nightmare.  But being an excellent fielder to go along with being an excellent pitcher can only help you and make your stat line look even better.

For this drill, you will want a rebound net.  Go through your entire pitching motion, throwing the baseball into the net.  Depending on the rebound of the ball, you can practice fielding grounders, line drives, and even bunts.

You can also use the net as a target, practicing your throws and flips to first base, or even your turns and throws to second base to start a double play.

RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT:

           

Pitching Rebound Net / Schutt Throw Down Bases Complete Set

DURATION:  20 Minutes

REPETITION:  Every Day

 

Pitching is the most important skill for any team to have.  A great pitcher can elevate any team to the level of a contender, and doing these drills on a regular basis as you wait to take the field again will put you in the best position to carry any team to new heights.

 

OTHER AT HOME DRILLS