A Complete Comprehensive Guide To Becoming A Pitcher

Becoming a baseball pitcher is about the journey rather than the destination. It is never too early to start training and getting better at pitching skills. Every great pitcher started somewhere, probably in a league or training camp. The quality of the training will determine your ultimate success. Let us know ‘A Complete Comprehensive Guide To Becoming A Pitcher’.

A Complete Comprehensive Guide To Becoming A Pitcher

The first step to becoming a pitcher is by joining a league. You cannot become a world-class pitcher by practicing on your own. Practicing on your own helps your skills but testing those skills against those of others will let you know how to perfect them and be better. Having made that first step, there are other things to be done and that is the reason for this article.

Keep reading to find out more.

Steps to becoming a skilled baseball pitcher

Get a coach

You probably have one when you joined the league but having a private coach too may not be a bad idea. A good coach will guide you through the nitty-gritty of becoming a pro pitcher by working on your strong points and managing the weaker ones well. Your coach will know when you need to push more and when you need to rest. At some point, you will understand your own strengths and how to maximize them but until then, let your coach be the pointer.

Work on the mechanics

By this, we mean that you should hone and perfect your skills. Every pitcher has a skill they have perfected more than others and that is their strong point. Before you reach that level though, you should master the mechanics of each pitching technique you are practicing with. Once you have the mechanics down pat, you will have no problem pitching excellently.

Perfect the drills

The drills that help with gripping the ball, control, balance, accuracy (bullseye), throwing, etc., should be practiced very often. Once you train your body with these drills, doing them becomes second nature, natural even. You can be woken from a deep sleep and you will still pitch well.

Perfect your grip

How you grip the ball for a changeup, curve, fastball, curveball, and slider matters. Learn the best techniques for perfect grips. For example, one of the best grips for fastball pitching is the four-seam grip. Research and try all techniques to perfect the one that is easy and best for you.

Improve your speed/velocity

Just like in most outdoor sports, gaining speed is what sets you apart. There are several ways pitchers can gain speed but the most common is learning how to keep the shoulder and arm behind the hip is still the most common. Another technique you can try out is making sure your glove arm is involved while throwing. Also, make sure that the time of stride foot contact and the throwing shoulder external rotation speeds up.

Practice physical body conditioning

Apart from training your arm, hip, and shoulder muscles for speedy and accurate pitching, your general body muscles must be well-conditioned. Workout routines like pushups, bench and bar pressing, grip training, deadlift training, and overall body training workouts should be done regularly. This way, you will keep your body in shape and ready to go all the time.

Ensure a balanced mental health

One of the downfalls of sportsmanship is anxiety. Always keep good mental health. Keeping calm before and after games is the best way to go. Finding a good therapist to help out may not be a bad idea. Find every way to avoid tension and pressure because these are the fastest way to sustain injuries on the field.

Good mental health is especially important for starting pitchers. This is because they dictate the flow of the game and if they don’t make sure they can control what they can control and deal with the uncontrollable, they might just cost the team the game.

Don’t waste pitches

Always make sure every pitch you throw counts. This means that you should put more effort into hitting the bullseye each time you throw. This way, you are sure that every energy you expend on the court counts for something.

Have a good defense strategy

Being good at throwing fast and accurate pitches is not enough for a pitcher. You need to learn to defend your position. This means that you need to know and understand every play in the pick-offs like you know your name. Nothing must catch you by surprise. This is perhaps a very good reason to have good mental health, in and out of the field. You can never allow yourself to be distracted, even for a second.

Practice pregame and bull-pen workouts

Lastly, for the sake of this short guide, pregame workouts and warmups are the best way to make sure that your body is properly prepped for the game. Don’t rush into the game without making sure that your body is ready for business. Even if you are a reserve, still warm up to prepare for being called upon to replace someone.

Conclusion

The baseball game is enjoyable, both for the player and the spectator. The best way to enjoy the game as a pitcher is to ensure that you give it your all such that you are not playing out of compulsion but for the love of the game. Always endeavor to bring your A-game to the court every time. That way, you play your best and you enjoy every moment of it, even if your team loses.

FAQ

What are the best practices for avoiding injuries for a pitcher?

The best way you can avoid sustaining injury as a pitcher is to maintain good body weight, practice warmups before every game, make sure not to play on more than one team per season, and perfect your pitching mechanics.

What are the common injuries among pitchers?

There are a few elbows, wrist, and shoulder injuries that can be sustained by pitchers, especially if they throw too many pitches or have bodies that are not well-conditioned. Some of these are little league elbow, forearm tendinitis, pitcher’s elbow, biceps tendinitis and tears, SLAP tears, rotator cuff tendinitis, and tears, etc.