Pitching is Upsetting Timing

Warren Spahn once said that “hitting is all about timing and pitching is all about upsetting timing.”  I couldn’t agree more.  Nate wrote us a great message yesterday about Verlander’s no hit game and the lessons we learn from pitchers that have the luxury of throwing one at that level.  Pitching is all about upsetting timing.  As we found out yesterday, that’s all Verlander did with only 4 strikeouts to complete his no-hit game.  Did you see how many grounders and pop outs he created on the replay yesterday?

If you have been watching ESPN this year, you know this is the “year of the pitcher.”  Why is that?  After every commentary they talk about this very thing.  Pitchers nowadays study hitters so well that
they have pinpointed weaknesses.  They have mastered their craft to a science and know exactly where to throw the ball, which pitch to throw in any given scenario and how much speed comes off each pitch with any given hitter.  Now that’s smart pitching.

My point in today’s lesson is to become a smarter pitcher.  Study hitters!  Study the game so you know where to pitch to a hitter so you can force a double play.  You don’t need to be overpowering all of the time; if you try to be overpowering this can upset your timing as a pitcher.

Take the time this year and learn how to throw an additional pitch that will upset the hitters timing.  If you find yourself guiding your off speed pitches, you need to learn how to throw that pitch correctly.  Many pitchers struggle learning how to throw effective changeups, or any off speed pitch correctly, without manipulating their mechanics.  You cannot be a successful pitcher at a higher level without learning to deceive batters.  That is why we created our Pitching Grips DVD.  We show you how to pitch smart and keep the hitters guessing so you can upset their timing to force the grounders and pop-up.  Again, strikeouts come as a bonus!  Keep up the great work and we’ll send you another pitching tip tomorrow.