Just Throw Strikes?
October 26, 2012
A Chapman-Like Stride
October 31, 2012
Many pitchers trying to strike everybody out these days. Especially in youth athletics. Is that the best strategy to have as a pitcher?
No doubt strikeouts are great.
There is no better feeling to a pitcher than striking someone out. But if that is always your strategy, you’re going to fail.
Playing baseball is like a physical game of chess. Some batters you want to challenge, others you want to get to ground out or pop out depending on the situation. Some pitches you throw are meant to get a batter to hit a grounder to second base to turn a double play.
Personally, I would rather throw three pitches an inning and have three ground outs than have three strikeouts.
The key then is having command of three good pitches that you can use to get the out you need in any situation. Changing speeds is vital. Once you have a good understanding of how to properly throw different pitches, it’s just a matter of practice. Being blinded by the lies that a blazing fastball is the only ticket to your success on the mound could hurt your future as a pitcher. We encourage you to develop three great pitches; It will serve you better in the long run. You can start by picking up our Pitching Grips DVD. In over an hour and a half you’ll learn everything you need to know about each grip, how each pitch should be released, and arm action.
