Pitching is the most important thing that determines the win or loss of any baseball game. Pitchers need to be skillful in aiming for the target, use proper technique, and produce proper velocity to do a successful pitch. More than throwing speed, it is the technique and accuracy that matters with every pitch of the baseball.
Considering this, we shall discuss the different ways in which you can improve pitching accuracy in your baseball game.
How to Pitch a Baseball More Accurately?
To pitch a baseball more accurately, you need to have proper grip, stance, body mechanics, and regular target practice. The velocity of the pitch is not a big concern for those who are trying to improve their accuracy. So, adjusting your grip, improving your stance, and throwing at a target with proper aim will improve your pitching accuracy easily.
Proper Grip
We know that there are different types of grips in baseball. Holding the ball with different seam positions and finger positions will change the nature of ball travel.
Knowing the mechanics of each grip is important. Because the ball travels differently with each grip and you cannot aim without knowing it.
Therefore, before practicing your grip, understand how each grip works. For instance, a four-seam grip will let you throw a ball with the highest speed while the two-seam grip curves into the batter but with less velocity. So, it is very important to know how each grip works.
Once you get to know the mechanics of each grip, now try gripping them properly. It will be easier to theoretically visualize it. But practically you need to hold the ball and feel the grip.
Try throwing the ball with each grip and find out how the ball moves and behaves. This will give you an understanding of the mechanics.
Getting to know the grip is the first step toward accuracy. But it doesn’t stop there. You need to have a proper stance to pitch perfectly at the batter.
Proper Stance
Many pitchers struggle with this portion since pitching involves a complex stance and follow-up movement. You need to understand the necessity of every movement so that you can adjust your body to aim perfectly.
The pitching stance is designed to generate force as well as to perform the pitch with higher accuracy. You cannot throw the ball at your targeted spot without following the pitching stance and procedure.
A baseball pitcher will stand in the wind-up position initially and slowly lift his leg, break his arms and generate a semi-circular motion with his body, and finally lower the leg and throw the ball with a force generated with their back foot. Repeatedly practicing this stance while pitching will enable them to become more accurate.
Once you have mastered the pitching stance, you will have to adjust your body mechanics to bring more accuracy to the pitch.
Proper Body Mechanics
Adjusting every part of the body while pitching is important to develop accuracy. Because the way you position your body, your arms, and the way you move determine the accuracy of pitch.
Another important thing with body mechanics is to adjust the velocity. In the early stages, you cannot get to throw the ball with both high speed and high accuracy. And in reality, many accurate pitches are slower.
Therefore, when you are practicing your pitch, try to dial down your throwing speed to 75% of your maximum potential. This will help you reach the target better than a high-speed ball.
Regular Target Practice
After understanding the grip, stance, and body mechanics, you have to practice them repeatedly. Here are some tips to perform the target practice with your baseball to increase accuracy:
- Take a small target and try to aim at that target. The target must be smaller than your present aiming capacity. With your gloved hand, aim at the target by pointing the glove towards it and throw the ball repeatedly.
- Reduce the speed of your pitches and slowly improve on them as your accuracy improves
- Practice the wrist movement and finger grip regularly before aiming for your target
- Focus on your body mechanics when throwing at a target to improve accuracy fast
These are the key points to remember when you are trying to improve your pitching accuracy. Now let us understand the recommended training you can do for accurate pitching.
What Workouts are Recommended to Pitch Accurately?
Here are the recommended workouts you can do to improve your accuracy:
Rocker Drill
- Get to the position where you will land on your foot for the final throw. Make sure to keep the stretch your legs apart widely and point your legs heel to heel
- Now instead of stretching your knees straight, sit down so that your knees are bent
- Once you get to this position, start rocking back and forth
- You can also try throwing when you are rocking by separating your hands through the drill
Sit Drive
- Sit on a chair and make sure to keep your foot on the line
- Now rock back and aim at your target
- Then when you are going to throw, get up and pitch the ball with the desired velocity
- This drill will improve your speed as well as your accuracy
Planks and V-sits
- Performing planks regularly will help you achieve stability in your body mechanics. You can gain better body control and helps you gain strength.
- Similarly, sitting in a V posture and holding yourself for a few seconds will also improve your stability and strength.
What Exercises Should Pitchers Not Do?
Any exercise that will restrict shoulder movement and hip movement must be avoided. Whether it is a strength training exercise or athletic exercise, those which strain the shoulders too much or the lower back must be avoided completely.
Because the shoulder must freely rotate to pitch the ball with proper speed and accuracy. Also, the force is generated through the lower back and hips which should not be strained.
Therefore, all the exercises that specifically harden the muscles in that area must be completely avoided. Also, it is better to restrict yourself to less weight training to avoid losing flexibility.
Conclusion
Baseball pitching is all about accuracy than speed. The speed of the pitch is not always required. But you need to target the catcher and make it harder for the batter to hit the ball. This will be achieved only through high-accuracy pitching drills. Improve your accuracy with the help of these tips and guides.