Baseball Training Tips: Better Fastball Pitching

Fastball Pitching

The main weapon and generally the best weapon for a pitcher is his fastball. Good fastball pitching is what makes all your other pitches that more effective. The way that a good pitcher can dominate hitters is by mastering a blazing fastball. To increase the velocity of your fastball is a goal of most pitches and it definitely is a goal worth pursuing. By following a proper program of throwing drill, practice and physical conditioning then you can make great improvements in your fastball. The importance of a good fastball cannot be overstated. It really is the number one pitch in any pitcher's arsenal. Having the ability to dominate batters with a blazing fastball provides the pitcher with a tremendous competitive advantage. It has long been correctly stated that the art of pitching is "disrupting the hitter's timing". A pitcher that has some good off-speed pitches to combine with a good fastball will have his fastball looking that much quicker in comparison to his other offerings. This can certainly confuse the batter and throw off his timing.

Proper mechanics are vital to proper pitching performance and velocity can be increased simply by developing a good pitching motion. The throwing of a pitch actually involves the entire body. A smooth and relaxed windup should be followed with a power leg drive, hip rotation, arm acceleration, proper release point and then follow through. Once your motion is developed proper practice and condition with lead to fastball improvement.

Fastball Pitching - 4 seam Fastball

The four seam fastball should be griped this way - Place the index finger and middle finger across the two seams where the horse shoe opens up to the right (assuming a right handed pitcher). Your thumb should go on the bottom seam . For maximum velocity DO NOT hold the ball deep in your hand but rather lease room between the ball and the web opening between your fingers and thumb. The right ring finger is on the right side of the ball with light pressure for control. Upon releasing the ball you want to apply pressure on the top seam. Fastball Pitching - 2 Seam Fastball
When throwing the 2 seam fastball your grip should be to place the index finger and middle finger over the section where the ball's seams are the closet together. The thumb is placed on the seam on the opposite side of the ball and the ring finger is on the side of the ball to provides control with a light pressure. As with the 4 seam fastball the pressure upon release is on the top seam with the two fingers.
Some things to keep in mind concerning the fastball grips. Increasing the space between the two fingers will tend to decrease the velocity but allow for more control. With the fingers placed closer together then you have potential for more speed but slightly less control. Applying more pressure with the fingertips can increase velocity as well as movement.

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Fastball Pitching - Long Toss - A Simple and Effective Drill
The drill of long toss is one of the most effective drills to increase your arm strength. It will help pitchers and postion players alike. It needs to be done correctly and also not overdone. Too much long toss can lead to a tired or sore arm. It is more then just "playing catch". To begin you and your practice partner should be about 30 to 40 feet apart. After some warm-up throws you should start to move slightly further apart with each throw. The goal is not to just lob the ball to the the other player but to throw straight, with good technique and once at some distance think of it as trying to throw the ball "through or past" your partner, not just to reach him. 15 to 20 minutes of long toss practice three times per week will certainly improve arm strength. At other times when you are actually pitching off a mound this improved strength will result in increased velocity on your fastball.

Fastball Pitching - Exercise and Conditioning
As with most sports the overall conditioning of the athlete can have a great effect on the performance. By increasing both cardiovascular endurance and muscle strength you can achieve a high level of fitness. Cardio endurance is achieved by various endurance exercise. Probably the most common is running. While a pitcher does not need (or want) to train like a marathoner, a regular running program of 20 to 30 minutes 3 times per week will provide excellent conditioning. Cycling, swimming and other endurance activities will yield similar benefits.
By strengthening your overall muscle strength you have a tremendous potential for increasing your pitching ability. While the act of pitching relies heavily on the arm and shoulder that does not mean that these are the only muscles that require conditioning. Pitching a baseball requires the entire body and weight training exercise should strengthen legs, back, chest, abdominal, shoulder upper arm and forearm muscles. Weight training exercises should be performed with slow and controlled movements, not fast jerky motions. Do not over train by doing too many sets, long workouts or by training too frequently. Additional weight training information can be found at SuperMuscular.com.

Baseball Training Tips

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Better Fastball Pitching

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