Baseball Pitching Tips--How To Be Unpredictable Is A Major Requirement!
Posted: Sunday, February 07, 2010
by Larry Cicchiello
Larwenty Online Enterprises Inc
Let's switch sports to football, but just for a second. I thoroughly enjoy it when a quarterback throws a bomb for a touchdown on first down. The reason for the successful bomb is usually that it was unpredictable and most likely the defense was looking for a running play. I think you know where we're going with this.
As a baseball pitcher, you too better be unpredictable, especially when facing the better hitters! One of the better baseball pitching tips is to avoid getting into patterns where baseball hitters know what pitch you are going to throw next.
Let's say you are pitching and you start off the first three batters in a game with first pitch fast balls. If you throw a first pitch fastball to their number four hitter, you really have no right to be upset if he hits a bomb off you. No right to be upset whatsoever because you were predictable. And believe me, a clean up hitter will be looking for your fastball on that first pitch. There's a very good chance that he has observed that you have started off the first three batters with the fast ball. If he's batting in the heart of the order, he probably makes it his business to observe what you are and what you are not doing. All good hitters watch the opposing pitcher very closely and that's one of the reasons they are good hitters!
Good hitters look for patterns like this. They are constantly looking to gain any advantage and they are not good hitters by accident. Good hitters talk about opposing pitcher's tendencies constantly while on the bench. As a pitcher, you want them to be talking about how you will throw any pitch on any count and how unpredictable you are. Pitchers must mix in an occasional breaking ball on the first pitch to keep hitters honest.
Being unpredictable is not just limited to throwing a breaking ball or an off speed pitch on the first pitch to a hitter. You can also be unpredictable when the count is 2-0 or 3-1 to a good hitter. With the count in the hitter's favor at 2-0 or 3-1, you can practically see the smoke coming out of the good hitter's ears as he's digging in for your fast ball. What a perfect time to go off speed!
One of the best baseball pitching tips is to always remember that batting averages on 2-0 or 3-1 changeups or breaking balls are low. Extremely low!
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Just a couple of weeks until spring training. I can't wait. Thanks again.
Thanks for your nice article. Unfortunately I am not too good at base ball.
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