Youth Baseball Pitching Tips

By Steven Ellis, former Chicago Cubs pitching pro

Many youth coaches think that velocity is the key to success for a youth pitcher. This is not the case. In fact, velocity doesn't even matter if a pitcher can't find the strike zone. Being able to throw strikes is what makes a young pitcher successful.

The most important thing to remember is to throw strikes. At the younger ages, many pitchers have trouble finding the strike zone. The hitters are typically not good enough to hit everything thrown in the zone. Consistently hitting the strike zone will usually be enough for a pitcher to succeed.

Youth pitchers can often find success with a good changeup. In Little League, most hitters are used to only seeing fastballs. If a pitcher has a good changeup, they will fool nearly all the hitters they face. The best part is, a changeup is not bad on the arm and is a relatively easy pitch to learn.

A strategy that has worked for me ever since Little League is pitching on the inside part of the plate. At the younger age levels, some hitters are terrified of being hit by the pitch. If a pitcher can work the inside part of the plate, they will keep even the best hitters at bay. Being able to throw a fastball on the inside half of the plate is a great way to make an average fastball look way faster than it really is.

These tips will help any pitcher find success. They don't need to have the strongest arm in the league either. By simply throwing strikes, mixing in a good changeup, and being able to hit the inside corner, any Little League pitcher can learn to dominate the hitters.

If you'd like to receive more of my best tips and techniques to help your pitcher throw harder with better control while reducing the risk of injury, I invite you to subscribe to my free baseball pitching tips here: www.youthpitching.com/free