Youth Pitching Workout & Routine

By Coach May for YouthPitching.com

In order to reach your potential you must have a workout plan - and you must have a strong work ethic!

Youth pitchers need to have some type of routine to follow because it takes repetition and consistency to master a pitching skill. Once you start, find a routine that works for you and stick with it.

Every pitchers bodies are different, so what works for one person might not work for another. When first starting your pitching workout routine, don't get frustrated if you are not successful; there is a pitching workout routine that is right for you.

Take the suggestions that you get and play with them, trial and error will help you find what is best for you.

Important factors of pitching to consider and focus on during a pitching workout include:

• Constancy (hitting the correct locations)
• Technique and form
• Mind set, focus
• Length of routine

Constancy

In order to become consistent with pitching, repetitions are required. Hitting your spots is the most important aspect of pitching.

• A good drill for this is to get a home plate that has colored sections to separate the locations you are supposed to hit. With this choose the spot you want to hit and throw that pitch 20 times. Have your catcher count the number of times you can hit that spot and write it down in a chart. Having a chart allows you to see your progress and what you need to work on.

Technique and form

If you have poor technique and form, then your pitching potential will be held back. A big part of this is having body awareness in order for you to feel when you are doing something wrong. Learning to feel how your body works is crucial to athletes.

• A good way of understanding how your body works is by filming. If you can have someone record you pitching, then you can go back and break it down step by step to see what your form looks like. This is a good way of seeing the little things that you are not feeling.
• Also something to think about while doing your workout is to give it your all every pitch. Don't slack off during practice because you play like you practice. Try to have maximum speed and correct form on every pitch. Practicing poor form will lead you to bad habits and possible injury.

Mind set and focus

In a game your mind set will determine if you lose or win. So during practice try to imagine yourself in game situations.

• During your practice act like a hitter is up to bat and keep a count on her. Keep track of balls, strikes and how well you can hit your spots. Go through innings just like you would in a game. Every three outs you get counts as one inning.

Length of routine

Every time you have a workout it should be at least 1 hour. That gives you time to work on all the little stuff, as well as work on your endurance. How many times a week you throw, needs to be determined by the pitcher. Some people do better pitching every day and others work better with an every other day routine. But it should be one of the two.

• If you choose to pitch every other day, it would be a good idea to work on your spins on the days in-between.