Pitching for Beginners: Proper Technique

Proper pitching technique is critical to remaining injury-free, increasing velocity, and maintaining control. Although baseball players learn pitching techniques early, many still have several things to fix in their mechanics that could help them pitch with better control. Even with a strong arm and strength conditioning, you may have a shortened career without proper pitching techniques. The pitching techniques in this article discuss the maneuvers in the delivery phase.

Breaking the Hands

Start to pull your throwing hand away from the glove and continue to keep the ball facing the ground for as long as possible. Your glove hand should move in lockstep with your throwing hand, and the glove should be directed in the direction of your target as this generates the most powerful throwing posture.
One mistake many pitchers often make is to instantly remove the throwing hand from the glove and aim the ball toward the target. Aiming the ball too early toward the goal results in a poor throwing stance and must be avoided.

Continue the arm rotation

Once the throwing hand reaches its peak, it is time to turn the ball away from facing the ground and towards the back. Say you are pitching from the mound; the ball should begin its rotation towards the ground and then turn to face the centerfielder. Complete rotation generates the greatest torque in the body. Hence, your gloved hand should be in the same position on the other side with your elbow pointed towards the target when the throwing arm is behind you.

Initiate the Upper Body Rotation

Initiate the rotation with the front elbow and bring it back towards your body. The glove should be dragged towards your chest, following the elbow. This action creates the rotation of the upper body. Maintain a strong grip on this maneuver; the tighter the grip, the quicker you will shoot. The rotation of your upper body will produce torque, and your lower body will naturally expand towards your aim. Naturally, the throwing hand should begin moving toward the target.

Fire

Finally, throw the baseball. With your elbow, lead your throwing arm and release the ball slightly out in front. Generally, the elbow maintains a 90-degree angle. Maintain a firm grip on the baseball with your fingertips. The hand should have the sensation of drawing down on the ball rather than pushing it. When it comes to pitching, the wrist and fingers are often overlooked. Do not ignore these little muscles, as they can significantly increase the velocity of your throws.

Follow Through

When tossing the ball, generate as much extension as possible to obtain a whip effect. Complete the throw-out, and do not pause your body motions until the arm has slowed to a minimum. Terminating a throw prematurely might result in imprecise throws and even injury.