Pitching Fielding

By Coach Todd Williams for PitchingTips.com

Important to every pitcher is the ability to correctly field a baseball and pitch in a way that delivers the ball to the hitter in the best way possible to get in a good fielding position.

Having a mock play of the game before the actual event starts is a great way of giving the pitcher an idea of how the game will “play” out. It's a great way to work on baseball pitching fielding skills.

At his best, a pitcher can hit locations, change speeds and keep the batters confused and off balance.

Integral to a successful pitching game is the act of taking off and landing on the right foot.

Accordingly, pitchers should practice landing on the balls off their feet when winding up and releasing the ball; this gives the pitcher a “centered zone” to deliver the ball to.

In professional games, it often seems like the pitcher is bouncing off the mound at the windup and that “bounce” needs to be positioned perfectly so the entire pitcher can perform like a well-oiled instrument. That way, he can get into proper baseball pitching fielding position and react to the ball.

Ensuring quick delivery to the catcher is essential. Position a player and catcher sitting opposite of each other and practice tossing the ball back and forth without the ball losing intensity or the ball being rocked by a mitt.

The interplay between the pitcher and the catcher is crucial to a successful run and this tip will make the relationship stronger.

The coach can also roll balls out in front of the plate to have the pitcher and catcher communicate fielding the baseball and making the appropriate play in the field.

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