Q&A for How to Pitch a Baseball

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  • Question
    How do I get better at pitching?
    Isaac Hess
    Isaac Hess
    Baseball Coach & Instructor
    Isaac Hess is a Baseball Coach, Instructor, and the Founder of MADE Baseball Development and Champion Mindset Training Program, a baseball training program based in Los Angeles, California. Isaac has over 14 years of experience coaching baseball and specializes in private lessons and tournaments. He has played baseball for both professional and collegiate leagues including Washington State University and the University of Arizona. Isaac was ranked as one of Baseball America's top 10 prospects for 2007 and 2008. He earned a BS in Regional Development from the University of Arizona in 2007.
    Isaac Hess
    Baseball Coach & Instructor
    Expert Answer
    Doing front raises and side raises with resistance bands can help increase your pitching power.
  • Question
    What causes a pitch to slide?
    Donagan
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Any breaking pitch -- such as a slider -- changes its trajectory because of the spin the pitcher puts on the ball as he releases it. It is literally the friction with air and the "lift" it creates that causes the ball to move left, right, up or down as it approaches home plate.
  • Question
    Any tips on keep in it from going too far to the outside or inside?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You just have to practice. Once you keep throwing over and over, you'll get used to releasing the ball at the right time.
  • Question
    How many innings or total pitches should I pitch during a game?
    Donagan
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Youth leagues have rules governing how many pitches young pitchers are allowed to throw in a day and how many days of rest he must take between outings.
  • Question
    What is cut fast ball?
    Donagan
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    It's a fastball that behaves a little like a curveball. See wikiHow's article, "How to Throw a Cut Fastball."
  • Question
    I pitch well without a batter, but when a batter comes up, I can't throw straight. Is there a way for me to prevent this from happening?
    Donagan
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    You're letting the presence of the batter distract you. Concentrate on the strike zone. If you know that a particular batter has trouble hitting a pitch to a particular part of the strike zone, aim for that part. When in doubt, aim for the lower-outside corner of the zone.
  • Question
    Will this work for pitching a softball, too?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    No, the softball is bigger than the baseball and is pitched differently.
  • Question
    What should I aim for when pitching?
    Kaden Kurten
    Kaden Kurten
    Community Answer
    Aim for the strike zone. That's the area immediately above home plate between the batter's knees and armpits. That's the usual definition of the strike zone, but umpires have complete discretion in interpreting that rule. As you get better at pitching, you'll want to concentrate on keeping the ball away from the batter and at knee level.
  • Question
    How do I make the pitch higher or lower?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Use a longer than usual stride to make the pitch go higher and a shorter stride to make it go lower.
  • Question
    Do I have to do a wrist spin when pitching a curve ball?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    No. However, the more English or "spin" that you put on the ball, the more curve you will get. Be cautious about how you spin your wrist, because you can do more harm by twisting at a break away point. I would suggest that you try the snap back method at the peak break away point, which will cause a much more effective spin on the ball, thus making a strong curvature on the travel of your pitch.
  • Question
    Can a pitcher wear anything on his wrist?
    Donagan
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Players are usually restricted to wearing only what is included in a team uniform. If you mean something like a sweat band, it might be allowed unless the umpire believes it is distracting to the hitters or otherwise constitutes an unfair advantage to the pitcher.
  • Question
    How many steps can I take when pitching?
    Donagan
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    One. A pitcher stands with one foot on the pitching rubber and takes one long stride toward the plate while throwing a pitch.
  • Question
    How do I take signals?
    softball and lily
    softball and lily
    Community Answer
    You usually take signals from your catcher. Your catcher will usually get them from the coach or make them up himself. If you do not like a particular signal, you can shake it off, and the catcher will choose something else.
  • Question
    If the pitcher pitches the ball on the home base while pitching, is the batter out?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    If you're asking about a pitch that hits home plate, that would be a pitch below the strike zone. Assuming the batter does not swing at it, the pitch would be called a "ball," and the batter would not be out. If the batter swings at and misses the pitch, assuming the catcher catches the pitch and tags the batter (or throws him out at first base), the batter is out.
  • Question
    How does a running fastball behave?
    Donagan
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    "Running" refers to a pitch's sliding movement toward the batter near the end of its trip to the strike zone.
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