Baseball Tips and Drills for Youth Pitching - 365 Days to Better Baseball

Baseball Tips and Drills for Pitching Balance Positions

An alternate way of coaching baseball skills is by beginning at the end of a skill and working back to the beginning. This method works well with pitching, as it sometimes helps to have kids understand the positions they must get to before putting it all together. Coaches set players at balance positions that pitchers must reach along the way, and have them continue the motion from that position. These baseball tips and drills begin with the ending position for pitching, the release point, and work back to the windup. The following baseball tips and drills help with that understanding and muscle memory to improve their pitching efficiency.

Baseball Tips and Drills for Release Point - Balance Position #1

Pitchers hold their release point position, making sure their head is out over a firm front leg with the glove directly underneath their head.

Coaching Tip from this spot, players finish the throwing motion by taking the ball to the front side knee and having their rear leg land even with the front leg, or a little beyond. Balance comes from the head, so coaches should make sure the head and eyes are level in this position.

Baseball Tips and Drills for foot strike Balance Position #2

Pitchers begin with their stride foot extended to normal landing width with hips closed, elbows up, front shoulder pointing at home and fingers on top of the ball.

Coaching tip players should be on balls of feet in this position and with head centered. Players rock back from this balance position and proceed to finish the motion as above.

Baseball Tips and Drills at Knee lift Balance Position #3

Pitchers lift front knee and set their rear foot on their back knee with the ball still in glove and glove centered or slightly back of their chest.

Coaching Tip Setting the front foot on the rear knee keeps the players weight on the inside of the back leg, necessary for driving off the mound. Players continue the pitching delivery from this balance point through the above two positions.

Remember, this drill has pitchers doing things in reverse order, in actuality the balance positions would come in opposite order. Finally, it is a good idea for pitchers to hold each of these balance positions for a five count on these baseball tips and drills for pitchers.

About Jack Perconte

After playing major league baseball, Jack Perconte has taught baseball and softball since 1988 and offered valuable coaching training too. He has helped numerous youth players reach their potential, as well as having helped parents and coaches navigate their way through the challenging world of youth sports. Jack is one of the leading authorities in the areas of youth baseball training and coaching training advice.

All Jack Perconte articles are used with copyright permission.