What Great Pitchers Do Every Time They Practice

Hey There, Friend!

Great practice habits don’t just happen. If your pitcher is showing up—but not seeing the progress she hopes for—this post is for you.

Today, I’m sharing three simple (but powerful!) ways to help her get more out of every bullpen. Whether she's working on command, velocity, or confidence with her change-up, these tips will help her stay focused, motivated, and moving toward her goals.

1. Intentional Practice = Real Progress

Every practice session must have a clear, small focus—something specific your pitcher is working to improve that day.

Let’s say she’s struggling with command of the zone because she keeps falling to her arm side after release. Her pitching coach may have told her it’s due to a heavy drag that's stopping her back leg from moving forward on time.

If she wants to improve her command, her focus that day should be on keeping her drag light, which allows her back leg to move forward faster. That one small change improves balance—and better balance leads to better command.

👉 Two pitchers can spend the same amount of time practicing and walk away with completely different results depending on how intentional they are with their reps!

2. Practice Has to Mean Something to Her

One of the ways I help pitchers stay focused during training is by turning the skill we’re working on into a challenge or competition.

Let’s go back to the balance example…

I could tell a group of pitchers: "Stay balanced on your stride leg until the ball hits the catcher’s glove.”

A few will stay focused just because I asked—but most will do it once, lose focus on the next few pitches, then try again… and repeat that cycle.

The truth is: just telling her to do it isn’t always enough. I have to find a way to make the skill matter to her. And so do you as her coach and/or parent!

Here’s how:

Create a challenge that makes her care about getting it right.

I might say to the group of pitchers:

“Alright, we’re doing a balance challenge! I’ll say, ‘Ready… deep breath… GO,’ so you all throw at the same time. After release, I’ll count to 3 out loud. Your job? Stay balanced on your stride foot the entire time. If you fall off early—you’re out. The last pitcher still balanced wins and gets to pick a consequence for the rest of the group: burpees, sprints, a silly dance… whatever you want!”

It’s amazing how focused pitchers get when they feel like something’s on the line—even if it’s just a fun game. That simple shift turns passive reps into purposeful ones.

You can also help her tap into this kind of focus on her own.

Let’s say she’s struggling to throw her change-up with confidence. Try giving her a high-pressure scenario to imagine:

Her team is up by 1 in the state championship.
Bottom of the 7th. Full count. Bases loaded.
Best hitter at the plate.
She has to throw a change-up.
If she hits her spot, they win.
If not… they don’t.

Some pitchers get sweaty palms just thinking about that moment!

But that's the point—it helps her feel the pressure, stay present, and start practicing with real purpose.

3. Take Time to Reflect After Every Bullpen

After each session, help her take just 1–2 minutes to reflect:

• What did I do well today?

• What did I struggle with or want to keep working on?

• What’s one focus for next practice?

I give all my pitchers a journal with space to reflect like this—but even a simple notebook will do.

And I can tell you this: the pitchers who actually write things down consistently?
They almost always make faster progress than those who don’t.

To Wrap It Up…

If you want to help your pitcher get the most out of every bullpen, remember:

• Intentional practice drives progress.
  Help her focus on one specific thing she can feel and improve.

• Make it matter.
  Use challenges, competitions, or scenarios that help her care about what she’s doing.

• Teach her to reflect.
  When she takes ownership of her learning, she’ll see bigger results.

These small but powerful habits will help her get more from each practice—and move closer to her goals with every pitch.

As always, if you have questions or ideas for future blog topics, I’d love to hear them. You can email me HERE anytime!

All My Best,
Myndie