Pitching Drill: 3-Part Pitch

Hey There Friend!

This week I'm sharing one of my FAVORITE drills for pitchers of all ages and skill levels.

The "3-Part Pitch" drill breaks down the pitch into 3 segments so that pitchers can understand and FEEL the sequencing that should be happening during a pitch.

Part 1

Starts with the wind-up and finishes with the stride foot set and both arms extended towards the target.

Key things to remember:

• When starting into the stride, everything should stay facing or reaching TOWARDS home plate!
  • throwing arm
  • glove arm
  • stride leg/foot
  • drive leg knee/foot
    • roll up over the toes & keep shoelaces facing forward
• PAUSE when the stride foot sets with both arms facing forward
  • check the following
    • stride foot lands on the powerline (line from the middle of the rubber to the middle of home plate) at slight angle (no more than 45 degrees). This helps keep the front side firm and turns the front hip slightly.
    • the chest and both arms are facing toward home plate
    • the back leg has moved forward off the rubber by rolling up over the toes and dragging lightly on the ground. Both the back knee and shoelaces are facing towards home plate

Part 2

Starts when the throwing arm goes over the pitcher's head and finishes when the arm gets just above shoulder high on the backside of the circle.

Key things to remember:

• As the throwing arm goes over the head, the shoulders and chest should open up (turn sideways)
• The throwing arms should be loose/relaxed with the hand under the ball or slightly on the side of the ball depending on the pitcher's flexibility
  • the hand should NOT be on top of the ball here. THIS IS A COMMON MISTAKE and is taught by some pitching coaches. This causes the pitcher to PUSH the ball down the back of the circle causing them to lose whip/velocity!
• As the upper body rotates, the lower body should HOLD it's position.
  • You should not see the back foot twisting sideways here. THIS IS A COMMON MISTAKE made by many pitchers and taught by some pitching coaches. This can cause the pitcher to anchor the back foot/leg causing balance/timing problems that can affect velocity and command of the zone!

Part 3

Starts as the throwing arm comes down the backside of the circle and finishes after the ball is released.

Key things to remember:

• Feel the arms PULLING down together through the backside of the pitch to create good timing/whip through release
• As the arms are pulling down, the back knee should be driving towards home plate
• As the knee is driving towards home plate, the back foot should be dragging towards the heel of the stride foot to
• The front leg should stay firm/strong through release and the pitcher should stay balanced on it THROUGH release
• The back knee should continue to drive forward through release and the throwing hand/arm should follow the ball out towards the target after release.
  • The hand should NOT stop or pull up immediately after release. THIS IS A COMMON MISTAKE and is taught by some pitching coaches. Stopping the natural momentum of going FORWARD after release that should happen when the arm creates good whip will take away velocity and can affect control and movement as well!

Once a pitcher can do this drill correctly, she should challenge herself  to make sure she is getting out to full distance with her stride length and is still able to maintain posture/balance.

Check out the video example above to see what this drill looks like when done correctly!

After a pitcher can understand and execute this drill correctly, begin to take the pauses out and see if she is able to maintain proper sequencing and balance. If she struggles, try doing some reps without throwing a ball first to help her feel what is happening.

Be patient with the process and take the time to get this right! The 3-Part Pitch drill is one of the BEST ways for pitchers to understand what should be happening within the pitch AND work to strengthen their foundation!

As always, let me know if you have any questions! You can always reach me HERE!

All My BEST,

Myndie