Locating Fastball

FiveFrameSwing said:

When you get a chance please post the concepts involved for locating the fastball consistently to each corner.

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Sure...there is no magic in hitting the corners:

a) The pitcher's motion has to be consistent and repeatable.
b) The only person who can teach a pitcher how to throw to the corners is the pitcher.
c) The pitcher has to consistently practice throwing to the corners for months, maybe even years.

Boys who learn to pitch learn to spot the fastball on the four corners first. It is the basis of pitching and the inability to do so leads to long term issues. This is my opinion but if you cannot pitch to a location then you are the thrower on the team and not the pitcher.

If you can pitch up and down then you have a weapon against those batters with uppercut swings. If you can pitch in and out you have a weapon against pull hitters. In the end the one place you don’t want to pitch is middle so you need to work the corners. Also this ability to locate will come in big when the child gets older and wants to back door pitches.

I have one child who pitches. At 16U she doesn’t throw particularly hard but last outing was 6IP on 58 pitches, 45 for strikes. She throws only 4 pitches but she can put any one of them in a coffee can 9/10 times. She gets lots of ground balls and pop flys so it requires a defense.

We got here because we spent many hours during her entire 8’s and most of 10’s throwing fastballs to a location, nothing else. When her friends at 10U had 4-5 pitches she trusted me, they still can’t hit a location 50% of time.

My opinion, pitch to corners a lot at a young age. Several college clinics she has attended emphasized it and love her ability to do so even over faster pitchers, some love the big arm. I can say it produces results and from what I have seen at 16/18s throwing fast without location results in a lot of running for the outfield.

CofC


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BT3100 said:

If you can't change eye levels unless the kid is throwing 65+ you will never get outs past 14u

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I think you need something up in the zone to be at your max potential but we will have to disagree on never get past 14U. The girl I mentioned above already beats 18U teams and they do not throw up. Throws around 53 but never over the plate.

Tango said:

I think you need something up in the zone to be at your max potential but we will have to disagree on never get past 14U. The girl I mentioned above already beats 18U teams and they do not throw up. Throws around 53 but never over the plate.

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I guess I should have stated that better.
They won't be able to compete at a high level of 14u (same thing at 18)
My DD no hit 3 teams in HS this past season as a freshman.
This summer playing some of the top ranked 14u PGF teams she got hit around when she didn't work up and down in the zone.

Unfortunately the strike zone has become low. I would call very few pitches up. Inside, outside, on FB. Then drop a low drop ball

NVfishing said:

Unfortunately the strike zone has become low. I would call very few pitches up. Inside, outside, on FB. Then drop a low drop ball

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Low is good, work the corners low. Working up can get you in a bind if not careful. I believe hitting is easier up in the zone

I talked with three former pitching coaches. 1. Juco 2. Acc 3. Sec, all three said they only teach inside and outside. They use the rise in and out as there high pitch.