Pre-Pitch Routine

[mikhy1]

Hey All! I read an interesting article by former All-American pitcher Lacey Waldrop on creating and practicing a pre-pitch routine. I thought she made some good points and gave some practical advice in her article (Three Components to Improve Your Pre-Pitch Routine) but would love to get everyone's opinion on this.

Recently, I've implemented this with a few kids I work with and have seen some improvement in their approach and consistency. We do a 7 inning game simulation, competing against each other to hit spots and strike out batters vs. air, to practice this. Walks put runners on, balls thrown in the batters box count as a hit batter and pass balls advance runners. The fewest walks or, if it's a bad day, runs allowed wins. We even come into the dugout between innings to quickly speak about what was going right or wrong and how each pitcher is feeling about their pitches so we can make adjustments as needed. The goal is to create as close to a game situation as possible to make all this second nature when we get in game.

I was wondering if anyone else purposefully works this? And if so, how do you go about doing it? I am quite sure there are improvements that can be made to our approach that would make it more efficient/beneficial for establishing a routine and helping pitchers stay relaxed and focused as stressful situations occur in game.

 

[djcarter1966]

I think you should be purposeful about it but I would not be rigid about what it is. Main goals are to get you focused and relaxed whether its pitching or batting. You don't want to have to think about what you are doing mechanically as you approach the pitch or an at bat, you want to be free to let your mind focus on the situation and your body relaxed and comfortable.

 

[mikhy1]

I think you should be purposeful about it but I would not be rigid about what it is. Main goals are to get you focused and relaxed whether its pitching or batting. You don't want to have to think about what you are doing mechanically as you approach the pitch or an at bat, you want to be free to let your mind focus on the situation and your body relaxed and comfortable.

Right, I certainly wouldn't recommend forcing a specific pre-pitch routine on a kid. I think the goal should be to have good, open communication with your athletes and find what works best for them. Though I think it's appropriate for a PC to make suggestions to help their pitcher get into a routine that keeps her relaxed and focused.

Is the "pre-pitch routine" something you are working into lesson/practice with a focus on it all? Or are you just letting it happen naturally? And I know this is a more generalized question because I think the emphasis you have to place on "routine" will vary kid to kid to some degree.