Playing baseball is incredibly fun and rewarding, but to perfect your game, you'll need to perfect your pitch. Follow the steps below to master casting mechanics and to improve casting accuracy, speed and strength.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Perfect Body Position
Step 1. Get in the launch position
Before throwing, your entire body should be in the right position. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart, your knees should be slightly bent, your body should be relaxed, and your hips should be in line with your shoulders.
- Start with the ball in the mitt close to your chest. From this position you will be able to quickly throw.
- Make sure your feet aren't facing each other. You will start the throw with your feet at the same distance from the plate, then take a step during the throw. You shouldn't take this step before throwing though.
- When throwing the ball, you will keep your feet and shoulders aligned, similar to the starting position.
- Stay alert and focused when preparing to launch. Even if you're just waiting to train, avoid getting distracted when trying out your shooting stance.
Step 2. Use the right grip
When you are in position, the next step is to hold the ball. While it may seem easy to hold the ball, you need to do it properly. Place your index and middle fingers over one of the rows of seams, with your thumb forming the third grip point directly below. Your ring finger and little finger should bend slightly behind the ball and help hold it steady.
- Holding the ball correctly at the seams will have a positive influence on the speed and direction of the throw. When you hold the ball like this, your throw is more likely to be straight rather than curved.
- Hold the ball with your fingertips and not in the palm of your hand. Holding the ball with your palm will not allow you to release as fast, making it worse for accuracy and speed.
- Ideally, your grip should allow you to touch all four seams at the same time. In the beginning it is difficult to hold such a grip, but if you train yourself to do so right away, you will improve your casting ability over time.
- At first you may need to look at the ball to properly line up the seams on your fingers, but with practice you should only be able to do this by touch.
Step 3. Move the joints correctly
One of the most important components of a good throw is moving your joints correctly. These include wrist, elbow and shoulders. To perform a good throw, you should move these parts at the same time. If any of these joints are stiff and don't move when you throw, try to actively move them during the loading motion.
- When you load your arm, your arm should rotate thanks to your shoulder. To exercise the ability to move the shoulder freely, do exercises by moving your arms in a swirl. Rotate your arms in a forward circle around your shoulders.
- Make sure you keep your elbow bent as you cast. While you will be using the swirl motion to get the ball back and around your body, your elbow should be bent in this process. Keeping the elbow locked will limit the distance of the throw.
- Think of your winding as a movement somewhere between a whirling circle and drawing an arc. Your elbow should be bent but come behind your chest in a circular motion.
- Your wrist should be incredibly flexible and you should use it tremendously on every cast. It is often said that a good throw "is all in the wrist". Just before releasing the ball, your wrist should be bent back, and your palm should be facing in front of you. When throwing the ball, you will give a strong downward whip with your wrist. This will serve to boost the launch and improve its accuracy.
Part 2 of 4: Throwing the Ball
Step 1. Get into position
When you are sure of your stance, your grip and the movement of your joints, combine these three aspects to throw the ball. Your chest should be facing away from your target, and you should keep the ball in the glove close to your chest.
Step 2. Aim before throwing
If you want to be precise, you need to be sure where you want to throw the ball. If you are throwing at a partner, always aim for the chest. Feel free to use the mitt to aim at your target, as this will make it easier for you to align your body in the right position.
Step 3. Load the arm
Bring the ball back and around your body to perform the windup. You should follow the ball with your elbow, opening and closing it as you rotate your arm. As your arm rotates and returns in front of you, release the ball when it is aligned with your target.
Step 4. Move your body forward to follow the throw
As you prepare to release the ball, step towards your target with the leg opposite the shooting hand. If you are right handed, you will need to step with your left foot. At the same time, turn your hips towards the target.
Step 5. Keep your eyes on your target as you throw
Your throw will follow your eyes, so if you look around or pay no attention, you won't be able to hit your target.
Step 6. Complete the throwing movement well
After releasing the ball, your shooting arm should continue its downward motion and finish its stroke on the opposite side. This will serve to give power to your launch and improve its accuracy.
Step 7. Check your position at the end of the launch
Your feet should be slightly wider and misaligned after the throw, your hips will be rotated, and your shooting arm should be diagonally across your body with your hand on the opposite hip.
Part 3 of 4: Practice the Movements
Step 1. Practice the wrist whip
If you find that you are unable to perform this movement when the ball is released, train in this particular one. Kneel on the ground with a partner, about 1.5 - 3m apart. You won't need a mitt for this exercise, as you won't be pulling hard enough to cause an injury.
- Bend your throwing elbow so that it is vertical, or parallel to your chest. You won't be loading your arm in this exercise, so lock your shoulder and elbow to limit movement.
- Use the hand you are not throwing with to hold the throwing elbow. This is to prevent movement, so grab the elbow tightly enough to block the forward movement of the forearm.
- Throw the ball thanks only to the whip of the wrist. You should hold the ball with the correct grip and start the throw with the wrist slightly tilted back, then perform a quick downward whip to complete it. You will use your wrist to give all the force to the throw; do not use other parts of the body.
- As you get better, take a few steps back. This way your wrist will become stronger and you will be able to use this movement at greater distances. You should never exceed 6m (6m) in order not to risk injuring yourself or your partner.
Step 2. Practice the final part of the movement
If you have trouble making strong, fast throws and maintaining good accuracy, you may have trouble with the final part of the movement. To do this exercise, kneel on your throwing knee about 3m away from your partner. Practice throwing the ball softly, focusing on technique and loading.
- When you release the ball, bring your arm all the way through your body, so that your throwing hand lands on the opposite thigh. If you were standing, your arm would rest on your side.
- You shouldn't focus on strength and speed in this exercise. Focus only on the accuracy of the throw and the final part of the movement.
- Make sure you release the ball at the correct time. Doing it too early or too late would make it impossible to reach your target.
- When you are more familiar with the movement, gradually move away, remaining on your knees. Eventually, you will be able to train at full strength.
Step 3. Practice your aim
With a good flick of the wrist and after taking care of the final part of the cast, you are on your way to perfect aim. To practice aiming, stand 3 to 5m away from a teammate. Use the exercises described to throw the ball to your partner.
- Before each throw, point at your partner's chest with the glove. At the same time, take a small step with the same foot.
- Practice doing this without gloves, to focus more on accuracy than strength.
- When throwing, keep your eyes on your partner's chest. You should never lose eye contact, until the moment the launch is received.
- Move further and further away from your partner, and start using the mitt if necessary during this exercise.
Part 4 of 4: Baseball grips
Advice
- While training to use only your wrist and fingers may seem odd at first, keep doing it. Strengthening your wrist and fingers will help you a lot to throw with more strength and precision.
- When you pull your arm back, turn your elbow slightly away from you.
- Don't worry about the strength and speed of the throw in the beginning, because accuracy is the most important aspect to learn. When you are more precise, you can start working on strength and speed.
- Always do some warm-up exercises before throwing to avoid muscle injuries.
Warnings
- Don't throw too much, as you could get serious injuries to your rotator cuff, arm muscles, or elbow tendons.
- Do not throw at windows or other glass objects or objects that can break.
- Do not throw at people who are unaware of the arrival of the ball.
