37 Ways To Improve Accuracy And Control Pitching

ATTENTION PARENTS: While there aren’t many pitching programs that are age-appropriate and safe for kids 7-14, there is one that provides youth pitchers with effective guidelines for strength training, pitching mechanics, and how to pitch faster in baseball. Click here to learn more about my youth pitching program.

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Let’s talk about how to improve pitching accuracy when a pitcher has problems throwing strikes and finding the strike zone.

I really love that quote.

I think you’ll agree with me when I say:

Having good control is one of the most important characteristics of a great pitcher.

Pitching control problems are undoubtedly a limiting factor in a pitcher’s long-term success.

Pitchers who throw hard but lack control and consistency often do not perform well enough to advance to higher levels.

But if a pitcher can hit his spots and consistently command his pitches—that’s the difference between being a pitcher and a "thrower."

A pitcher with good control not only can throw strikes and get the ball over the plate.

. but he doesn’t often fall behind a hitter. And he rarely hands out free passes to first.

Pitchers need command to advance to the next level

Training your pitchers how to LOCATE their pitches is BY FAR the most important ingredient to their success.

And if you have a young pitcher at home, it’s just the kind of skill that you should be working on.

If you take a look at the big league statistics, MLB pitchers throw an average of 62% to 65% strikes, or roughly 2:1 strikes to balls, according to 2014 stats.

First-pitch strike percentage is around 59% to 60%.

Do you know where the strike zone is? The first step in throwing strikes more is knowing where the strike zone is. Each individual umpire’s zone will be different from game to game. But as a general rule, the strike zone is between a hitter’s chest and his knees.

Of course, it’s no surprise that pro pitchers have good control and throw strikes more times than not. But how can younger pitchers in high school and little league baseball improve their strike ratio?

Good control starts with having good mechanics.

If a pitcher has a good arm but is having problems locating his pitches, it’s most likely a mechanical problem; it’s very difficult to control the ball if you can’t control your body and get to a consistent release point.

Once the problem is identified, adjustments can be made in the bullpen to improve a pitcher’s mechanics so that come Game time, it’s almost like target practice!

4 factors in developing better accuracy

Justin Masterson shows good command of the sinker low and away in the strike zone. Good ball control is the single most important aspect of baseball pitching.

There are four well-defined factors in fixing control problems and improving accuracy pitching:

Let’s take a closer look at each factor in greater detail by exploring 37 specific ways in which a pitcher can improve control pitching.

The first—and most important—factor is to improve the pitcher’s baseball mechanics:

Factor #1: The mechanical aspects

James Shields throws a 2-2 fastball past Jed Lowrie for a strike to get out of a jam.

Check the position of the pivot foot alignment along the front of the rubber.

This can affect horizontal control. Pitchers should start on the throwing hand side of the rubber. This means right-handed pitchers should generally start from (and place their pivot foot in front of) the right side of the rubber. Lefties should start on the left. It’s the opposite for lefties.

If a right-handed pitcher finds that his fastball is tailing inside too much on a right-handed hitter, he can correct this by moving his starting body position and pivot foot placement more to the center of left side of the rubber.

If a pitcher starts on the throwing arm side of the rubber and strides too far closed, there’s a good chance that he’ll have to shift his posture and lean to the glove side to help square up the shoulders. This late posture change leads to control issues and a non-repeatable delivery.

Remember, the pitcher should lead with the front hip following maximum knee height during that initial movement toward home plate to start the stride.

These can lead to early shoulder rotation or "flying open" and often results on missing to the throwing arm side.

These can cause the pitcher to land on his heel more than he should, thus jarring him out of the smooth motion that leads to control.

Remember, the striding foot should land just to the side of that imaginary line from the center of the rubber, to the center of the plate known as the midline.

If the pitcher is wild-high, his stride may be too long; if wild-low, it may be too short. Pitchers need to have a definite target they’re throwing to, and stride directly toward that target.

The pitcher should lead with his front hip and keep his head centered over an expanding sideways triangle.

The knee continues to drift forward for many pitchers with poor control.

Higher arm slots generally lead to flatter pitches and cause control problems if the pitchers tilts his shoulders more than the recommended 10°.

Once the ball leaves his hand, of course, nothing can be done to change its speed, trajectory or direction. But a proper follow-through indicates that the last contact the pitcher’s hand has with the ball is correct… he is releasing it properly… so his chances of having good control are increased.

For the four-seam fastball grip, normally the fingers should be 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch apart. To improve control, widen out slightly.

For the change up grip, control problems high are an indication of slowed arm speed, lifts fingers too early, low cocked position, arm slot too wide. Control problems inside are an indication of arm slot too wide, poor hip and trunk rotation, early pronation of hand.

Factor #2: Good physical conditioning

A pitcher’s level of fitness has a direct effect on his ability to put the ball where he wants in the strike zone. Adding strength and properly conditioning the entire kinetic chain from the legs to the core to the arm will help the pitcher be able to maintain dynamic balance and good posture throughout the delivery.

Factor #3: The mental process

The ability to control pitches just outside the strike zone is as important as having good control inside the zone. There are few in the league that throw harder than Aroldis Chapman’s. Couple a 100 mph fastball with good control, like he did here on this pitch to Adam Lind, and it’s nearly impossible to hit.

Is the pitcher wasting too many pitches?

Way too many pitchers waste too many pitches when they get ahead in 0-2, 1-2 or 2-2 counts.

Waste one high, waste one in the dirt, nibble here, nibble there, and throw in a couple foul balls—and all of a sudden the batter’s trotting down to first base, and the pitcher looks foolish.

Pitchers should challenge hitters with their very best pitch in their arsenal and make them swing.

A pitcher must be able to block out internal and external distractions, and focus on each pitch. He should be able to think of how he throws a certain pitch, why he is selecting the pitch, and where he wants to throw it.

A pitcher must have the courage to compete under very stressful situations. He needs the courage to challenge hitters and throw the pitch for strikes. The pitcher needs to be able to maintain his poise and emotions and have a great amount of self-discipline in tough competitive situations.

A pitcher not only has to know how to pitch, how to set up hitters and face various situations, but just as importantly he has to know and accept his own strengths and limitations. He has to learn how to pitch within himself and not try to do things he’s not capable of doing.

A pitcher first develops confidence through hard work and proper preparation, and then from prior successes. Because he has prepared himself, he should feel comfortable, shouldn’t feel failure, and should be able to concentrate on the job at hand.

You’ve got to get into a mental state where the batter doesn’t bother you and you are not afraid to brush him off the plate or throw one inside. The batter is the enemy.

Factor #4: Proper visualization

Johnny Cueto has a lot of tricks up his sleeve, including this change up to Martin Maldonado with a runner on second base. Notice how the pitch starts in the heart of the plate before fading late down and inside? Excellent command from an excellent pitcher.

Check where the pitcher’s eyes go during the delivery. Do they go down? Up? To the side?

Harvey A. Dorfman, author of The Mental Game of Baseball: A Guide to Peak Performance, once asked his pitcher after a bad outing the same question:

"Do you know where your eyes go when you pitch?"

The pitcher replied he looked at the target every time.

Well, Mr. Dorfman asked, "What color was the catcher’s glove?"

The pitcher had no idea.

If the pitcher is so focused and concentrated on a target for 65+ pitches a game, you would have to have the catcher’s glove burned in your brain. The next time your pitcher throws, make sure he looks at the target. It will make a difference.

By the way, if you don’t already have a copy of The Mental Game of Baseball, you can get it here.

The rule is this: "Leg up, eyes up." As soon as the lift leg reaches maximum knee height, the eyes should be fixed back on the target again.

Many pitchers pull down with the head and shoulders when throwing breaking pitches and lose sight of the ball. That’s fine. But the pitcher should get the head up early enough to track the ball into the hitting zone and be ready to field his position and protect himself.

The main cause of this is the pitcher’s failure to get his eyes back on the target well before coming through with his pitch because he’s so focused on looking at the runner.

You can work on this in practice to get your pitchers used to taking a good look at the target before delivering, even if it means giving the runner(s) an extra step of lead-off. And be sure that part of a pitcher’s warm-up—both before the game and starting an inning—includes pitching from the stretch. He should look at his target with both eyes before delivering the ball.

For example, have him say "fastball, low inside," or "slider, low and away". Calling their shot helps reinforce the action.

For example, on the breaking pitch, does he focus on the spot where the pitch should end up, or the spot where he starts his pitch? I used to aim for the catcher’s knee caps on my fastballs or the hitter’s elbow on a breaking ball. Either technique is effective.

During the delivery of the pitch, the pitcher should track the pitch to the specific spot. Mentally, visually and mechanically will the pitch to that location.

Control is the key to pitching success

Remember this:

One of the keys to being a successful pitcher at any level of baseball is the ability to throw the ball with a high degree of control.

A pitcher might be able to throw his fastball at over 90 miles per hour, and have a wicked break in his curve ball or slider.

. but if he cannot throw these basic pitches for strikes he will never be a successful pitcher.

There are literally thousands of examples of highly successful pitchers in the big leagues who do/did not possess awesome velocity or movement in their pitches, yet still reached the highest levels of the game—Zack Greinke, Greg Maddux, Chris Young, Kyle Hendricks, to name just a few.

So what makes these pitchers successful?

They are capable of throwing the ball wherever they want, whenever they want.

The key to better accuracy and more velocity is good mechanics, a strong arm and a well-conditioned pitcher.

Once a pitcher develops better mechanics, he will find that his control and confidence gets better almost instantly.

. and with good mechanics, good fitness, a good thought process and good visualization, throwing becomes much more effortless—and much more fun!

Get my youth pitching program

If your son is a pitcher, you’re going to love this guide.

While there aren’t many pitching workouts that are age-appropriate and safe for kids 7-14, there is one that provides youth pitchers with a daily routine to improve mechanics, increase functional strength and keep their throwing arm healthy.

If you believe good mechanics, good physical fitness and a good throwing regimen are crucial to your son’s arm health, velocity and success, click here to learn more about my youth pitching program.

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS ARTICLE accuracy, aiming, better aim, command, command of the strike zone, consistency, consistently throw strikes, control, control issues, control of strike zone, getting the ball over the plate, how to have better accuracy, how to have better control, how to have more control, how to locate my pitches, keeping the ball in the strike zone, lack of accuracy, lack of command, lack of control, locating pitches, location, location of pitches, not hitting my spots, not hitting the target, not throwing strikes

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