Adding Speed During Your Warmup.. The "Walk-Through"

One important aspect of pitching, at any age, is to continually strive to pitch harder + faster. This is one drill that can be done while warming up during practice and pre-game. This is one example of adding intensity and a little challenge to gain more speed. By training your body to throw further than 40 feet, you are building arm speed and strength. And my #1 reason in pushing this drill is that it forces the athlete to take long strides and really use the legs.

The "Walk-Through"....... How to do this drill?

1. Begin warming up as normal, and when you reach the pitcher's mound, take 3 long strides further, past the mound and turn to your catcher.
2. For a Right handed pitcher, you would start by facing your target and take one step with your right foot towards that target,
3. Followed by one step with your left leg (a nice long stride) while bringing your hands together pointing at the target.
   
4. As you take another step with your right leg, bring your hands down, separated, and lean slightly towards your target.
5. Now initiate your pitch while striding up and forward with your left foot towards your target.
   
6. Repeat, each time starting further away until you cannot throw a strike.
   

Pointers:

• Watch the video :-)
• I always say the motions while performing this drill the first few times "step right, left, down and out" which takes the athlete through the motion.
• Strive to take longer strides and pitch further each time you do this drill
• Do not continue to back up if the ark of the pitch is higher than 4 feet.
• If you are pitching mostly inside, this means you are probably not getting your arm all the way through...So, lift that left leg a little higher during your pitch as you drive forward and speed up the rotation of your hips to get your body aligned for release.
  
• Points of reference: 6th grader = 60 feet, 7th grader = 70 feet.. and continue on. High school pitchers should be able to throw from second base to home.
  

(8th grader doing this drill indoors at B2B)