• The most effective pitchers strategy is to keep hitters off balance
• Don’t get caught up in “curve ball baseball”
• An inside fastball can increase the effectiveness of your other pitches

Before you even get to the ball field you should be planning your pitchers strategy. The best strategy is to always keep your opponent guessing what pitch you are going to throw. Think about it, if your opponent has a pretty good idea what your pitchers strategy is and what pitches are going to be thrown, they will wait for the ideal pitch. If you always follow a fastball with an off-speed pitch then the opposing batters will quickly pick up on this. Be sure to mix up your pitches and throw a breaking ball to get the batter off balance.

Basic Pitchers Strategy

• Always try to get ahead in the count. This may seem obvious; however, too many pitchers get behind and are forced to throw fastball strikes to avoid a walk. When you get ahead in the count you are able to choose your pitches more effectively.

• Throw your fastball inside to keep the opposing team off balance. An inside fastball is difficult to hit and it forces opposing batters to always be on the lookout for it. If they are looking for the inside fastball and you throw a breaking ball they won’t have time to adjust.

• To make your fastball more effective throw some different types. Use a 2-seam fastball and mix in a 4-seam fastball to get a different break on the ball. This confuses the hitter as they won’t know where the ball is going even if they guess correctly that you’re throwing a fastball.

• Many pitchers strategies are what I call “curve ball baseball.” Basically, they have two pitches in their repertoire: a fastball and a curve ball. Add plenty of off-speed pitches into the mix to keep the hitters uncomfortable in the box. The more you can keep them guessing, the more effective your pitchers strategy will be.

• Be sure to vary your pitch location. If your pitches are in the same general area of the plate each time then batters will pick up on it. Throw over the inside and outside of the plate in addition to some high fastballs and a few at the knees.

• Get a read on the individual batters on the opposing team. Some batters can be lured into “chasing” pitches outside the strike zone. Don’t waste the pitch and a throw it so far outside that he won’t go for it…just a bit outside to make him reach. If he does get a hit he will be off balance and should be an easy out at first.

• Remember you have eight teammates backing you up. You don’t have to strike out every batter. Your main goal is to keep the ball in play where your teammates can get the outs. Even if a pitch is working exceptionally well on a particular day don’t over use it or the hitters will catch on eventually. Keep them always guessing so that they cannot become set in the batters box by mixing up your pitches.

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