Baseball Routine Necessary for Pitchers - 365 Days to Better Baseball

Thursday Pitching Tip of the Day

Baseball Routine is Important

Most baseball players become superstitious. When things go well, they want to do the exact same things the next time, believing that leads to the same good results. Things as wearing the exact same clothing, going out on the field at the same time, playing catch with the same partner and eating the same food are just some examples of superstitious baseball routine. Baseball routine is a necessary aspect of success, whether the routine develops from superstition, or not, and nowhere is it more important than with pitching.

Baseball routine for pitchers helps develop the consistency, discipline, and confidence, necessary for baseball pitching success. A consistent program is more necessary for pitchers because of the throwing limitations of the arm. Pitchers cannot throw too long without the risk of fatigue and possible arm injury. Batters can usually take an unlimited amount of batting practice, within reason, as can infielders with the number of ground balls or fly balls. However, maximum throwing, as pitchers must do, requires limits to the amount.

Pitchers must always consider the amount of pitches they throw in a given day to keep arm strength and avoid injury. This practice of keeping tabs for the number of throws is more difficult for youth baseball players because most of them play other positions, when not pitching. Baseball coaches should help youth baseball players develop their personal baseball routine for throwing, so they stay healthy and strong, while maintaining the ability to practice their pitching skills.

Baseball Routine for Pitchers Things to Consider

1. Game pitch counts and rest days are the first considerations
2. Number of warm up throws before getting on the mound
3. Distance of those warm up throws, along with the velocity of them usually a few throws beyond pitching distance and finishing at close to one hundred percent arm speed.
4. Sequence of working on pitches in the bullpen generally fastballs, two and four seams, followed by change-ups, then breaking balls
5. Number of total pitches thrown in the bullpen especially those thrown at maximum speed. In addition, the number of thrown pitches is different for games and non- game days. Before entering games, the exact number of pitches thrown in the bullpen is important, and different if a starter or reliever

Other Baseball Routine Considerations for Pitchers

1. Sequence of pitches when on the mound before the inning along with the speed of those pitches generally at about ninety percent of game speed
2. How many pitches to throw out of the windup and stretch positions in bullpen anf before innings

These are just some of the things that pitchers must figure out so they develop their personal game plan they are most comfortable with that leads to consistency and confidence. That takes time for pitchers to develop. Also important, is develop the same routine after receiving the ball back from the catcher in games, so the exact same pattern develops to keep pitchers in rhythm.

Then, pitchers should develop their plan for what time they arrive at the ball park, whether to step on the third base line, or not, which catcher they like to pitch to wait a minute now we are getting back to baseball superstition again. Baseball routine and superstition are different but they help form each other and both lead to pitching success.