Photo taken from Google Images

Maturity and success aren’t always aligned with years on the diamond; just ask Australian sensation Justin Erasmus.  The Boston Red Sox know this, having snapped Erasmus up as a free agent at just 17.  This now 21-year-old right handed pitcher is carving his name around the globe in baseball.

Currently on the Brisbane Bandits roster, Erasmus is a star player in his second season with the newly revived Australian Baseball League.  Here are some insights into his quirky superstitions, how he keeps his money-maker in check, the Sox and what really goes on in the bullpen…

Sox Prospects describes your pitch as “Smooth, over-the-top and deliberate”, can you elaborate?

I think they’ve got it spot on – I try to be as sound as I can with my mechanics.  I’ll go with pretty much exactly what they said.

How do you keep your arm in check?

I do a shoulder program around three times a week, but every day I’ll do Thera-Band work and pretty much just throwing and lots of stretching.  Every time at the field I’ll do internal and external rotations, more stretching, then recovery – involves loads of ice.

General fitness – what do you do to maintain your performance level?

It is pretty difficult; I’m on a Red Sox Training Program and a gym routine. Right now it’s five days a week and it’s tough because I’ve got training and then pitching on the weekend.  So I go – Monday I’ll do legs, Tuesday upper body, Wednesday legs again, Thursday upper body, Friday is a light kind of mellow recovery day and weekends I’m running around playing baseball.

Which aspects of your pitching game are you currently working on and aiming to improve?

Throwing strikes, trying to throw a Cutter right now which is pretty much a fastball but a little different.  Throwing a Cutter is my focus, more change ups, pretty much pitching in general, just trying to do something different than just straight.  It’s all about finger pressure and how you release the ball.

Considering your high pressure role, are you always tense during games?

When I’m there, this might sound really weird, but I don’t pay much attention to the actual game, I try to mellow out, have some fun in the bullpen and then when they call ‘Erasmus do you want to get ready?’ I go through my pregame routine; before I go out there I give everyone a fist pump thing, pump myself up a little bit and once I get to the mound, I know my job is to get that guy out any way, shape or form.

How do you relax and then go straight in to playing mode?

It’s turning it on.  If you’re 100% ready to go every single game and you don’t throw the first three games, by the fourth you are mentally drained.  When you finally go on to pitch, you won’t be as good as you should be.  I’ve learnt how to turn it on and turn it off, so most of the time I’m off and then, when my name gets called, I just mentally flip, I don’t talk too much, I do what I need to do to get warm.  When I run out there it’s all adrenaline and then I slow down. When the first hitter steps in, I’m ready and then it’s just trying to get him out – any way.

How do you pass the time in the bullpen?

You chill out, you have fun.  Obviously you watch a bit of the game, you’ve got to note what some hitters do but you’re not 100% on the game.  You’ve got to be able to zone out and a change back really quickly, like snap back into it.

Once on the mound, what do you end up saying to yourself?

Before I get to there, I’ve got a lot of pregame/prepitch superstitions so that’s pretty much the switch – saying “Alright, you’ve got to go to work” and I just tell myself “Hey, stay back, throw the ball down, throw a strike” – that’s pretty much it.  Hit a spot, I’m confident in everything I throw so I just make sure I hit that spot.

A lot of people have asked me to find out what the ball-behind-the-head routine is about.  Can you explain it?

What it is, is a tap the back of my right foot and touch my hat and it’s like a signal – right, go to work.  It’s a switch, you’ve just thrown your first pitch and that’s over and done with and now you’ve got to do it all over again, start again.  So if I miss and throw a ball, I’ll do that and prepare myself for the next pitch, hopefully a better one.

Pitchers in particular are known to be superstitious players, I guess only you can really understand it…

I have a lot of rituals, superstitions, and that works so I’m not going to go changing it.  If you could get a video of these superstitions that would be pretty funny but there are also a lot of behind the scenes superstitions no one really knows about.

Fair to say you’re quite a controlled player…

Yes, I am focused, I’m over analytical, I think a lot which makes me aggressive on the mound.  I know my job, I know what I’ve got to do and I’ll do anything to get that job done.

Obviously you understand it’s not just harnessing your skill in one way…

Baseball is 90% mental – once you’re happy with yourself and have developed your own strategies, it makes it a whole lot easier.  I learnt that from Phil Jauncey (Australia’s foremost Performance Psychologist), he gives you a test that defines your approach to life and getting ahead and you go from there.  I am a ‘Mozzie’ thinker which means I talk a lot, I’ve got a lot of energy and when it comes down to it, I like to analyze things and make sure I’ve got it all sorted out properly.

Finally – why Bandits, why a second time around?

Pretty much working with KJ (Kevin Jordon, Bandits Manger and former Philadelphia Phillies infielder) again.  I spoke to him a lot last season, he is a great guy who knows so much about baseball. He knows my situation; he knows what I’ve got to do.  KJs been in the big leagues – I respect him a lot.  Right now, I’m back living at home with my family which is great because I spend 9 to 10 months out of the country, being around them when I can is really important.

Erasmus was one of just two Brisbane Bandits handpicked to play for Team Australia in the Australian Baseball League All-Stars game in Perth on December 21st which aired on the MLB Network.

Take a look at almost any inning in which three or more runs are scored and I would venture that in at least 75% of those innings one or more walks were involved. I teach pitchers that you must throw strikes consistently and I don’t care if a batter hits the ball into the trees past the outfield fence. You cannot give the opposing team free gifts. I truly believe that pitching begins with having good control. The first thing that should be taught to a pitcher is that he must have good command of his fast ball to all four parts of the strike zone. Good command equals good control. After step one is completed, step number two is to teach variations on the fast ball and the changeup. Step number three is to teach the breaking ball.

A lot of people don’t realize that control also means being able to throw a ball off the plate and not just over the plate. That means that I can throw a ball three or four inches off the plate to get a hitter out who “chases” bad pitches. If I’m ahead in the count, the batter almost has to swing at the pitch that’s just off the plate.

Control obviously also means control within the strike zone. Being able to control pitches up and in or low and away is very important. If I’m shooting for low and away and I’m too high by a foot, the pitch is not nearly as effective and could very well get hit hard.

If I’m shooting up and in and I’m off by ten inches and get the middle of the plate, once again, it’s not nearly as effective. If you are serious about pitching, you should aim for a target every time you throw a baseball. Every time you throw a baseball!

When I’m having a catch with my sixteen year old son and I’m not behind the plate, we play a game we invented called “Target.” We are both very competitive and this game is fun! Twenty points usually wins and you have to win by two points. We have a regular catch and give each other a target. The target can be left or right shoulder, left or right hip or basically wherever you want to place the target. If you are throwing and are within a foot of the target with a fastball, you get one point. If you throw a changeup or breaking ball and are within a foot, you get two points. (This gives you the flexibility to go after two points if you are trailing late in the game.) Not only will this help your control, but you will have a blast while you’re playing it!

Even if you want to insult my son Tyler and I and not play “Target,” remember that to improve your control, one of the best baseball pitching tips is to aim for a target every time you throw a baseball! It can be your throwing partner’s left hip, right hip, left shoulder, right shoulder, etc.

How can this possibly not help your control?

You really have to experiment and find out what is the most comfortable for you when it comes to different grips on the baseball. Baseball pitching tips involve experimenting with many different ways to grip your pitches. This definitely applies to throwing the changeup. I would venture that 95% of all pitchers, at any level of play, use one of the following three grips for the changeup.

“Circle Change”
One of the very consistent things on the circle change is to remove index finger to the inside of the ball. The index finger is one of your two “power fingers” and you’re not looking for power when throwing the changeup. The other “power finger” is the middle finger. The index finger and thumb form a circle or an okay sign on the side of the baseball and that’s why it called what it is. A very common grip used by several professionals is with the middle and ring fingers on the seams like a 2-seamer. The index finger is curled on the side and rests either against the thumb or if you prefer, just next to it. Some pitchers prefer to put the index finger against the thumb nail. You can grip it like a two-seamer with the middle and ring fingers going along the seams.

One of the advantages of the circle change is that quite often it has movement down and away. One drawback is the circle change is tough to master and must be practiced often. Another drawback is that youngsters sometimes struggle throwing it because their fingers are not long enough. It can also be gripped across the seams. Like I said, find out what’s more comfortable in your hand.

The circle change can also be gripped similar to a four-seamer, having the fingers cross over the seams instead of the fingers riding the seams, forming a tic-tac-toe appearance with your fingers and the baseball. Some pitchers grip the ball a little deeper in their hand to slow it down a little. Many pitchers release it with their wrist fairly stiff and like they are pulling down a window shade.

“Choke Change”

As the name implies, the ball is “choked” back further in the hand. Generally, the more the ball is “choked” back in the hand, the slower the speed because the ball will not leave your hand as freely. There are many different grips used but the important part is the choking. Sometimes the choke change can be a little tough to control. The pressure points are on the first joints of the fingers and the thumb. Instead of having the loose, relaxed wrist like on the fastball, hold your wrist stiffer and straighter. A big advantage with the “choke change” is that many pitchers find it very comfortable. Let’s face it, it’s the normal grip like their fastball but it’s simply pushed back deeper in the hand. For some, it’s easy to learn.

The only real disadvantage to the choke change is that sometimes, before you learn it and get command of it, it may be high in the strike zone and that’s not where you want to be. Do you know what happens to high changeups? They never make it to the catcher. They usually make it over the left center or right center field fence. Don’t worry if you are bouncing some of them in the dirt but never miss high with your changeup!

“Pitch Fork”

This is my personal favorite! Why is it my favorite? First of all, it feels very comfortable in my hand. I find it very easy to throw over the plate, even though I’m an old bag at age 56. I played around with it while playing catch with my son and in no time it all, I was able to throw it pretty well. If I were still pitching, I would have to perfect the height as sometimes I am up in the zone.

I figure half the battle is over already because I can throw it over the plate, and now I just need to work on my height. This is the one I would teach to a youngster! If the youngster feels it is not comfortable, then I would experiment with some of the other grips instead. Like I said, one size does not fit all and you have to find the grip that is most comfortable for you!

The grip with the pitch fork change is like a four-seamer with the horse shoe either facing inside or to the outside. Basically, the only difference is that you include the ring finger also. Keep the three fingertips off the baseball and you sort of push the ball out instead of letting it spin freely like the four-seamer. Keep the ball choked back in the hand and don’t break your wrist when throwing it and keep your wrist straight. Follow through with your hand going straight down. Give this grip a try and you can always go back to your circle change if you want. You may not go back though and may really like this grip better. I’m an old bag and I can throw it pretty well so imagine what you can do.

Once again, one of the best baseball pitching tips to always remember is that catchers don’t catch high changeups. Spectators in the outfield seats catch them after they are hit over the fence.

Never miss high with your changeup. If you do, you and I will no longer be on speaking terms!

I’ll gladly give you my input about pitching from different sides of the rubber but ultimately you will have to decide what works best for you and where you are comfortable. There are many baseball theories on this but ultimately you will have the final say because you are doing the pitching.

Usually, but not always, a right-hander stands on the third base side of the rubber and a left-hander on the first base side. Many believe this method gives you a better angle to the hitter. Let’s use a right-handed batter against a right-handed pitcher as an example. The righty pitcher who is starting from the third base side of the rubber will create the effect that the pitch is coming toward the righty batter and then going over the plate. If the righty pitcher is on the side of the rubber closest to first base, the righty batter will possibly be a little more comfortable. The reason is the ball is starting away from him and then coming into the plate.

Now, it can get a little tricky. Many pitchers who have a tail on their fastball, will do the opposite. If that’s the case, the right-handed pitcher usually will opt for the first base side of the rubber and the left-handed pitcher will usually opt for the third base side of the rubber. Once again, it will give the pitcher a slightly better angle to the batter.

Some left-handed pitchers will pitch on the first base side of the rubber to left handed batters only, to make it even more intimidating to the batter.

Some right-handed pitchers will do the same and stand on the third base side of the rubber for right-handed batters, to make it more intimidating for the right-handed batter. The point here is that there is nothing etched in stone as to where ANY pitcher should stand on the rubber. This is not a “one size its all” situation. You will have to experiment and find what works the best for you. You may prefer to use one side of the rubber when facing a right-handed batter and the other side when you are facing a left-handed batter. Or you can play it middle of the road and use the same spot on the rubber all the time. It’s one of those things that come down to your personal preference.

I do however, think it makes a lot of sense for a right-handed pitcher to stand on the third base side of the rubber when facing a right-handed hitter and for a left-handed pitcher to stand on the first base side of the rubber when facing a left-handed hitter. As a pitcher, isn’t it your job to make hitters uncomfortable? I truly believe that it’s your job. Hitters should never be too comfortable when facing you. If a baseball hitter is intimidated by a pitcher, half the battle is won by the pitcher before the battle even begins!

It’s your shot to call on this one. Baseball pitching tips quite often involve experimenting and finding out what works best for you. All of the things we mentioned above are strictly recommendations and then it’s going to be your shot to call.

The “long toss” is simply a throwing session where you start out fairly close to your throwing partner, then gradually increase the distance between the two of you. You finish the drill by then gradually decreasing the distance until you are back to the distance you originally started from.

The benefits will be tremendous but remember to proceed with caution.

Whenever you are ahead in the count, you should “expand the strike zone.” No, let’s rephrase that. You must expand the strike zone! That simply means throwing a pitch off the plate, that’s actually a ball. Or throwing a pitch too high or too low that is out of the strike zone. Let’s be clear on one thing. I think it is a total waste if you throw the pitch too far off the plate. If ahead of the batter and the count is 0-2, it makes no sense to throw a pitch over the batter’s head or two feet off the plate. The objective is to get the batter to swing at a pitch that’s not a strike. If you throw the ball way off the plate or over the batter’s head the batter will not swing. The only thing that does is that it adds to your pitch count. That makes no sense.

It is estimated that at least 70% of swinging strike threes at any level of play are on pitches that are not strikes. Please read the previous sentence again!

You don’t have to take my word for it. You can see it for yourself. Occasionally, when a pitcher strikes out a lot of hitters in a baseball game, the following morning on television, they sometimes show the replays of all the strikeouts. Keep a tally for yourself. (Trust me on this one, you can do it.) I have done it several times.

If the hitter took strike three, you don’t tally it. You are only checking the swinging strike threes. Simply count the pitches swung at that were strikes and pitches swung at that were balls. Your tally will go like this: 1 out of 1, 1 out of 2, 2 out of 3, 2 out of 4, 3 out of 5, etc.

I really suggest you try this. I’m not saying to do it all the time but try it two or three times. You will get very good at it and in no time at all and may find it very interesting as well as surprising. The batters swing at more strike threes that are balls than are strikes! That is a very powerful statement. It is because the batter can no longer be fussy about what he swings at and must protect against being called out on strikes.

There is an expression that has been around for decades and still holds true and will never become obsolete. “You get ahead of them with strikes but you get them out with balls.” I know it’s been around for decades because my father, God rest his soul, taught it to me about 50 years ago, when I was 9 years old. Boy am I old!

Make very good use of expanding the strike zone because very often, if ahead in the count, you will get batters out with balls.

One of the better baseball pitching tips you should always remember is that there is simply no reason on earth to give a hitter a strike to hit if he’s going to swing at a ball! Baseball pitching is plenty tough enough.

Why not make your life easier as a pitcher? And remember one of the better baseball pitching tips…”You get ahead of them with strikes but you get them out with balls!”

For something that’s very important, I’m quite surprised hiding your grip isn’t talked about or taught more. How many things can be more detrimental for a pitcher than tipping off his pitches to opposing players and their coaches? Trust me. Players, coaches and managers will look for opposing pitchers that tip off their pitches!

For decades, I have heard several times of a pitcher who has been very successful and all of a sudden he is hit very hard for four or five straight outings. Then he gets back on the right track and you hear he was tipping off his pitches and that’s why he was getting hit hard. And some of these pitchers were outstanding professional pitchers so that shows that it is a very common pitching problem. This gives the better hitters a huge advantage. Imagine if they can see ahead of time that you have your circle changeup grip on the baseball.

He can be tipping the pitches off in several ways and quite often it’s because he is not hiding his grip on the ball for his different pitches. If you are using the full windup, make sure that even when you are raising your hands and pivoting on the rubber, you keep the inside of your glove facing your chest! If you are pitching from the stretch position, make sure that when you come set, you keep the inside of your glove facing your chest. As you advance to higher levels of play the opposing team will be looking to see if you are advertising your grip. It may be the third base coach, a manager, some of the players on the bench, etc.

It’s when raising the hands and pivoting on the rubber that a lot of pitchers have a tendency to open up the glove and that is advertising your grip.

Some pitchers start with a fancy grip before every pitch and then sometimes switch to another grip at the last moment. An example would be starting with a circle changeup grip every single pitch and then changing the grip at the last second to the one you really want to use.

You can play some “mind games” with the batter also. If the batter knows that you have a very good changeup, you can move your hand around on the ball for a second or two, and lead him to believe that you might be going to your circle change grip. Then you can surprise him with a good four-seamer that is in on his hands.

One pitch later, you can move your hand on the ball again and this time you do throw the changeup. I’m not saying to do this on every pitch, but on occasion, it will work well for you and annoy the batter.

Why not give the batter a little more to think about? He may start over thinking, out think himself and become annoyed.

As a pitcher, I most certainly want to annoy a batter in any way I can. Always remember that baseball pitching tips require clever use of the mind and not just the body!

As you advance to older levels of play, you will find that many baseball hitters will play certain mind games with the pitcher and pitchers will do the same with hitters. Personally, I would not recommend getting involved in any mind games until the high school level of play or higher whether you are the pitcher or the hitter. One of the better baseball coaching tips to always remember is that playing good baseball requires clever use of the mind and not just the body.

Hitters will ask for a time out when you are getting ready to make the pitch to annoy you. This is not to say every time a baseball hitter does this he’s playing a mind game but sometimes he is. They will wander away from the batter’s box while you are kept waiting, hoping to annoy you.

If you are well aware beforehand that these things are definitely going to happen, it should be easier for you as a pitcher to deal with them. You know batters are going to do it so why let them accomplish what they want to do and let it bother you? If you do, it’s a victory for the batter, isn’t it?

As a baseball pitcher, you too can play a few mind games with the batter. It is pretty much a proven fact that working quickly on the mound is beneficial to a pitcher because his fielders have to “stay on their toes.” There simply isn’t any time for their minds to wander. An added plus is that the pitcher is also sending an indirect message to the hitters that he is extremely confident and can’t wait to throw the next pitch to them.

There are times however, when it just might be the right time to slow things down a little! When a very aggressive and anxious batter gets to the plate and it appears that he can’t wait to hit, it may be a very good time to step off the mound and rub up the baseball. Hey, if the hitter likes things to happen fast, make sure you slow things down which is the exact opposite of what the hitter wants.

It may be the perfect time to talk something over with your catcher. You may want to motion for your catcher to come out to the mound for a chat. Tell your catcher that you simply are “fussing” with the batter and want to simply talk for a minute. Anything to keep the over anxious hitter waiting impatiently.

When I pitched, if a runner was on first base and a real good anxious hitter was up, I would make sure I came to the set position and would pause there for two or three seconds and then lob the ball to first base. I might do it a second or even a third time also.

I may pause in the set position on the rubber for three or four seconds and then step off the rubber. I could literally see the look of anger on the faces of some of these hitters. Many times these mind games will make the batter angry or very impatient at the plate and swing at pitches out of the strike zone!

Obviously, I would much rather have a hitter thinking about how annoyed he is with me instead of focusing strictly on his baseball hitting. That’s a victory for me as a pitcher. Disrupting the batter’s thinking means that I’ve won half the battle before it has even begun!

If you are involved in baseball coaching, just remember that mind games should not be played with younger players, who are just starting to learn the game of baseball.

Clutch baseball players are able to focus in the moment. They do this by understanding the things they can control, which is simply the ball and the situation at hand. Clutch hitters understand that they can only control two things: getting a good pitch and taking a good swing. Clutch pitchers believe in the pitch they decide to throw and keep the same rhythm that they have had success with in the past. Clutch fielders perform the routine fundamentals, as if they were doing it in their back yard. With this mindset, players actually “slow the game down,’ as the saying goes.

Additionally, players, who often come through under pressure more often than not, believe that they are the “right player,” at the right time and place, in that particular game. Clutch players do not over-swing, try to throw too hard or attempt something they have not done before, but simply slow the game down by staying within themselves, with a relaxed focus.

Coaches can help players become more clutch with the following tips:

Coaches should:

1. Put players in known clutch situations in practice. “Two outs, bases loaded, game on the line,” is the famous practice line, which can apply to batting, pitching, or fielding practice. This practice develops the sense of having “been there before,” when players are confronted with this situation in a real game.
2. Not over-coach by making more of a situation than it is, by becoming more animated than in normal game situations or by telling players what to do as the play is happening. Coaches, who remain calm, helps players remain calm. Overloading players with distracting instructional tips, especially during intense game situations, is never good coaching.
3. In practice, explain to players that no one will remember for very long if they do not come through in the game but everyone will remember, for a long time, if they come through. With this advice, players feel like they do not have much to lose, which eases the pressure.
4. Tell players that you believe in them and that they are the right player for this game situation.
5. Never show above normal disappointment in front of team or players when they do not come through, so that players will not shy away from wanting to be up in future, clutch situations.
6. Remind players that they will be better prepared the next time, after having been through the situation, win or lose.

Finally, coaches who can bring a little humor to an intense situation may relax players into performing better.

It is mandatory for baseball pitchers to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the baseball hitters they face. There are certain very clever things a pitcher can do. If the hitter takes a practice swing before facing you, pay attention to his practice swing!

 
If he appears to be hitting an inside pitch with it, he is probably a pull hitter. If he appears to be hitting the ball the opposite way with his practice swing, chances are he likes to go the opposite way. If he appears to be hitting a high pitch, he probably likes the ball up. If he appears to be hitting a low pitch, you guessed it, he’s probably a good low ball hitter. One of the best baseball pitching tips to remember is that professional baseball hitters, all the way down to very young players like to practice what they do well and not what they do NOT do well. This very often includes their practice swings.

Some Guidelines To Use BEFORE You Actually See The Hitter Swing:

Batter Has A Closed Stance. He probably likes the ball away from him and out over the plate. Find out if he can handle a pitch inside.

Batter Has An Open Stance. He probably likes the ball inside. Find out if he can handle the low and away strike.

Batter Stands Deep In The Box. I would be thinking primarily breaking balls.

Batter Stands Shallow In The Box. Well, if the batter wants to give me an extra couple of feet on my fastball, I’ll take the extra foot or two he’s giving me to see if he can catch up to my heater.

Batter Has His Hands Held High. Almost always likes the ball LOW, with very few exceptions! You can check it out for yourself right now. Put your hands up high right now, by your back ear and pretend you are holding a bat. Move your hands like you are swinging at a chest high fastball. It doesn’t feel right, does it? Pitch him primarily up in the zone until he proves you to be wrong.

Batter Has The Bat Curled Around His Neck. Find out if he can handle a pitch that is up and in. His bat has to travel extremely far to hit that pitch well.

Some Thought Processes To Use AFTER You Have Seen The Hitter Swing:

Your first pitch is a real good fastball and he pulls it and hits a seed that’s a foul about 350 feet from home plate. You now know there is a very good chance he loves the fast ball. You should strongly consider going off speed on your next pitch. The only risk is that if he’s a good hitter, he might be thinking along with you after what he just did to your fast ball. (This is part of the chess match that takes place between a good pitcher and a good hitter.)

Good hitters are good hitters for a reason and that’s because they are always thinking. OK, he has clobbered your first pitch fastball. I’m not saying that you should not go off speed but you do have another option, considering this guy appears to love the fastball. The thought process goes like this…OK, you love the fastball, well I’ll give you another fastball. But this time it’s going to be six inches or so off the outside corner. Remember, if he loves to hit the fastball, he may chase one out of the strike zone because he doesn’t know if he’ll get another one from you. After two fastballs, he may start to think that you are going to stay with your heater. You might then go off speed, on your third pitch. If this sounds like a chess match to you, it is because it IS a chess match that should be going on between a good pitcher and a good batter!

What If You Start The Batter Off With A Curve Ball?

You may start a hitter off with a curve ball and he may act like he’s never seen a curve ball before. I experienced this first hand when I was pitching at the age of 15. I had a very successful outing in our championship game. A player on the other team was a feared and outstanding hitter! I knew very little about him other than that everybody knew he was a tremendous hitter. Now please keep in mind the purpose of this article…I want to get to know him as quickly as possible. He had smoke coming out of his ears when he came up to the plate and I thought, “Oh boy, here we go.” My first pitch to him was a slow curve ball. He swung down at the ball with the very unusual appearance that he was hammering a spike into the ground. I had him “chopping the wood,” as it’s referred too. I remember his timing was disrupted and literally saw the look of bewilderment on his face after the pitch. After this peculiar swing, I actually saw his eyes squint as he was shaking his head from left to right and right to left as if saying “no.” Well, the only thing I knew about him was that he batted something ridiculous like .600. I now also knew, after only one pitch that he does not like my curve ball.

In two subsequent at bats, he hesitated and decided to swing at the last fraction of a second. He was 0-3 against me and did not come close to getting a hit off me. Please…I am not making fun of Danny nor am I bragging. I have always and still have total respect for everyone on the baseball field. The only point I’m making here is for your benefit and not mine. The point is that I was able to learn a lot about this hitter after throwing one pitch!

He saw fastballs off the plate and medium speed or slow curve balls the entire game. I still had to show him the fast ball because he’s a good hitter for a reason and he will make adjustments. If I threw him only curve balls, probably about the fifth one would go over the fence. He would progressively go from looking terrible to looking very good and that’s why he’s a very good hitter.

Okay, let’s get back to knowing a batter quickly. Let’s make sure we are clear on something. Remember that even if I see that a hitter does not like a pitch in a certain location, it does not mean that I can throw that same pitch over and over and over again and expect to be successful. Good hitters will make adjustments at the plate. I still have to show him other pitches and other locations also.

Be cautious that a batter doesn’t start out one way and then when he is actually swinging, he changes. For example, a batter may have his bat curled around his head but when he’s actually ready to hit, he changes and it’s not curled any longer.

Another example is if a batter has an open stance. He may possibly close his stance just before getting ready to swing. You have to pay attention, just like a batter who takes your pitch and follows it all the way into the catcher’s mitt to see how your pitch is moving.

Baseball pitching tips require clever use of the mind as well as the body and pitching is not simply getting the ball and throwing the pitch. Please make sure you learn a hitter’s tendencies as quickly as possible!

And don’t ever forget to take that sneaky look at those practice swings, one of the best baseball pitching tips you will ever hear!