Pitching Drills

Balance Point Hold 3-4 min

Equipment

No equipment needed, can use pitching rubber or line on ground

Setup & Execution

Player stands on pitching rubber (or imaginary rubber). Lift lead leg to balance point - knee at waist height, hands together at chest. Hold for 3-5 seconds. Coach counts out loud. Do 5-8 reps. Focus on staying tall and controlled.

Coaching Points

Head stays level - don't lean back or tilt sideways
Posting leg (back leg) slightly bent, not locked
Hands stay together and quiet at chest
Lift knee straight up, not across body

Skills Focus

Balance Core strength Body control

Knee-to-Knee Delivery 5-6 min

Equipment

1 ball per pitcher, catcher or net 35-40 feet away

Setup & Execution

Start in balance position (leg lifted). On coach's signal, stride toward target while separating hands. Focus on leading with hip, not with front foot. Front knee should stay over front ankle at landing. Complete throw to target. Do 8-10 reps.

Coaching Points

Hip leads the stride - think "show your hip pocket to the catcher"
Stride foot lands closed (toes pointing slightly toward 3B for righties)
Front knee stays firm at landing - don't collapse forward
Arm stays loose - don't rush arm action

Skills Focus

Hip lead Stride mechanics Landing position

Rocker Step & Deliver 5-6 min

Equipment

1 ball per pitcher, pitching rubber, catcher or target 40-46 feet

Setup & Execution

Start with both feet on rubber (full windup stance). Take small rocker step back with stride foot, pivot on rubber, lift to balance, then deliver pitch. This is the full windup motion at slow speed. Do 8-10 pitches, focusing on rhythm not velocity.

Coaching Points

Rocker step is SMALL - just 6-8 inches back
Turn pivot foot parallel to rubber (not past it)
Stay tall throughout - don't drop head
Rhythm should feel smooth - "rock, lift, throw"

Skills Focus

Full windup Rhythm Timing

Stretch Position Pitching 5-6 min

Equipment

1 ball per pitcher, pitching rubber, catcher or target 40-46 feet

Setup & Execution

Start in stretch position: front foot toward home, back foot on rubber, hands set at belt. Look at imaginary runner, come set (pause), then lift and deliver. Practice looking to first before each pitch. Do 8-10 pitches.

Coaching Points

Must come to complete stop before pitching (the "set" position)
Hands come set at belt or chest - pick one spot consistently
Quick look to first, then home - head turns, not whole body
Same leg lift and delivery as windup

Skills Focus

Stretch mechanics Set position Runner awareness

Fastball Grip & Release 4-5 min

Equipment

1 ball per player

Setup & Execution

Teach 4-seam grip: index and middle fingers across the wide seams ("horseshoe" facing away), thumb underneath on leather. Fingers not too wide apart (1 finger width gap). Have players grip, show coach, then make 10 easy throws focusing on keeping grip through release.

Coaching Points

Ball held in fingers, not jammed back in palm
Light grip - "hold an egg, not a rock"
Fingers stay on top through release
Wrist snaps straight down - ball should have true backspin

Pro Tip

Have players find the grip in their glove before every pitch. This becomes automatic with practice and helps with consistency.

Changeup Introduction (Optional) 5-6 min

Equipment

1 ball per player, catcher or net 35-40 feet away

Setup & Execution

Use PALM BALL grip only at this age: ball deep in palm with all fingers on top. Circle change is too difficult for small hands. Throw with SAME arm speed as fastball - the grip creates the speed change. Start at short distance (20-25 feet). Only introduce if fastball is consistent.

Coaching Points

Arm speed stays the same - don't slow down arm to slow pitch
Ball should just be slower - don't worry about movement
If they're slowing their arm, stop - it's not ready yet
Most 9-10 year olds don't need this pitch - fastball location is more important

Warning

This is OPTIONAL - only for pitchers with consistent fastball mechanics. Focus on fastball command first. No curveballs, sliders, or other breaking balls at this age.

Target Zones 6-8 min

Equipment

Bucket of balls, catcher with mitt or strike zone target, pitching rubber at 46 feet

Setup & Execution

Divide strike zone into 4 quadrants (up/down, in/out). Catcher sets up in one quadrant, pitcher tries to hit it. 4 pitches to each zone. Keep score: 2 points for hitting zone, 1 point for strike, 0 for ball. Builds location awareness.

Coaching Points

Miss inside the zone, not outside - "miss to the middle"
Low strikes are better than high strikes
Focus on hitting glove, not "throwing hard"
Same mechanics every pitch - location comes from aim point

Skills Focus

Location Control Concentration

Pitcher Fielding Practice (PFP) 8-10 min

Equipment

Balls, bases set up, first baseman at position, pitching mound

Setup & Execution

Pitcher simulates pitch from mound. Coach rolls ball toward pitcher (comebackers). Pitcher fields and throws to first. Then practice covering first: pitcher delivers, coach hits slow grounder to 1B side, pitcher runs to cover first, receives throw from first baseman while touching base.

Coaching Points

On comebackers: field with two hands, set feet, throw
Covering first: run in arc to hit bag from fair territory side
Touch inside of bag, look for throw, then get out of runner's way
Call "I got it!" or "First!" to communicate with first baseman

Skills Focus

Fielding Covering first Game awareness

Pickoff Move to First (Basics) 5-6 min

Equipment

Ball, pitching rubber, first base and first baseman

Setup & Execution

From stretch position, pitcher practices STEPPING OFF the rubber (back foot steps back first) then throwing to first. This is the ONLY pickoff move to teach at 9-10. Skip the inside move - it's too advanced and causes balks. Practice 8-10 step-off throws.

Coaching Points

Step OFF first, THEN throw - never throw while still on rubber
Back foot comes off rubber FIRST, then you can throw anywhere
Make a good throw - bounced pickoffs let runners advance
Look at the runner, step off calmly, throw accurately

Pro Tip

At 9-10, pickoffs aren't about getting outs - they're about making runners think twice. 1-2 step-off looks per at-bat is plenty. Save the "inside move" for age 11+.

Simulated Innings 10-12 min

Equipment

Full infield setup, catcher, pitching mound at 46 feet, pitch counter

Setup & Execution

Pitcher throws simulated at-bats to catcher. Coach calls balls and strikes. 3 "batters" = 1 inning. Keep track of pitch count. After each "out," pitcher takes a breath and resets mentally. Practice full routine between pitches (get ball, get sign, deliver).

Coaching Points

Develop a consistent routine between pitches
Take a breath before stepping on rubber
Strike one is the most important pitch - attack the zone
After a ball, don't overthrow - just hit the glove

Skills Focus

Game simulation Mental routine Pitch count management

Towel Drill (Arm Path) 4-5 min

Equipment

Small hand towel for each pitcher, partner or target

Setup & Execution

Pitcher holds towel at the end, goes through full delivery motion, tries to snap towel against partner's glove (held at strike zone height). This works on extension and follow-through without throwing a ball. Partner stands at stride length + arm length distance.

Coaching Points

Full extension - arm should be fully extended at "release"
Follow through across body - not stopping arm short
Can do many reps without arm fatigue
Listen for the "snap" sound - means good extension

Pro Tip

Great drill for days between pitching outings. Works on mechanics without adding arm stress.

Holding Runners — Slide Step & Vary Looks 6-8 min

Equipment

Ball, rubber, catcher or target, a runner taking a lead at first

Setup & Execution

From the stretch with a runner on, the pitcher works on being quick to the plate and unpredictable. Teach the slide step (a shorter, faster lift instead of a high leg kick) to cut delivery time. Then practice varying the hold: come set and pause different lengths before delivering so the runner can't time the jump. Mix in an occasional step-off.

Coaching Points

Slide step = low, quick front-foot move to the plate; don't lose all your legs or the pitch sails
Vary the count after the set: sometimes deliver right away, sometimes hold a beat - keep the runner honest
It's the catcher who throws the runner out; the pitcher's job is just to be quick and varied
Don't sacrifice strikes for speed - a quick pitch out of the zone helps the offense
Keep the same arm action - only the leg lift gets shorter

Skills Focus

Time to plate Varying looks Holding runners

Pickoff to First — Live Leadoffs 6-8 min

Equipment

Ball, rubber, first base + first baseman, a runner taking a real lead

Setup & Execution

Builds on the step-off basics now that runners actually lead off. Keep the legal step-off-then-throw as the safe default, and at 11-12 you can introduce a controlled jump-turn (back foot pivots, square to first, throw) - but only with a clean, legal move. First baseman holds the runner and gives a low target for the sweep tag. The goal is keeping leads honest, not gunning runners out.

Coaching Points

Default stays the step-off: back foot off the rubber first, then throw - no balk risk
Jump-turn: quick pivot squaring the body to first; if it's not clean and legal, don't use it in games
Throw it low and to the inside corner so the tag drops straight down
1-2 looks an at-bat is plenty - the point is to shorten the lead, not to throw the ball away
Know the balk rule for your league and rep the legal move until it's automatic

Pro Tip

A bounced or sailed pickoff hands the runner second base for free. If the move isn't crisp and accurate yet, stick to the step-off and a good hold - that controls the running game without the risk.

Running-Game PFP — Pitch-Outs & Backups 8-10 min

Equipment

Infield, catcher, bases, balls; runners optional

Setup & Execution

Extends basic PFP to the pitcher's job once the ball is in play with runners on. Rep three things: (1) the pitch-out - on a signal, throw it high and outside so the catcher can step and throw; (2) comebacker with a runner on first - turn and start the 1-6-3 or get the lead force; (3) backing up bases - on a hit to the outfield, the pitcher sprints to back up third or home depending on where the throw is going.

Coaching Points

Pitch-out: it's a deliberate ball - up and out of the zone, easy for the catcher to handle
Comebacker with runners: look the lead runner back or start the double play, then get the sure out
Backing up: read where the throw is going and get 20+ feet behind that base, in line with the throw
The pitcher is the 5th infielder after he throws - he always has a job
Loud communication: call "First!", "Two!", "Home!" so everyone hears the play

Skills Focus

Pitch-outs Comebacker DPs Backing up bases

PITCHING DRILLS

ARM SAFETY — READ FIRST (MLB Pitch Smart)