Pitching from the Stretch

Pitching Technique from the Stretch

The technique behind pitching with runners on base is pretty straightforward. The easiest way to remember what your hands and feet are supposed to do is to think “hands apart, feet apart…hands together, feet together.”

Here’s some quick and easy points to help illustrate and remember:

1. Place pitching side foot parallel, in front and touching the rubber

2. Position the body sideways to the plate

3. Place the ball in the glove

4. The hands should be separated and the feet should be separated at this point

5. Look in to get the sign from the catcher

6. Once the sign is acknowledged, bring the hands together and the feet together at the same time (note: feet do not have to be touching, but are closer together than they were previously)

7. At this point, the hand should be on the ball, ball in the glove and both should be positioned comfortably in front of the chest

8. The legs should have some flex in the knee at this point

Now the pitcher is in the correct position to deliver a quality pitch to the plate.

Pitching Mechanics from the stretch

It’s very important to learn the proper stretch pitching mechanics in order to be effective. A pitcher must be able to do three things from the stretch at all times:

1. Deliver the ball to the catcher under 1.3 seconds

Why? A quick runner takes about 4 seconds to get from first base to second. A good throwing catcher takes about 2.0 seconds to receive the ball and get it to second base for the tag.

Let’s add them up: Pitcher 1.3 seconds + Catcher 2.0 seconds = 3.3 seconds. This gives you a much needed 0.7 seconds margin of error.

2. Throw quality baseball pitches while remaining under the 1.3 sec limit

Use an abbreviated leg lift and a quicker hand-break in order to maintain your ability to get into proper position maximizing your velocity and command.

3. Develop a quick pickoff move with an accurate throw

Why? The most important concept to understand when pitching from the stretch is how to control the base runners. I said “control base runners…not “pick off base runners.” Believe it or not, there is a huge difference in the strategic approach of the two.

Instead, keep runners close to the bag by having quick feet and a short arm swing so you can deliver the ball quickly and accurately to the first baseman.

Pitching Strategies from the stretch

There are strategies for pitching from the stretch. The most effective ones do not focus on picking runners off base. They focus on keeping the runners close to the bag and to deter the other team from attempting to steal. Keep these pitching strategies in mind when pitching with runners on base.

1. Come set the same way every time, both when you pick and pitch

In most cases today, the coaches are the ones who call pickoffs. Usually they will signal to the catcher and he’ll put a sign down for the pitcher. So in most cases the pitcher will know before he comes to the set position whether or not he’s going to pick or pitch.

For example, if the pitcher looks at the catcher before he pitches but he looks at the runner when he picks then the other team will pick up on that easily. Keep everything the same and they won’t know what you’re doing until you do it.

2. Hold the ball for different lengths of time (with a runner on first)

Fast runners who want to steal are anxious. They want to get their lead and run without having to wait on the pitcher. Sometimes you can hold the ball for one second and then pitch. But next time, hold the ball for 5 seconds and then pick. Next time hold the ball for 1 second, then pick.

Holding the ball for different lengths of time will disrupt the runners ability to time his jump to second base, making him slower to get started and giving you and your catcher more time to throw him out if he does run.

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