Hitting The Corners

Hitting the corners when you want to is the sign of a top pitcher. Consistent quality hard work on a regular schedule will eventually result in the ability to consistently hit the strike zone. Once you have developed a quality pitch, then it’s time to learn how to locate your pitches where you want them in the strike zone. Imagine the strike zone as big tick-tack-toe grid. The middle square is the easiest location for the batter to get a hit, therefore what a good pitcher will do is become proficient at hitting the corner locations that are harder for the batter to get a hit.

Here is what you want to do to become consistent at this skill. Take a chock line or string from a point on the pitching plate that is where the toe of the pivot foot is at after the pivot and pull the string tight to a point in the middle of the plate. Mark a fine line in the dirt about 3 feet in front of the plate. This represents the power line for a pitch down the middle of the plate. Now move the line from the middle of home plate to the edge of the plate. Again, mark the location of the string in the dirt with a screw driver. Do the same with the other edge of home plate. Now you will have 3 lines in the dirt about an inch apart. Each represents the power line location for an outside pitch, a pitch down the middle and an inside pitch respectively from left to right against a right handed batter. The only thing that changes is the power line ever so slightly.

Now let’s tackle the high and low pitch. Find out how long the pitchers stride (step) is normally for a pitch in the middle of the strike zone. The stride should pretty consistent. Now have them stride 6 inches further than

normal. The pitch should be up in the strike zone. This is because the longer stride makes her lean backward slightly. With a consistent release point and every other detail perfect, the longer stride will cause her to lean slightly backwards raising the angle of the pitch. Now try throwing a pitch with a stride 6 inches shorter than the normal stride. The ball should be down in the strike zone. Same reason, a shorter stride will slightly change how vertical the pitcher just enough to change the location of the pitch.

By combining these slight changes in power line and stride length, you now know how it is done. Consistent quality hard work on a regular schedule will eventually result in the ability to consistently hit the strike zone in any corner that you want to hit.

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Hitting The Corners

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