KISS Principles For High School Pitchers

KISS Principles For High School Pitchers

Happy Saturday! I tweeted out this list on a whim this week, and it got a ton of engagement, so I figured I'd share it here as well.

We live in a world of information overload, and for high school athletes it's amazing they have access to so many resources. However, on the flip side, there's a lot of bad information out there - or information that may not be applicable to them or where they are currently at.

Pitching is hard enough, it's important to simplify. Here's my list:

KISS Principles for High School Pitchers!

  1. Shift mindset from getting hitters out, to letting them get themselves out. Attack, attack, attack. The game is on your side

2. Don't overcomplicate your delivery. Be athletic, have some rhythm and fluidity, repeat your separation, stay back over the rubber, stay closed, and really finish.

3. Fuck the 3rd and 4th pitch if you can't command two. I'm sorry. You don't get to learn calculus until you've mastered algebra. Also, if you can't get high school hitters out with 2 pitches, you aren't very good.

4. Best pitch in baseball is a well located fastball. Learn to throw a FB low and away to your glove side in your sleep.

5. Create a routine. You should do the same thing every pitch. You should have a reset. You should use a deep breath.

6. Play high quality catch. I love lots of different throwing drills, but the best drill is simply coming set just like in a game, and delivering the baseball to a spot.

7. It's you versus you. Win The Battle Within!! It's lonely on the hill. No one is coming to save you. Embrace that. Love it. Be a bulldog; a warrior - whatever you want to be. No excuses. Control what you can control - and we always have control of: our attitude, our mound presence, our body language, our tempo, our thoughts: THIS PITCH.