Baseball Pitching Training Aids

Before you go out and just buy the first baseball pitching training aid that looks cool, you need to know what each one is designed for and how it will benefit you. Do you want to become a more accurate thrower of the ball? Maybe you need to add some zip to that fast ball. Or you could just need more strength and endurance to stay in the game longer. There are plenty of items out there that promise to improve on one or all of these things. Now let's look at the different options so that you can decide what works best for you.

First let me say something about pitching mechanics: The best overall way to improve your pitching mechanics is to see a professional instructor. A professional instructor is the ONLY one who can help you. Not your dad, (unless he is an instructor,) probably not your coach, and not your team mates. This can be somewhat costly, but is the most important part of pitching. It will help with your command, improve your pitching velocity and poise. An aspiring pitcher needs a good instructor to develop good mechanics.

Now besides good overall mechanics you need to strengthen all the muscles that are used when you are throwing a baseball. There are a few baseball pitching training aids that promise to accomplish this goal but only a few are really worth your money.

• Weighted Baseballs: The idea of weighted baseballs seems pretty sound. Get a ball that's heavier than a normal ball and throw it! Easy enough right? Well there have been both good and bad press about weighted baseballs and for good reason. There are plenty of people that swear by these, and if used properly they can be very effective. They allow you to perform many different drills and can be extremely versatile. One caveat though is that they have been known to actually promote injury. If not used properly or for too long you can easily pull or tear a muscle and strain your throwing arm. Also you can't easily practice alone or indoors with them.


• Resistance Training: If you have done a search lately for baseball pitching training aids then you have certainly run across a contraption that looks like a baseball or softball with a rubber tube coming out of it. The idea of this type of training aid is very solid but there are so many variations that it can be hard to decide which one best. The main things to consider when evaluating one of these products are as follows: Can it be used indoors and outdoors? Can you adjust the level of resistance as you get stronger? Are you holding a real baseball or softball or is just a ball? If you find a product that offers all of these things then I highly recommend it. This type of baseball pitching training aid is proven to not only increase pitching velocity, but also increase overall throwing strength and endurance.

There are probably more baseball pitching training aids available that claim to increase accuracy than any other type of throwing aid. The basic principle of most of these is that you have a target (usually a square) that you throw to over and over so that you can improve your accuracy. So what should you look for when considering one of these? FEEDBACK! You need to find something that shows you were your ball is actually crossing the plate. There are some very good products that will allow you to see this and they come in all kinds of varietys.

• Colored Home Plates: These usually have multiple colors to give you a visual clue to where the different areas of the strike zone across the plate are. This type of baseball pitching training aid is great for instant feedback, but keep in mind you will need someone catching and watching the ball for you. If you have access to a video camera then it can be very helpful to tape yourself and slow down the playback.
• Strike Zone Targets: This is one of the best types of baseball pitching training aids when it comes to improving accuracy. One of the most appealing features of a Target Style training aid is that you can practice by your self and you get instant visual feedback. There are targets that even have special balls that will stick to the target so that you can see exactly where the ball ends. With that type of instant feedback you can make adjustments and immediately see the effect without having to worry about hurting someone trying to catch your pitch!