What are some basic rules of pitch selection in the circle?

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sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,132
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Dallas, Texas
As I very clearly stated here several times, im looking for rules of thumb and simple strategy that all experienced pitchers know and use. Many of these things have been shared here by others.
At her level, all she has to do for success is throw inside and outside at the bottom of the strike zone.

At any advanced level of play, the only thing that works is: (1) keep the ball at the edge of the strike zone; (2) move the ball around the edges of the zone; (3) change speeds and (4) throw breaking pitches. Beyond that, pitching strategies are a waste of time.

Why? Each batter sees the pitcher three times. Good batters think and adapt to the pitcher. Good *TEAMS* work in unison to find a way to get to the pitcher. Any kind of pattern or strategy that the pitcher adopts will be understood and used against her.

I'll give you a real world example. Common advice is "get ahead in the count" and "throw a strike on the first pitch." If a pitcher does this, the batters start teeing off on the first pitch. (There was a girl with a really great rise. But she never threw it on her first pitch--always trying to throw that first pitch strike. So, I told my batters to swing at the first pitch, no questions asked. We negated her great rise ball. We run-ruled her.)

Rather than waste valuable time going over useless "pitching strategies", your practice time is better spent developing your DD's speed, control, and ball movement.
But to refer to any sports parent who is trying their best to learn and putting in the work to help their child achieve their goals as DADDY or MOMMY is an insult. I see that a fair amount around here from various users and I think it's unfair. I also think it's generally just herd mentality and most people using the expression really haven't thought it through.
But, you are a Daddy or Mommy right? I'm a Daddy, and I like very much being a Daddy. I like being called Daddy. At this time, I'm also a "Papa," and I like being referred to as Papa. At one time, I was a "Crazy Daddy." Now, I'm a "Crazy Papa."

I really don't understand the rest of your post.
 
Jul 22, 2015
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Beyond that, pitching strategies are a waste of time.
I certainly agree with what you said is most important, but this statement is demonstrably untrue at high levels of baseball or softball. All of the MLB and college softball coaches/pitchers I've been able to speak to work on specific patterns that work for each pitcher as well as specific pitch selection and patterns they want to use on specific hitters. Would you use the same pattern for a hitter every time up? Of course not. Would you use the same pattern/strategy over the course of an entire game or in consecutive games? No. But establishing a pattern of some type gives you an advantage so long as you know when it's time to break it. That said, obviously executing the pitch is the most important factor, but a pitcher who doesn't work on strategy and pitch selection is not maximizing her effectiveness.
 
Oct 26, 2019
1,375
113
Pitch strategy and sequencing gets deeper the higher up you go. For example - At most lower to average levels a curveball or change up in the dirt will be followed by a fastball. At higher levels hitters begin to recognize this and get geared up for the fastball following the previous offspeed in the dirt. In this instance I love doubling up the change up or drop because “I know the hitter knows”.

Sequencing and location are not mutually exclusive. A good hard fastball inside sets up a changeup outside way better than a fastball outside does. A changeup for a ball can slow the hitters bat down just enough to get them with the fastball. The better your stuff is as a pitcher the less important all this stuff becomes. Great velocity and movement can definitely afford a pitcher more mistakes.
 
Sep 3, 2015
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With not having a lot of experience , I would be tempted to just start by hitting that outside corner and work from there


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May 15, 2008
1,913
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Cape Cod Mass.
Coaches differ in their strategy. Here are my general rules for lower/younger pitchers. I have 2 fastball locations in the zone, low and away, or up and in. For me it's 4 to 1 outside to inside. Change ups should be low or low and away. I also like a high fastball when ahead in the count. When a hitter is on the plate it could mean they like the ball inside but there is a good possibilty the coach has them on the plate because he knows that young pitchers do not like to hit batters and by crowding the plate they take away the inside corner and at the same time can cover the outside corner. Faster pitches inside, slower pitches outside. Good hitters can handle inside pitches so throw them away, weak hitters have trouble with inside pitches so jam them. I recently watched the NCAA D3 championship and one team had their pitcher throwing low and away on 80% of her pitches.
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,132
113
Dallas, Texas
All of the MLB and college softball coaches/pitchers I've been able to speak to work on specific patterns that work for each pitcher as well as specific pitch selection and patterns they want to use on specific hitters.
NOTE: When I say "mistake", I am referring to a pitch that is up and in the middle of the plate.

I get it.

MLB has charts for thousands of at bats for each hitter. They can do a real statistically analysis for each batter and come up with a real plan. Even with all the analysis, it usually comes down to whether the batter can hit a pitcher's mistake.

In the NCAA, they enough pitches to know whether the batter can hit inside or outside pitches. But, in the CWS, it was all about the batter hitting mistakes.
 
Feb 15, 2017
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63
NOTE: When I say "mistake", I am referring to a pitch that is up and in the middle of the plate.

I get it.

MLB has charts for thousands of at bats for each hitter. They can do a real statistically analysis for each batter and come up with a real plan. Even with all the analysis, it usually comes down to whether the batter can hit a pitcher's mistake.

In the NCAA, they enough pitches to know whether the batter can hit inside or outside pitches. But, in the CWS, it was all about the batter hitting mistakes.
And the teams that won the most in the CWS did the best job of hitting mistakes

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