The Pause and Balance Drill

The Pause and Balance Drill is a very effective drill to get a pitcher into a controlled and balanced balance position.

This drill is particularly effective for pitchers who "rush" their motion, fall forward too soon, have trouble getting "on top" of the baseball into a high- arm slot, or are imbalanced in the balance position.

A coach or another player is needed for this drill.

To begin, a pitcher will go through his full wind-up without the baseball. When he gets to the balance position, the pitcher will stop, hold, turn his head and wait for the coach to hand him the baseball. The player should be reaching back with palm down to receive the ball properly.

The coach should vary how quickly he hands his pitcher the ball from three- to five-seconds.

Once the pitcher has received the ball from his coach from the balance position, he will turn his head again and throw to his target emphasizing a good follow-through.