OK, it's time for a pitching plan if you've got two or three decent pitches that you can locate pretty well. The question is, will you just show up on the mound and start throwing, or will you have a plan as to how you're going to use your stuff to retire batters? This report will provide some guidelines with which you can create a pitching plan that will enable you to get the most out of your stuff and abilities.

Ideally, you'll have some information about your upcoming opponent, but keep in mind - any pitching plan relies upon your ability to throw strikes. If you don't have command of at least two pitches, implementing this pitching plan will be difficult. The basic approach is to get ahead of batters with your first pitch, and then stay ahead until the batter is retired. Then you start the process over again with the next batter.

The pitching plan develops as follows:

1) GET AHEAD, STAY AHEAD MODE

Very simply, throw the first pitch for a strike - always. This doesn't mean you're throwing the same pitch every time to accomplish this, however. If you don't have COMMAND of at least two pitches, you won't be able to do this consistently, making your future as a pitcher pretty bleak.

2) CHALLENGE OR ATTACK MODE

When you fall behind in the count [1-0, 2-0, 3-0, 2-1, 3-1, 1-1, 2-2, 3-2) you enter the CHALLENGE or ATTACK mode. Here you throw your best pitch in order to even the count or retire the batter. This does not mean you're throwing something right down the heart of the plate and hoping for the best.

IDEALLY, you're trying to hit the inner or outer third of the plate, missing the middle third as a result. If you have COMMAND of your best pitch, you'll be able to consistently do this and be less vulnerable because of your good location.

This approach works even better when you have COMMAND of three pitches. You're much less predictable, which presents the batter with more uncertainty.

3) OUT MODE

In a sense, you're of this mindset at all times. You want to retire a batter on each pitch you throw. Many times, however, you'll face good hitters who will work the count and manage to foul off your good pitches or otherwise "stay alive."

When you get ahead (0-1, 0-2, 1-2) you officially enter this mode. The idea in these scenarios is to make a pitch that cannot be hit well by the batter. The "black" now becomes the target zone that, used properly, will very often result in a swing and miss, foul ball, or weakly hit fair ball.

0-2: On this count you have a huge advantage over the batter. It is key with this count that s/he is not given any possibility of making good contact. However, this is not a waste pitch - there is no such thing! Every pitch should have a purpose, and throwing a pitch so bad that a batter will not swing at it is pointless.

This is very much a "purpose" pitch. You're trying to make the perfect pitch. The idea is to make batters chase a close, but difficult-to-hit pitch. You're trying to hit the "black," a little off the plate (1-2 ball widths) away from the batter, but tantalizingly close to the plate. This is a pitch that if hit, will likely result in a weakly hit ground ball to the opposite side.

Get ahead of hitters and stay ahead! If you do, you will be successful regardless of your age or competitive level.

Learn how the DH pitching tool can help you develop your own effective pitching plan

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