Getting Ready to Pitch By: Brett Campbell

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Getting Ready To Pitch By: Brett Campbell

Just two years removed from professional baseball and a first year high school baseball coach, I was surprised to see the lack of preparation players now have when getting ready to pitch in a game. I think one of the most important aspects of pitching is having a routine that allows you to get physically and mentally ready to pitch. Most of the guys I’ve worked with at a high school level really struggle with consistency. I’m a firm believer that in order to have consistency on the mound a player must have a consistent routine.Whether it be as a reliever or a starter, a routine allows the player the best chance of performing up to their full potential that day.


Being lucky enough to observe pitchers in the big leagues, I was amazed to see how most pitchers are creatures of habit. I would watch starting pitchers go out to the field to prepare for a game at an exact time every start. While most did different things to get ready, almost all of the routines consisted of running to get loose, stretching, a light long toss, a quick flat ground, followed by the actual bull-pen work before entering the game. When I explained this to my high school players they were shocked. They could not believe this much went into preparing for a start. After implementing routines for my players, each different to accommodate that certain pitcher, we had a dramatic increase in effectiveness and consistency with our pitching staff.


As a reliever myself, I had a routine each game. Because relievers do not know when they will be called on to pitch, it is very important to be ready to pitch every day. The most important thing a reliever must know is the situation in the game. Each relief pitcher has a certain role in the bullpen, whether it is a long relief guy, set-up man or a closer. If you know what type of reliever you are and you know the situation in the game, you can almost start to prepare to enter the game before the phone to the bullpen even rings. Guys that I see struggle are the ones that are shocked to hear the bullpen coach call his name to get ready to enter the game. There is no reason this should ever happen if you are paying attention to the game. Once called upon to loosen up, all guys have different ways to get ready. I am a firm believer in fastball location, so I think it crucial to lock in your fastball before entering the game. Once you have your fastball location down, then move on to your secondary pitches. Remember that you will have 8 extra pitches once you enter the actual game to finish getting loose. While being a reliever is a different beast than starting, I still think all great pitching starts with a consistent routine and preparation.