How to Pitch Left Handed

The pitcher is arguably the most important position on a baseball diamond. A team wins or loses based on how the pitcher performs. Often, a left-handed pitcher will have an advantage over left-handed batters because they won't have as long to watch the angle and delivery of the pitch.

Things You'll Need

  • Baseball glove
  • Baseball
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Instructions

    • 1

      Warm up before pitching by first stretching out. Stretching your arms is important, but your legs are just as important, if not more so. Most of the power of a pitch actually comes from the legs of a pitcher. Once stretching has been completed, warm up the arm muscles by playing catch will a fellow player. Warm up the muscles slowly, gradually throwing with more velocity.

    • 2

      Begin with your glove on your right hand, standing on the rubber (the rectangular piece of rubber in the middle of the mound) of the pitcher's mound.

    • 3

      Decide on what kind of pitch you are going to throw. There are many different kinds of pitches, all depending on how you hold the ball. When holding the index and middle finger slightly apart, you can throw a two- or four-seamed fastball. With two-seamed fastballs, the fingers will be placed along the stitching of the ball, while the fingers are placed across the stitching for four-seamed fastballs. The two-seamed pitch is held slightly tighter, which increases friction between the ball and the fingers, causing the pitch to slightly change direction. Flicking the wrist when throwing these pitches will give the ball more backspin. Spreading the two fingers apart, so each is on the side of the ball, will throw a split-finger fastball, or splitter. Throw this pitch with a stiff wrist. There are other pitches available to a pitcher, such as the curve, knuckle, changeup, knuckle curve, palm and slider. The link provided in "Resources" will have more in depth descriptions on how to hold the different pitches and how to throw them.

    • 4

      Keep the ball tucked in the glove while you grip the ball. You don't want the batter to know what you're going to throw before the pitch.

    • 5

      Begin your windup by taking a step back with the right foot while keeping the left foot on the rubber. Take a long step with your right foot toward home plate as you cock your left arm back and throw the ball.

      Remember, though, that the left foot must be in contact with the rubber until the pitch leaves the pitcher's hand. If the foot steps off of the rubber before or during the windup, a balk will be called and the runners granted a free base. Once the ball has left the hand, the pitcher can follow through with the rest of his body, allowing the left foot to leave the rubber.