Youth Pitching Mound

By Steven Ellis, former Chicago Cubs pitching pro

Younger players don't always get the highest quality baseball fields. Sometimes, the pitching mounds are in bad condition and can make pitching off of it a difficult task. Be sure you get the mound how you want it before throwing a live pitch.

If you get to the field early, take a walk to the mound. Look for any holes or rocks that might mess up your pitching. If you need to, ask for a rake so you can fix it to your liking.

Once you take the mound, feel free to dig out the rubber to gain enough leverage to get a big push with your back leg. After each inning, you may need to do this again depending on what the opposing pitcher does with the mound.

One mistake the youth pitchers make when pitching from a mound is with their foot placement. Many young pitchers will pitch with their foot on top of the rubber. Doing this will cause you to sleep and your accuracy will suffer. Be sure to plant your foot in front of the rubber so you can get a big push with your back leg.

Pitching off a mound can be a hard thing for a youth pitcher to get used to. Be sure to throw bullpen sessions off the mound before you try to throw in a game. It takes some getting used to, and is very different than throwing on flat ground.

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