Control with pitches

first = I'm no expert.

Practice just throwing.

What my son has done over the years is just throw to targets. He and his dad would play a game where one would hold a glove up and the other would throw to it. It wasn't pitching, just throwing. If they had to move a step they got bragging rights. They didn't play for anything since son usually won.

It kept his mechanics solid plus all the neighbors and total strangers knew us as the family with the boy who played baseball. True story - in another town and the clerk looked at the address on the check I wrote and asked it this was the house on the corner where the man and his son were always throwing.... that was weird.

Control comes from good mechanics and repetition. Control like velocity is inherent in the individual and all the practice in the world may not solve either control or velo but it will max your potential.
I would have a PC work with his mechanics and keep an eye on him as he plays games to make sure he stays with good mechanics. Pitchers tend to stray and it is important to show what is good and then you or the coach stay on him keeping him tight with consistent release etc.

Hi bballmom36,

I agree with the previous posts about having him practice his pitching motion 3 to 4 times a week. This will develop muscle memory. However, I would also look at these other areas:

1. Is concentration an issue for him? Can he focus in or does he get easily distracted when something wrong happens?
-if either is the case, you can have him practice visualization drills that allow him to concentrate better, move past errors more easily, and put him in the right mindset. Here, is an example of this:
Baseball Pitching Visualization Drill

2. Is he in control of his delivery? Often times, a pitcher can have trouble with control b/c they have a balancing issue. To address this, he can either practice drills that improve his balance or simply his pitching windup to reduce any rocking or head movement in his delivery.

3. Consider getting a few pitching lessons from an experienced instructor. A good instructor will be able to pinpoint a few things right away and show him how to do it correctly. From here, his daily practicing would take over and he could help overcome his control issues.

Hope this helps,
Jack Elliott
Baseball Training Tips