Today I want to go over the importance of “setting sights” as a pitcher. We all want to be able to Command the baseball exceptionally well, right? Well what all goes into that? Yes, we can sit here and talk about the physical component that is the actual pitching delivery allowing your body to position in such a way that it makes it easier to consistently throw the ball where you want. But today I want to talk about more of a mental component that is setting sights.

Check out this video from a recent lesson then we’ll break it all down afterwards.

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What Does It Mean?

We have all been told to not “aim” the baseball, right? Well setting sights isn’t aiming the baseball per say. The way I look at it is mentally focusing on the task at hand. Locking in the brain on what you want to accomplish and trusting that the body is going to move in a way that is going to best allow you to complete the task.

I know this sounds like one of those silly things but think about it.. if you’re someone who struggles with command I’d ask you simply, “have you ever thrown a ball exactly where you wanted it?” I know already the answer is yes so that tells me you have the ability to do it you just need to be consistent with it. If you’ve done it in the past the body knows how to organize itself in a way to accomplish the goal again.

Instead of putting a lot of thought into the physical mechanics of the throw.. trust the body, trust the work you’ve done to prepare for this, and set your sights where you want to throw, and go! It’s amazing what you’ll find..

Here’s a video of Twins pitching coach Wes Johnson on the subject.