There is a time and place for “feel good BP” or stock bullpen plans, but if that is all you ever do, you are missing the boat on true player development. What does the player need to improve in order to have more success on the mound? Build a plan around that.

Sometimes you have to look yourself in the mirror as a coach. Is the player getting better or not? In order to know this, you have to track progress. If the answer is often no, something has to change. Objective feedback isn’t just valuable for the player, it’s also valuable for the coach.

New blog is out on tracking command with intended zones 👇🏻 pitchingcoachu.com/the-mound…

Fired up for our newsletter tomorrow! We’re going to cover the impact measuring intended targets has on your pitchers. 1. Catcher set ups 2. Pitch calling 3. Training Don’t miss this one 👇🏻 pitchingcoachu.com/the-mound…

Two of the most common questions pitchers ask: “How do I improve my mechanics to increase velocity?” “How do I make my pitches move more to strike out more batters?” The problem is, most of the answers are subjective. They lack facts about where you are, where you need to get, and what you need to do. How can you improve without knowing what the actual problem is? You might get lucky, but why leave your career to chance? This 2-day camp takes the guesswork out of your mechanics, velocity, and pitch arsenal. Sign up below: pitchingcoachu.com/camp#regi…

The movement of one pitch type is incomplete without knowing how it interacts with the rest of an arsenal. @dhpitching walks through exactly how to make the most of your pitch design sessions and to not chase numbers without context. pitchingcoachu.com/the-mound…

If you aren’t creating specific bullpen plans, you are leaving meat on the bone. We made an easy solution for you. Build custom plans for free here: pitchingcoachu.com/resources…

We are preparing to launch extensive resources for pitching coaches. Webinars, courses, cohorts, and in-person workshops/conferences. Pitch Design “U” was our first course and has received tremendous feedback. What are you most interested in next?

In Summary To maximize our bullpen sessions we need to: 1. Define the goal 2. Create the plan 3. Track progress If you follow these 3 simple steps you will expedite the learning curve and improve performance on the field faster. To make this process even easier for you, I have created a bullpen script builder that you can access for free. You'll have access to 3 pre-made scripts and be able to customize an unlimited amount of scripts yourself. Sign up page in next tweet ⬇️

Step 2: Create the Plan The #1 mistake pitchers and coaches make is trying to work on OTR and OTP at the same time. You're working on a new grip and cue, while also judging yourself on throwing it to the perfect location. When you do this, neither gets better. Keep the main thing the main thing. Now, this doesn't mean if I throw a sweeper to the backstop, but it had the movement we wanted, that it was a good pitch. But, there needs to be an understanding and progression of the task at hand so we can properly evaluate the session. We've now established there needs to be a clear focus for the bullpen. Over the rubber or over the plate. Are you designing a pitch? Working on getting to 2 strikes? From here, you can create your bullpen script. Bullpen scripts can be as structured as you like. Some coaches like to have pre-determined pitch types set, while others like to call the pitch as you go. There isn't a right or wrong way to do it. The important part is that there is structure and a plan. Below is an example of a bullpen script I have built for working on getting to 2 strikes in 3 pitch AB's. You want to be as specific as you can for these bullpens. You'll notice I added a runner situation and batter handedness (usually dummy standing in). Especially with OTP bullpens, we want to make them as game like as we can.

Over the Plate This type of bullpen has an externalfocus. This would be your execution and command oriented bullpens. During these bullpens you aren't focused on your mechanics or tinkering with a grip. You are purely focused on executing the location and intention of the pitch.

Over the Rubber This type of bullpen has an internal focus.

Mechanics and pitch design are the 2 most common. An example of an OTR bullpen with a pitch design focus would be experimenting with grips to get the desired movement or velocity.