2. Motion. Consistency with your pitching motion is a key to success. A problem many younger pitchers have is, they never throw the ball the same way twice. Here’s a simple way to stay consistent with your motion: think of one of your favorite Major League pitchers and try to emulate the way he throws.

Components of the motion:

Rock/up – You’ll want to rock straight back off the mound, not to the side, and make sure you’re rocking foot hits the same place every time. The rocking motion coincides with bringing your hands up to begin your delivery. These two things are one in the same.

Turn – Once the rock is set, you must turn your body to continue your throwing motion. The turning of the feet and hips is important because getting great push off the rubber can give you more power in your delivery.

Lock – you want to make sure the glove side of the body stays in control while the arm catches up and pushes forward to release the ball.

Arm up – this one seems obvious but it’s a commonly-neglected part of pitching. Keep your elbow above your shoulder before releasing the ball because dropping the elbow can cause you to lose control of your pitches.

Follow-through – finish your throws. It’s simple: have your chest on your front leg and your throwing arm in your opposite pants pocket (it sounds strange, but try it). This will help you be a more accurate pitcher.