The balance beam is the best training aid for my own personal practice and lessons for a variety of reasons.  First of all, the beam trains pitchers to use the balls of their feet throughout the delivery. This trains optimal balance and strengthens the leg muscles at the same time. Secondly, the beam gives you instant feedback since it is straight and stationary. Falling off the beam or landing on either side of the beam tells you that something is wrong in your delivery.  Lastly, the beam magnifies every flaw in your delivery. Because of the instant feedback and small margin of error, the pitcher is able to instantly recognize the strengths and weaknesses in his delivery.

Many other reasons exist for the beam being my top training aid recommendation. The beam trains pitchers to take their body in a straight line towards home plate while at the same time training lateral balance. Its practical value like versatility and cost effectiveness also make it appealing. Using the balance beam with my other pitching drills enabled me to achieve maximum efficiency and get the most out of my body. With all of the hype on the balance beam you may now be wondering what its weaknesses are?

The main downside to the balance beam is the fact that you can’t drive with your lower half during your motion. Since the board is flat and can slip, pitchers tend to develop a lazy lower half leg drive when using the balance beam exclusively. To counteract this, make sure you focus on a few of the lower half pitching drills listed on this site. The second and relatively minor weakness of the balance beam is the inability to use it to practice in the windup position. This is a minor flaw since the “step back” and “pivot” are the only steps missing when throwing out of the stretch. Below is a typical balance beam and mirror pitching practice station.

Using the mirror balance beam combination is the best setup for mechanical practice.

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Many pitching aids and tools advertised out there in the baseball world claim to be the best and only product you will ever need for pitching practice. This statement is only a blatant sales pitch and nothing more. To improve at pitching you must put forth hard work on a daily basis to make practice become a reaction – making the mechanics come natural. Repetition and constant focus are the only ways to make this happen. With that being said a few tools exist to help you become a better pitcher. Most of them can be made yourself and all of the products and tools cost under $20.00. Here are my favorite pitching practice aids and the only ones I would feel comfortable recommending.

• 1-3lb Weights (Age and strength based)
• Resistance Tubing (Cords, tubing, thera-bands, surgical tubing)
• Balance Beam
  
• Weighted Baseballs (4oz, 5oz, 6oz and 10 oz only)
• Small Rag or Towel
• Large Mirror
• Stability Ball (aka. Swiss ball, balance ball)
• Jump Rope

Many of the products described above can be found in local sporting goods store like Sports Authority and Dick’s Sporting Goods. I would recommend 1-2 lb weights for ages 8-13 and 2-3 lb weights for ages 13+. You should never use more than 3lbs for shoulder and cuff exercises. Thera-band or surgical tubing may also be used in place of or in addition to 1-3 lb weights. Soup cans or other common household items can be substituted as well. Weighted baseball velocity training only involves the 4oz, 5oz, 6oz and 10 oz baseballs. These drills should not be done by anyone under 18 years of age and should never be used in any other ways than are described in tutorials on this website.

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