Steve Smith's Pitching Series

with Steve Smith,
Auburn University Assistant Baseball Coach;
coached Casey Mize, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 MLB Draft;
former Baylor University Head Coach; inducted into the Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame (2006);
5x Big 12 Coach of the Year; 2012 Midwest Region Coach of the Year;
President of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) in 2008;
over 740 career wins; USA Baseball National Team Head Coach (2005), USA Baseball Pitching Coach (1998)

Pitching is arguably the most important element of a baseball game. A team with strong pitching often dominates, or at the very least puts little pressure on their own team's offense, because they only have to score a few runs to win a game.

Auburn's Steve Smith unloads many of the drills he uses to develop quality pitchers in this instructional video. You'll see how to use a core velocity belt to develop stability, get bullpen drills to further develop your pitchers, and view movement and strength drills that help pitchers become more athletic.

Core Velocity Belt and Stability Drills

Balance and stability are important to all positions in baseball, but they are crucial to becoming a top notch pitcher. Learn four drills using a core velocity belt to help develop and improve balance and stability. Coach Smith also offers six other drills that will help pitchers learn to convert stability into power.

Bullpen Drills

Smith serves up a variety of bullpen drills that will help you find cues that work for each of your pitchers. Additionally, you'll get exercises to help pitcher defend their position better and improve their mental game.

You will see Coach Smith's `Green Light, Yellow Light, Red Light Routine Drill' in which pitchers practice their reactions and routines in various stressful situations. As having command of one's 'mental game' is so critical in pitching, these are some things your pitchers can look at doing every day of practice.

Movement and Strength Drills

Helping pitchers move better will help them pitch better. You will learn a seven-cone zig zag drill for mobility and body control. Next, step inside the weight room and see one of Smith's pitchers go through a full body workout. Strength training is important to not only help pitchers become more powerful, but also help them stay healthy as their bodies become stronger.

Smith shares a total of 27 drills that he uses to develop his pitchers. Better athletes = better pitchers, and this video will show you how to develop great athletes on the mound!

59 minutes. 2019.

with Steve Smith,
Auburn University Assistant Baseball Coach;
coached Casey Mize, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 MLB Draft;
former Baylor University Head Coach; inducted into the Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame (2006);
5x Big 12 Coach of the Year; 2012 Midwest Region Coach of the Year;
President of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) in 2008;
over 740 career wins; USA Baseball National Team Head Coach (2005), USA Baseball Pitching Coach (1998)

Every baseball team uses the bullpen to train pitchers and prepare them for game day. However, are you using the drills and routines that are best for your players?

Auburn's Steve Smith shares insightful drills and tips on how he manages his bullpen sessions in this comprehensive video. You'll learn how to better prepare your pitchers' arms leading up to game day, how to improve command and throw more strikes, and get various drills that ensure your pitchers always strive to get better.

Preparing for Practices and Games

Coach Smith gives you techniques to keep the arm healthy and prepare it before going into the bullpen or on the mound. He helps you understand some of the best approaches for helping pitchers use their full body and reduce stress on the arm. Additionally, you'll see how minor adjustments in distance and height of the mound can help pitchers develop better feel that will allow them to "self-coach" during games.

Command of the Baseball

In order to better control pitches, Smith shows you how to get pitchers to "feel" their release point and become more consistent. You'll get various techniques to help players command all of their pitches while working off of the low, glove-side fastball. Coach Smith details exactly how to help your pitchers develop a strategy for continuous improvement.

Drill Work

20 different drills are featured that address common flaws that can prevent pitchers from performing at their best. You will learn one drill that Coach Smith uses with his own players every practice because it's so effective for helping to finish pitches. You'll also be provided the opportunity to listen as Smith creates dialogue with his pitchers, which creates a real understanding of what they're doing and what is working best.

Quality bullpen work is essential if you hope to trot out a complete pitching staff. This video from Coach Smith includes everything you'd ever need to run effective bullpen sessions!

69 minutes. 2019.

with Steve Smith,
Auburn University Assistant Baseball Coach;
coached Casey Mize, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 MLB Draft;
former Baylor University Head Coach; inducted into the Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame (2006);
5x Big 12 Coach of the Year; 2012 Midwest Region Coach of the Year;
President of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) in 2008;
over 740 career wins; USA Baseball National Team Head Coach (2005), USA Baseball Pitching Coach (1998)

Coaches often get so caught up in teaching pitchers to pitch better that they forget to adequately train their hurlers to field and throw out baserunners. This video from Auburn's Steve Smith will ensure you don't make that mistake. Coach Smith will give you everything you need to teach pitchers to field from the mound, how to hold runners and keep the opposing team's running game from hurting your team, and, how to spark competition between your pitchers to help them get better.

Pitcher Fielding

Begin by learning drills that teach pitchers to defend the bunt and keep runs off the board. Smith shows how to develop a system to help players understand the proper approach to getting lead runners out. He also explains how to use reaction drills to improve the athleticism of your pitchers.

Holding Runners

Coach Smith has multiple techniques that he teaches his athletes that can be used to control a runner at first and keep opposing players from easily getting into scoring position. You'll learn multiple pick moves, including:

• Comfort pick
• "Leather" pick
• Hold pitch or hold pick

Additionally, you'll see some of the nuances to holding a runner at second base, including how to utilize the jump pick and inside move.

Creating Competition

Smith shows you how to run timed competitions that force players to find ways to become their best. By implementing competition regularly at practice, you'll help your pitchers get better once they are inserted into high-pressure game situations. You'll see exactly how to develop mental toughness in athletes to ensure they are ready to combat every past-paced reaction scenario without skipping a beat.

Coach Smith has a proven track record of success as a pitching coach and as a head coach. Watch him interact with pitchers and develop the necessary skills for high level athletes in this full-length instructional video. His straightforward and fair approach to teaching and coaching is on full display - don't miss a chance to learn from one of the best!

50 minutes. 2019.

with Steve Smith,
Auburn University Assistant Baseball Coach;
coached Casey Mize, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 MLB Draft;
former Baylor University Head Coach; inducted into the Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame (2006);
5x Big 12 Coach of the Year; 2012 Midwest Region Coach of the Year;
President of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) in 2008;
over 740 career wins; USA Baseball National Team Head Coach (2005), USA Baseball Pitching Coach (1998)

and

Chris Joyner,
Auburn University Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach;
former MLB Strength and Conditioning Coordinator for the Milwaukee Brewers ('07-'10) and Toronto Blue Jays ('14-'17)

and

Anthony Sanderson,
Auburn University Senior Athletic Trainer

Pitching is one of the most taxing positions in baseball. The stress placed on the pitching arm from repeatedly throwing as hard as possible, from an elevated mound, can easily lead to injuries.

In this video, veteran coach Steve Smith explains his arm care program, including how to prepare the arm on game day or the day after a game, as well as his favored mobility work and preventative care.

Day After Game Day

A challenge pitching coaches face is what to do the day after a game or heavy bullpen session. The player must continue to be productive, but cannot have a heavy strain on their arm. Coach Smith gives you a variety of low impact drills that will help your pitcher improve while keeping their arm healthy.

Preventative Arm Care

Preventative arm care is an important element to building a durable pitcher. Pitchers can prevent many arm problems by constantly working on their arm strength and mobility. You'll learn strength exercises and stretches that will keep a pitcher's arm strong, yet loose enough to throw a baseball hard with whip. Strengthening drills are offered for the shoulder and forearm, which are common areas of injury for pitchers.

Mobility

Better athletes typically make better pitchers. Teach your pitchers how to move like athletes to help them develop body awareness. Helping pitchers understand how the body moves in space will help them learn how to use their body to produce force.

Two Days Out and Bullpen Day Arm Care

Building up to game day, Coach Smith shows the work his pitchers put in two days before a game. Additionally, you'll see how to teach your pitchers to warm up properly before a bullpen session with band work to prepare and activate the arm.

This video is packed with tons of drills and exercises to keep your pitchers' arms strong and healthy. Let Coach Smith show you how to take your hurlers to the next level with his proven arm care system!

87 minutes. 2019.

with Steve Smith,
Auburn University Assistant Baseball Coach;
coached Casey Mize, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 MLB Draft;
former Baylor University Head Coach; inducted into the Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame (2006);
5x Big 12 Coach of the Year; 2012 Midwest Region Coach of the Year;
President of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) in 2008;
over 740 career wins; USA Baseball National Team Head Coach (2005), USA Baseball Pitching Coach (1998)

Pitchers must have multiple weapons in their arsenal to fool opposing batters. In this video, Auburn's Steve Smith explains how to throw different pitches, as well as how to use each pitch for maximum effectiveness. You will also get the opportunity to see how several pitchers grip various pitches, as well as hear the mental cues used for throwing each pitch.

Pitches

Learn more about the 4-seam and 2-seam fastball, change-ups, and breaking balls from Coach Smith. He explains the ingredients necessary to develop a dominant fastball and exactly how to disrupt a hitter's timing with a devastating change-up! Smith explains several ways to grip the ball to develop a nasty change-up, as well as different ways to throw breaking balls with a ton of movement.

Next, Smith goes deeper into the art of pitching. You will learn how to throw off the hitter's timing by varying the tempo of your motion, as well as how to make life difficult for hitters by hiding the ball longer with your motion. Opposing batters won't be able to hit what they can't see!

Pitcher Grips

Hear from a few of Coach Smith's pitchers as they explain how they grip various pitches, as well as cues for what they're thinking when they try to throw certain pitches. Then, watch the pitchers get in some flat ground work, which will allow them to get more reps without over-stressing their arms.

If you or your pitchers want to learn about the grips and mental cues needed to throw several key pitches, as well as the knowledge of how to use those pitches effectively, then this is the video for you. Coach Smith shows you exactly how to throw pitches that will leave opposing batters looking foolish!

61 minutes. 2019.