Bullpen Training for Peak Pitching Performance

with Steve Smith,
Tennessee Tech Head Coach;
former 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.