Developing Elite Level Pitching: Drills, Philosophies & Strategy

with Marissa Young,
Duke University Head Coach;
2020-2021 ACC Champions;
over 100 wins through four seasons (2018-2021) at Duke;
former University of North Carolina Assistant Coach;
3x All-American as a player at the University of Michigan; named the 2002 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and 2003 Big Ten Player of the Year

Duke University's Marissa Young passes along many of the methods that she's implemented in her own program to develop high-end pitching talent year after year. What you'll see in this video are what contributed to the success of Duke's pitchers en route to the 2021 ACC Tournament championship!

Assessment

Coach Young begins by explaining how she assesses the pitchers on her roster from a performance standpoint, as well as on an individual pitch standpoint. She details how to evaluate pitcher growth through charting and data collection. By tracking some key metrics, you'll gather useful information that will make sure your pitchers perform their best in big games and during specific times of the season. Additionally, you'll know when to manage the volume of your best hurlers so they don't get overworked.

Pressure Bullpen Workouts and Drills

Young has developed a comprehensive bullpen session that incorporates challenging drills in order to help pitchers become accountable when preparing for games. You'll get insights on the methods and goals for developing pitchers in the bullpen, plus tips for each drill.

Bullpen segments include:

• Bike for strikes
• Horse
• Jump rope
• 3-pitch sequence
• B2B pitch
• Climb the ladder
• Opposites

This video from Coach Young offers fantastic advice on developing elite pitchers. It's a must-watch for pitchers and coaches who want to break away from the monotony of throwing the same pitch over and over. Young demonstrates the thought process in developing practice plans that incorporate both game management and pitching fundamentals.

53 minutes. 2021.