"Full Pen" Pitching Workout

Florida State Head Coach Lonni Alameda shows you the pitching workout that led the Seminoles to a Top 10 national ranking in ERA for the 2012 season. Coach Alameda takes you inside a live "full pen" pitching workout where she teaches pitching mechanics, strategy and effective communication between coach, pitcher, and catcher.

1-on-1
Each pitcher on your staff has a different thought process and part of a pitching coach's is to learn how each pitcher thinks, so they can cater their instruction to what works best for the individual. Throughout a series of warm-up drills, Coach Alameda explains many tactics she uses to promote this communication to each pitcher, with the goal of getting the most from each pitcher on the staff.

Full Pens
Coach Alameda calls her bullpen pitching workouts "full pens." Using full pens, will allow you to work with multiple pitchers simultaneously and make your sessions as game-like as possible. Alameda shows three core drills for developing strong pitching fundamentals. You will see how to use your catchers to provide feedback to pitchers and how that can carry over into games.

Location Pitches
In this segment, Alameda shows you how to work on locating pitches, mostly using fastballs and change-ups. This is important because a good pitch can be hit hard if it is thrown to the wrong spot.

Spinning Pitches
In this segment, you will see how you can mix spin pitches into your workouts. Coach Alameda again emphasizes the importance of the pitcher-catcher relationship, as every pitcher's balls will spin somewhat differently. It is important for your catchers to learn these differences in practice, so that nothing gets by them in the game.

Situations and Games
Incorporate competition into your pitching workouts! This segment will challenge your pitchers with a competitive game that revolves around hitting spots and by working on game situations while pitching to a simulated batting line-up. Your pitchers will be encouraged to think and communicate about how they would pitch to each type of hitter.

In watching Coach Alameda work with her pitchers and catchers, it is evident why she is one of the top pitching coaches in the country. Alameda gets the most out of her pitchers by emphasizing good mechanics, hitting spots and encouraging two-way communication.

88 minutes. 2013.