You always hear coaches screaming at umpires, “You took the bat out of his hands!” In large part, because the coach and hitter didn’t like the calls against him. However, there can be one reason for that which hitters will never accept….Oh Well. This comes from a pitcher being able to establish his command in the early innings. When a pitcher shows the home plate umpire that he can consistently locate his pitches with conviction, he will get more, and More, & MORE! An effective battery which picks up on this bounty will get greedy…and for the better of course. Today, we are going to learn how to Widen the Strike Zone.

Want to get more strikes? Dot the outside corner 70-80% of the time and miss within the vicinity on the rest, the umpire will be more inclined to ring up a hitter. Needless to say, pitching is merit based. As a result, umpires appreciate when pitchers make their job easier. It is not favoritism. It is just that many people involved benefit when a pitcher is on his game.

How to Widen the Strike Zone 
Visual Obstruction

As a pitcher is consistent in hitting the glove, the umpire rewards it. Umpires will have some vision obstructions, most notably down and away. If you show the umpire that the catcher doesn’t have to move the glove to stick the pitch, he will call a strike. Now, when you hit the glove on a borderline pitch, and the umpire has an obstructed view, his call will be based off of the catcher. Did he move to catch the ball? If not, then most likely the call will be in your favor.

Establishing the outside corner early in the game is vital for getting more strike calls. This is when you begin to widen the strike zone. Come the middle innings, when your catcher sets up one ball width off the black and you hit the spot and get a strike, Keep Doing it! Why Not? Each inning after that, the catcher can inch out more and more to see what you can get.

How to Widen the Strike Zone
Attack Plan

When the call goes in your favor, stay out there and force the hitter to make the adjustment. As he adapts to having to chase pitches off the plate, now you torment his psyche. That’s when you run a fastball in under his hands. Or better yet, move his feet. Thus, widening the strike zone and aggravating his patience. When the appropriate situation arises, follow up the fastball inside with a Slider away. Good luck trying to Launch that!  

Keep in mind, that it doesn’t have to be a strike, because the hitter is forced to swing at pitches away. Throw the Slider correctly and he will chase, as he thinks it is a fastball to that Black Hole off the plate….It is fun tapping into a hitter’s frustration.

Therefore, when you and your catcher feel you can get even more off the plate for a called strike, Keep Going! Take every inch you can get in this game. Hence, why throw a strike when you don’t have to?

The more pitches being called strikes which are off the plate, the more of a mental struggle it becomes for the hitter. Hitters are taught to keep good plate discipline and not chase the pitcher’s pitch. The fragility of the hitter’s ego tends to overtake his approach. It advises him not to chase pitches out of the strike zone in order to avoid creating bad habits. Which lead to dreaded slumps.  C’est La Vie!

As the plate is expanded and forcing a hitter to swing, there comes a degree of hesitation.
I am only swinging because I have to. I know that I can’t hit that pitch.

Watch this video to see how much a hitter’s approach is gone by the wayside when the zone is expanded dramatically.

How to Widen the Strike Zone
Moving Your Career Forward 

Expanding the plate to widen the strike zone on both sides makes the hitter extremely vulnerable. There is now more area he has to protect, which he cannot. Because this is such a valuable commodity in pitching, it is included as part of the Drill Sequences in the Slider Domination Product Line.

Aside from just teaching you how to throw the Slider, we are teaching you how to effectively use this Dominant weapon to make you a more Complete & Dynamic pitcher. Understand the strategic components of the Slider along with the mechanics to throw it consistently where you want, and you will see the results SkyRocket rapidly. Execute and Succeed! It is that Simple…

 

Mastering the Slider can be all the difference that earns you:

 

• A College Scholarship
• A Professional Contract
• Or Even Impact a Signing Bonus

 

Having the tools is one thing. Knowing how to use them to Expand the plate, Dominate the Competition and Embarrass hitters is life changing.

 

Keep Dominating!!!