Stay in your pitching lane

It is said that the stadium could be burning to the ground and some players wouldn’t even know because of their laser focus.  A batter locks in on a pitcher and nothing else is able to distract them.  Pitchers do it too.  50,000 fans can be screaming like crazy and the entire pitcher’s world is that narrow lane that connects the pitching rubber and home plate.  It looks like this …

There are a lot of things that can go wrong in a pitcher’s delivery but if he can get his body used to staying in that lane from start to finish, he has a much better shot at being consistent in the strike zone.

I currently coach my son’s 8u team and I say “stay in your lane” at least a dozen times a game.  Not only does it create a good visual in the mind of the pitcher but it also sets the tone for the idea that nothing outside that lane matters when you start your delivery.