Equipment Needed
- Balls
- Catcher's gear
Keep your catcher protected
A full catcher's gear set keeps the backstop safe through a long pitch-sequencing bullpen session.
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- A pitcher and catcher work together in a bullpen or mound setting.
- Assign a simulated hitter profile (e.g. "aggressive first-pitch swinger") for each sequence.
Instructions
- Catcher calls a full sequence of 3–4 pitches designed to set up a specific outcome, not just pitch-by-pitch in isolation.
- Pitcher executes each pitch in the sequence, discussing the purpose of each one with the catcher.
- After the sequence, review whether the location and pitch selection actually built toward the intended result.
- Repeat with different simulated hitter tendencies and counts.
Coaching Points
- Every pitch in a sequence should set up the next one — establishing a fastball location early can make an off-speed pitch later look even better.
- Location matters as much as pitch type; the same pitch in a different spot serves a completely different purpose in a sequence.
- Encourage the catcher to think like a chess player here, not just call whatever pitch the pitcher likes best.
- This is a mental skill as much as a physical one — talk through the reasoning, don't just execute silently.
Variation
Add a live hitter for real feedback on how the sequence plays, or script specific counts (0-2, 3-1) to sequence around realistically.