Pitching backwards

There is a phrase called "pitching backwards." It means pitch opposite of what hitters might expect. In a traditional setting, a pitcher gets ahead with fastballs and gets hitters out with breaking balls. So, the opposite would be to get ahead with breaking balls and get them out with fastballs. This philosophy begins at a very early age when the curveball is only thrown with two strikes. Check out a little league game. Talk about predictable.

So, the idea of pitching backwards evolved to confuse more advanced hitters.

Is pitching backwards sound philosophy? Absolutely if you can get ahead with curveballs. If you can't get ahead with curveballs you become more predictable than ever.

Now, as hitters become more and more skilled, they begin to recognize pitching patterns. Pitching backwards can become a basic strategy to attack many hitters. Therefore, as pitchers climb the baseball ladder they need to mix their approaches on hitters even more so.

Watch a major league baseball game and you'll see many pitchers pitching backwards. Watch even closer and you'll see the pattern get broken. These little nuances make the game all the more interesting.