In baseball there is hardly any pitcher who does not want to know how to improve pitching velocity. The reason for this is simple. Having a blazing fastball is a great way to dominate the batter. Good velocity on your pitchers can be a tremendous competitive advantage for a pitcher. Fortunately there are ways to learn how to improve your pitching velocity.
     Where do you start when you want to improve your pitching speed? As with most athletic skills the proper mechanics are vital. A relaxed wind-up should be followed by leg drive, hip rotation, arm acceleration and then a complete follow through. The release point and arm angle should be kept consistent. A good pitching motion with proper mechanics can take stress off the arm and shoulder and allow for increased efficiency.
      There are many good training drills for baseball. Long Toss is one of the very best for developing good arm strength. This holds for any position player as well as pitchers. To get maximum benefit from Long Toss it should be done correctly. It should not be over done. In other words you should not do it too often and your sessions should not be too long. This could lead to a sore or tired arm.  After a sufficient warm-up, you and your throwing partner should gradually move further apart. Your throws should be made in a strong manner with good form. Do not just lob the ball to reach the other player but think of it as if you using your entire body and that you are trying to "throw through" the target.
     A few other pitching velocity tips that will help improve your pitching include icing your arm and shoulder after pitching. Applying ice will reduce any internal inflammation and help your arm recover from the stress of pitching. Mental focus and concentration on each pitch is important. Do not allow yourself to just do through the motions but to concentrate on every pitch as if it was the World Series. Another mental approach to improve your pitching velocity is visualization. This is a highly effective technique used in many sports with great success. When you are in a non-athletic and relaxed setting simply close your eyes, relax and mentally visualize yourself pitching as the ideal pitcher that your desire to be. As you do this see in your mind your fastball being thrown easily with great velocity and pin point control. Later, after having programmed your mind like this for a high level of performance you will be on your way to improvement when pitching.

      One of the important aspects of your pitching performance is physical conditioning. Obviously the arm and shoulder need to be strong in order to throw hard, have endurance and recover from throwing stress. So how do you achieve the muscle strength you need? It was once thought that muscle strengthening exercises would actually interfere with a pitcher's performance. It is now known that a good program of strength training can be extremely useful. This is true for both performance and injury prevention. Muscle strengthening should not just be for the arm and shoulder but the entire body should be made stronger. All the major muscle groups, arms, backchest, abdominal, arms and shoulder muscles should all be properly conditioned with a sensible weight training program. Weight training exercises should always be performed in a slow and controlled manner with no jerking or fast movements. Each muscle group should be exercised until fatigued but this should not be overdone. Short but intense workouts performed with several days rest between with allow for good muscle strengthening results.