3 Ways to Increase the Speed of Your Fastball

To increase the speed of your fastball, focus on three areas: mechanics, strength and power, and the mental game. And measure as you go, because you can't improve what you don't track.

Why velocity matters

Velocity isn't everything, but it buys you time. A faster pitch gives the hitter less time to decide, makes your off-speed pitches look slower by contrast, and gives you more room for error on location. That's why scouts write the number down first. Just as important: changing speeds well (fastball vs changeup) keeps hitters off balance, so velocity works best alongside command and a second pitch.

1. Clean up your mechanics

1. Start from a balanced, athletic base. Feet about shoulder-width apart, weight under control. That gives you a solid foundation to generate power.
2. Drive with your lower body. Your legs and hips generate most of the force; the arm delivers it. Our post on using hip movement for velocity goes deeper.
3. Stay loose through the arm. A relaxed arm moves faster than a tense one, and it helps you keep control so the ball doesn't sail.
4. Finish your follow-through. Let the arm decelerate naturally across the body after release. A full follow-through helps you keep momentum and protects the arm.

Video helps here. Film from the side and from behind, and compare with a good model. See focusing on the mechanics of pitching.

2. Build strength and power

More force behind the ball comes from a stronger, more explosive body. A few exercises that target pitching-related power:

1. Medicine ball slams and rotational throws: explosive power through the legs, hips and core.
2. Box jumps: lower-body power and landing control. Land softly with bent knees.
3. Plyometric push-ups: upper-body power. Build up to these.
4. Single-leg Romanian deadlifts: balance and strength through the legs and hips, which matters on a one-leg delivery.

Young players should learn these with a qualified coach and add load gradually. High-intent throwing drills like pulldowns belong in a planned program, not a random Tuesday.

3. Train the mental game

1. Develop a routine and stick to it. It keeps you calm on the mound.
2. Breathe and stay relaxed. Tension kills velocity and control.
3. Visualize the pitch and the target before you throw.
4. Move on from mistakes. The best pitchers flush a bad pitch and focus on the next one.

Staying relaxed keeps you from rushing your delivery, which costs both control and velocity.

How to measure your progress

• A radar gun is the most direct way. Use the same gun from the same spot (behind the catcher, in line with the pitch) every time. How to measure pitch speed covers the setup.
• Video with a known distance gives a rough average speed. Apps vs real radar guns explains the limits.
• A stopwatch is the least accurate, since your reaction time is a big share of a half-second pitch.

And keep it age-appropriate: velocity should come with healthy workloads. See age-appropriate velocity and pitch count limits for young pitchers.

Need a radar gun to track it? See our guide to the best baseball radar guns at every budget →