Overview of Pickoff Moves for Baseball Pitchers

Series Summary

Off rubber baseball pitches, more commonly known as pickoff moves, are those pitches made when the pitcher steps off the rubber to throw out a base runner at first, second, or third base. A pickoff move is only legal if the pitcher steps off the rubber before trying to throw a base runner out. Additionally, it is an illegal move if the pitcher's forward momentum is toward home plate when he attempts a pickoff move. If the pitcher is on the rubber or if his forward momentum is toward home, or both, the move is illegal and is referred to as a "balk".

This may all be old "news" to you as a new pitcher, and you may be wondering, "I know what a pickoff move is, but how do I do it?" Well you have come to the right place to learn how to pickoff a base runner at first, second, or even third base. Our expert pitching coach and former professional pitcher can show you, in these free online videos, pickoff moves that will teach you how to pickoff a base runner.

In this free video series on pitching techniques, learn off rubber baseball pitches and pickoff moves from expert pitching coach and former professional baseball player Mike Lumley. Mike will teach you how to hold runners on base to weaken their legs and make them susceptible to a pickoff move, when to pickoff a base runner, footwork for a first base pickoff move, and how to pickoff a runner at first base. He will also demonstrate pickoff moves to second and third base. He will teach you a spin move and an inside pickoff move to throw out a runner at second base. Learn also three different pickoff moves to third base, one which flirts with balk but is still legal and will fake out the runner on third.

Video Transcript

"Hi, my name is Mike Lumley on behalf of Expert Village I'm here to teach you pitching. Today we're going to work off of the, basically the outside of or off the rubber type pitching. You know just throwing the baseball to the plate is definitely not the only thing a pitcher has to do. He has a lot of responsibilities that really kind of dictate what happens basically offensively for the other team. We'll talk about situational pitching at a later time but today is basically, what we're going to work on is doing pick off's at each base. We're going to go all the way around the horn from first base to second base, two types of picks there. We're going to work on pick off to third base and what we'll do there is we'll do a kind of as a right hander to first as well. So, this move is definitely, at third base, will give you a shot as left handers to really try to pick up a good right handed move to third and really adapt it to yourself to first base. Unfortunately I can't throw left handed to the other side so it makes it a little difficult."