Yes, you can do real pitch design without a tracking device. You will not get exact spin axis or induced vertical break, and you should never pretend you have them. What you can get is a disciplined comparison of old and new grips, plus enough evidence to know which candidate deserves time on a tracking device later [1]. Most of the discipline that makes pitch design work costs nothing.
What a phone can and cannot show
Film your release from behind in slow motion, lined up with the direction of the throw, and look at where your fingers finish on the ball. Brian Bannister says he can usually read a pitcher's release bias, whether the hand tends to stay behind the ball or get around it, within about five pitches [2]. Tread's changeup coach recommends the same setup, an iPhone behind the pitcher, to see whether you lean toward pronation or supination [3]. That bias tells you which pitches will come easily: pronators tend to find changeups easier, while supinators tend to reach harder breaking balls with less velocity lost [4].
Driveline's research adds a useful twist: your other pitches tell you as much as your fastball. Its projection model uses everything a pitcher already throws, and a slider is a better clue to other breaking balls than a splitter is [5]. Film all of your pitches, not just the heater.
Know the limits. Bannister calls phone slow motion borderline for reading seams [2], and the playbook rule is simple: use it for hand position and gross delivery changes, and do not invent exact spin numbers from it [1]. Even tracking devices disagree. Driveline coaches note that seam-shifted movement needs observed ball flight to measure, and Bannister says Rapsodo tends to read spin efficiency high [6][2].
Change one thing per block
The core of any pitch design session is a fair comparison [1]:
- Photograph the grip from a few angles (above, below and behind the ball) so you can recreate it next week.
- Change one variable. Seam orientation, finger position, pressure or a cue. Keep the delivery the same.
- Alternate small blocks. Old grip, new grip, old, new. Throwing all of one and then all of the other mixes the grip effect with fatigue.
- Log every throw, including the bad ones. Without a log, you only remember your best pitches.
Tread's coaches use a similar mini-experiment structure for any change: about five throws per variation, with two or three ideas at most in a 30 to 35 pitch session [7].
Use your catcher as the tracking device
Have your catcher set a target before each pitch and chart where it finishes. Then look at the pattern [1]:
- A tight group in the wrong spot is an aim problem. Move the starting target and retest before you touch the grip.
- A scattered group is a repeatability problem. That calls for more reps, or a grip you can control better.
Driveline's command research uses the same split between strategy (where you aim) and skill (how big and consistent your misses are). For perspective, the average MLB pitch misses its intended spot by about 11.6 inches, and miss patterns shift from one bullpen to the next, so chart a decent sample before you move the target [8].
Your catcher's eyes also catch movement a phone misses. Ask simple questions after each block: did the new grip finish in a different spot, and did it look different out of the hand? Write the answers down next to the throw numbers.
Long toss shows you ride
Tread's Ben Brewster points out a free tool: play catch at 90 to 120 feet. At that distance, differences in fastball ride become visible in a way they are not at 60 feet, so a dead-zone fastball and a riding one look different in the air [9]. It is a rough read, but useful for comparing two fastball grips. He also treats spraying throws after the first 10 to 20 as a sign a change is not working.
Check the delivery too
Get cues from your own video
Pitch AI's AI Video Review gives cues and top fixes from your throwing video, so you can see whether a grip experiment quietly changed your delivery. Pitch Lab logs every grip change alongside whatever pitch metrics you have.
A radar gun adds a lot
A reliable radar gun, borrowed or bought, adds two kinds of evidence.
- Velocity gaps. Track the speed difference between your fastball and each secondary. Tread targets about 8 to 10 mph off the fastball for a kick change [10], and found a whiff inflection point near 80 mph for curveball-type pitches, so harder often beats bigger [11].
- Velocity checks. At the end of a design session, throw a few fastballs and compare them with your normal speed; if the experiment cost fastball velocity, the comparison is compromised [1]. For grip comparisons, have a partner hide the readings while you alternate old and new versions at equal effort. Slower, or more effort for the same speed, means drop it [9].
A simple no-tech trial log
Here is a stripped-down version of the Pitch Trial Log in the Pitch AI playbook [1]. One row per throw:
| Column | Example |
|---|---|
| Date and throw number | Nov 12, #14 |
| Grip ID (A or B) and photo | B: two-seam, middle finger on seam |
| What changed | Middle finger pressure |
| Target and where it finished | Low arm side; finished middle-in |
| Velocity (if you have a radar) | 79 |
| Catcher's read | More run than A, similar drop |
| Comfort and fatigue | Felt natural; arm fresh |
Set your pass criteria before the session, for example "B runs more than A on most throws without losing more than 1 mph," and retest any promising grip on another day before you decide.
Give it about four weeks
Give a new pitch about four weeks of offseason work. Bannister's typical block starts with the grip, then finger position, pressure and cues, then fitting the pitch into the arsenal [2]. Fastball variants usually come fastest, which makes a two-seamer or cutter a smart first no-tech project [12]. Count the design throws inside your normal throwing plan.
When a candidate passes your low-tech tests, that is the time to find a tracking session at a local facility. Your log will make that hour far more productive.
What to do this week
- Film two fastballs and two of your secondaries from behind in slow motion and note where your fingers finish.
- Pick one candidate grip, photograph it, and write your problem sentence and pass criteria.
- Run one A-B-A-B block with your catcher charting targets and misses.
- Play catch at 90 to 120 feet with both fastball grips and compare what you see.
For camera setup, see using video to check pitching mechanics, and for training with minimal equipment, pitching drills at home. If you do get tracking access, the pitch design workflow takes it from there. Earlier in this series: when to work on a new pitch and how to know if it is actually good.
Frequently asked questions
Can you see spin axis with iPhone slow motion?
Not precisely. Phone slow motion is good for hand position at release and gross delivery changes. Brian Bannister calls it borderline for reading seams, so use it to see where your fingers finish and save exact spin axis and efficiency for a tracking device.
What do I need to do pitch design at home?
A phone that films slow motion, a catcher or a target you can mark, a way to photograph grips, and a log. A radar gun helps a lot for checking velocity gaps between pitches and making sure your fastball did not slow down.
How can I tell if my pitch moves more without a Rapsodo?
Use your catcher as the measuring device. Have them set a target and chart where each pitch finishes, and play catch at 90 to 120 feet, where Tread coaches say differences in fastball ride become visible. Compare old and new grips in alternating blocks so you are not relying on memory.
How long does it take to learn a new pitch?
Plan on about four weeks of offseason work for a new pitch, following Brian Bannister's typical block: grip first, then pressure and cues, then fitting it into the arsenal. Fastball variants usually come fastest.
Start the log
Put your pitch trials in one place
Log your pitches in Pitch AI's Pitch Lab to see your movement chart and ranked recommendations. It records every grip change, flags overlapping pitches, and keeps your trials organized for the day you get time on a tracking device.
References
- Pitch AI (2026). Pitch Design Playbook, with Pitch Trial Log and Pitch Decision Log templates. Internal coaching synthesis, September 2026.
- Tread Athletics (2022). Brian Bannister: Mastering Pitch Design (podcast). YouTube, December 22, 2022. https://youtu.be/E0yoPt42A5Q
- Tread Athletics (Filippo R) (2026). Complete Guide To Mastering The Changeup [Grips, Cues, & Sequencing]. YouTube, September 6, 2026. https://youtu.be/fBpo461Q7y8
- Driveline Baseball (2026). The Evolution of Pitch Design, Saberseminar 2025 (R&D Podcast Ep. 111). YouTube, January 19, 2026. https://youtu.be/2fjpL_BraVU
- Hejka J, Lambert J, Ramilo M; Driveline Baseball (2025). Projecting Pitch Design, Saberseminar 2025 presentation. YouTube, December 31, 2025. https://youtu.be/HeBvjYrU_vk
- Driveline Baseball (Langin C) (2022). How to Throw a Sinker. YouTube, June 9, 2022. https://youtu.be/YnweswvmL1c
- Tread Athletics (2025). Top Pitching Velocity Hacks To Try. YouTube, November 23, 2025. https://youtu.be/SLZe8s4uSkY
- Driveline Baseball (2026). The 2 Skills That Actually Make Up Pitching Command. YouTube, September 19, 2026. https://youtu.be/dXr7jj9ai4A
- Tread Athletics (Brewster B) (2026). Throw Harder By Changing Your Pitching Mechanics [The Right Way]. YouTube, September 24, 2026. https://youtu.be/_EilR25ydwY
- Tread Athletics (2024). What Is The 'Kick Change' And How Do You Throw It? YouTube, August 20, 2024. https://youtu.be/nXHXvtLelR4
- Tread Athletics (Zombro T) (2024). What Is The 'Death Ball' And How Do You Throw It? YouTube, October 31, 2024. https://youtu.be/THd6Ch2VMks
- Sawchik T (2025). How many fastballs should a pitcher have on the menu? Driveline Baseball, November 25, 2025. https://www.drivelinebaseball.com/2025/11/how-many-fastballs-should-a-pitcher-have-on-the-menu/