There's a reason pitching nets with nine pockets exist: pitchers need targets, not walls. A blank net tells you nothing about location. A net with nine distinct pockets tells you exactly where each pitch went, every single throw, which is exactly the feedback you need to get better.
Why the 9-pocket design works
When a ball disappears into one of the nine pockets, you get instant, unambiguous feedback. Low and outside? The bottom-left pocket ate it. Up and in? Top-right. That immediate feedback loop is how accuracy gets built — you can't fix a location problem you can't see.
The weekly drill plan
Day 1: Command the zones
Pick one pocket and hit it 20 times. Any pocket counts. The goal is purely mechanical: can you put the ball where you're looking? Track how many of 20 land in your target pocket. If you hit 15+, move to the next drill. If not, stay here.
Day 2: Work the edges
This is where the 9-pocket layout shines. Throw a full sequence: low-outside, low-inside, up-outside, up-inside. That's the four corners of the strike zone, and they're the pitches that actually get hitters out. 10 throws to each corner, 40 total.
Day 3: Simulate game situations
Call your own pitches like a catcher would: fastball outside, curve down, changeup low. 20 simulated sequences. This trains the decision-making part of pitching, not just the mechanics.
Setting the right height
Most 9-hole nets adjust between 39 and 45 inches. Set the strike zone at the hitter's belt, not the official MLB zone — you're training against real hitters, not a rulebook. For younger pitchers, set it lower and let them grow into it.
The gear matters less than you think
You can do all of this with a $55.55 net and a dozen balls. The pitching net is the one piece of gear where the cheap version does the job — accuracy training is about repetition and feedback, not expensive equipment. So skip the fancy stuff, set up the net, and throw.