Skip to main content

Pitching Tips

Pitching Tips:
- do dynamic warmups before pitching
- have a plan for each hitter 
- communicate with the catcher and know the signs
- keep the batter guessing; change the tempo  
- take your time, don't rush the delivery
- stay balanced and keep your head steady
- control the glove side - move your chest to the glove
 - keep the elbow up and inline with the shoulder
- stay closed as long as possible 
- use the lower body to generate power
- keep the glove in front of your chest 
- follow through with the delivery
- relax and have fun


Practice, Practice, Practice 
- play long toss twice a week 
- do mirror drills to work to improve balance and mechanics
- get the mechanics perfected on the dominant side first, before switching to the other side
- if you don't have control of the fastball, then try slowing down a little 
- after you have the pitching mechanics down  - go faster
- work on developing a good changeup

- get feedback from a pitching coach


Get Help:
- learn from the best - checkout videos and pictures of Randy Johnson, Tom Seaver, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, Nolan Ryan and other 300 game winners.
- read books about pitching by Tom House 
  (The Picture Perfect Pitcher; The Pitching Edge; The Art & Science of Pitching)
- take pitching lessons from a coach who knows about good biomechanics
- get visual feedback: capture videos of your pitching technique, then have the coach review the video clips and make suggestions




Pitching Mechanics 101

Pitching Mechanics 101 explains how to teach proper pitching mechanics to new pitchers, regardless of their age.
Proper Pitching Mechanics
Proper pitching mechanics are those that allow a pitcher to throw the ball...
   1. As hard as necessary.
   2. With exceptional control.
   3. With exceptional movement.
   4. With exceptional deception.
...while minimizing the risk that the pitcher will experience an injury.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pitchers Glove Rules - Size and Color

What are the rules on a pitchers glove? According to the official baseball rules, a pitchers glove can be up to 12 inches in size , of any weight , and any color except white or gray as long as it is not distracting.  The Akadema ABX-00 glove, pictured above, is 12 inches,  solid black and is not distracting according to local umpires. Little League Rules Gray glove is not allowed for pitching  White glove is not allowed for pitching Little League Rule 1.14: Each fielder, other than the first baseman and the catcher may wear a glove not more than 12 inches long nor more than 7 3/4 inches wide, measured from the base of the thumb crotch to the outer edge of the glove. The glove may be of any weight. Little League Rule  1.15 (a) : The pitcher's glove may not, exclusive of the piping, be white or light gray, nor, in the judgment of an umpire, distracting in any manner. (source: Little League Baseball Rules Regarding Bats and Gloves ) Off
Post a Comment
Read more

Fastball Velocity - How fast do kids throw?

How fast does a Little League pitcher throw? The average fastball is between 50-60 mph for a  pitcher in the Majors division of Little League (11-13 yo). Pitchers in the Little League World Series throw fastballs 60-70+ mph. Only a few pitchers touched 70+ mph in 2015 and 2016. One man-child hit 81 mph on the radar. This velocity is almost unhittable from 46 feet  and extremely rare for a 13 year old. #18 RHP Carlos Gonzalez - Panama 79-81 mph fastball  105 mph MLB equivalent reaction time #18 RHP Jaekyeong Kim - South Korea 75-76 mph fastball #19 RHP Ryan Harlost - Mid-Atlantic, Endwell, NY 71-74 mph fastball Threw a complete game to win the 2016 Little League World Series Loreto Siniscalchi , a 6'1" pitcher from Canada, threw in the mid 70s and completely dominated the hitters from Japan.  He led Team Canada to its first victory over Japan in 18 years. Big right-hander Isaiah Head from Kentucky threw 70-73 mph fastballs. His record was 3-0, 12 I
Post a Comment
Read more

Baseball Glove Options for Switch Pitchers

Custom made  Mizuno ambidextrous glove Looking for a glove for a switch pitcher? Before spending hundreds of dollars on a custom glove, please think about age of the player and how much time they will spend pitching. Here are glove options for ambidextrous pitchers, based on age: Age 3-5 Kids don't pitch at this age. They should be learning the proper way to throw. Young kids should try catching the ball with two hands. Use tennis balls or foam balls for throwing. Forget about the low quality plastic glove - it's in the landfill within a year. Gloves are awkward for young kids. If they learn two hand catch when they are young and continue with the skill, they will do well fielding balls when they are older. Learning to throw with both arms is easy at this stage. If a child can throw with either hand when they are three-years-old, it doesn't mean that they are talented or ambidextrous - it just means that they are a typical kid. Gloves:  Buy a small leath
7 comments
Read more