I have had several parents ask me about our expectations as coaches on children that are willing and able to pitch during games. Our roles as coaches are to put each player in positions on the field to succeed individually so the team will have success. It is also our role to ensure the players continue to progress on their baseball skills and get "game ready" for their current level as well as the bigger jump to more advanced League play.
Over the course of the preseason and during the initial phase of the regular season, we have been placing significant emphasis on pitching and would like to get as many players on the mound as possible by the end of the season and prior to playoffs. In order to progress, the players must demonstrate proper form (so as to reduce the risk of injury), mental preparation, and the ability to throw from the mound to the plate with consistency and control to get into a game. I place less emphasis on speed at this age. Speed will come with greater practice and experience. If your son has not pitched yet, please be patient. We continue to work with all the players and ensure their progression.
Showing posts with label Pitching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pitching. Show all posts
Monday, March 22, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
When will you allow my son to pitch in a game?
I am in the early part of the regular season with my Little league team and am already facing the challenging questions by parents. One challenging area, in particular, surrounds pitching and parent's expectations to see their child pitch in a game.
I realize that every kid that loves baseball has fantasized about being a great pro pitcher and throwing a perfect game. It’s one of those universal American dreams of little boys everywhere. While dreams like these should never be quashed, its important for responsible parents and coaches to teach kids how to pitch a baseball with the correct form and control. Without such guidance, overly enthusiastic children run a real risk of doing damage to their arms, elbows, and shoulder joints when throwing baseballs. They will also end up frustrated and not developing an interest for the game.
I like to give every ball player on the team a chance to develop their pitching skills and test them during games and practices including scrimmages against opponents. The first thing every player needs to learn before he takes the mound to pitch in a baseball game is the correct form. Not only will this give his pitches more power and control, it will also put less strain on the important and vulnerable parts of the body.
There are two big keys for baseball pitchers. First, it must be taught to youngsters that effective and safe pitching is powered mainly by the legs, not the arm. Secondly, the proper form is to train the elbow to lead the hand. The elbow should stay ahead of hand until just before release of the baseball. This takes some practice, but once a child learns to do it without forcing it, he is on the path to better control, more power, and (most importantly) a safe baseball throwing motion.
A good idea is to impress upon the young pitcher that speed is not the top priority in good baseball pitching. Control is priority. This serves two purposes. First, it will help you slow him down in order to ingrain the proper and safe movements outlined above. Second, its generally easier to build up speed after control is learned when throwing a baseball than it is to learn control after speed.
Lastly, once form and control are learned, repetitions must occur regularly. Practice makes perfect. Get out and work with the children on a daily basis. Time spent prior to and after practices and games is just as important as during them. Coaches can work on their form and control and offer them live experience but we, as parents, need to also work with them on their off time.
I realize that every kid that loves baseball has fantasized about being a great pro pitcher and throwing a perfect game. It’s one of those universal American dreams of little boys everywhere. While dreams like these should never be quashed, its important for responsible parents and coaches to teach kids how to pitch a baseball with the correct form and control. Without such guidance, overly enthusiastic children run a real risk of doing damage to their arms, elbows, and shoulder joints when throwing baseballs. They will also end up frustrated and not developing an interest for the game.
I like to give every ball player on the team a chance to develop their pitching skills and test them during games and practices including scrimmages against opponents. The first thing every player needs to learn before he takes the mound to pitch in a baseball game is the correct form. Not only will this give his pitches more power and control, it will also put less strain on the important and vulnerable parts of the body.
There are two big keys for baseball pitchers. First, it must be taught to youngsters that effective and safe pitching is powered mainly by the legs, not the arm. Secondly, the proper form is to train the elbow to lead the hand. The elbow should stay ahead of hand until just before release of the baseball. This takes some practice, but once a child learns to do it without forcing it, he is on the path to better control, more power, and (most importantly) a safe baseball throwing motion.
A good idea is to impress upon the young pitcher that speed is not the top priority in good baseball pitching. Control is priority. This serves two purposes. First, it will help you slow him down in order to ingrain the proper and safe movements outlined above. Second, its generally easier to build up speed after control is learned when throwing a baseball than it is to learn control after speed.
Lastly, once form and control are learned, repetitions must occur regularly. Practice makes perfect. Get out and work with the children on a daily basis. Time spent prior to and after practices and games is just as important as during them. Coaches can work on their form and control and offer them live experience but we, as parents, need to also work with them on their off time.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Standard Long Toss to Build Strength in Pitchers
Great daily drill for pitchers:
The pitchers start 50 feet apart and gradually back up to a distance just beyond what they can throw in the air. After 10 throws at the maximum distance, the pitchers work their way back. Forty to 50 throws are usually adequate to stretch the arm. However, in the off-season, when a pitcher is trying to develop arm strength, more repetitions are required-up to 100-with one third of those being at the maximum distance.
Unless they are injured, pitchers should long toss at least every other day. In-season pitchers may want to cut down the number of long tosses. Off-season, pitchers should long toss only every other day and increase the repetitions to develop arm strength. Long-tossing, more than anything else pitchers do, increases velocity. It also shortens their recovery time.
Long tossing the day after pitching a game stretches out the arm and helps with blood circulation in the arm. Number of pitches The number of pitches pitchers throw in a game, a scrimmage game, or the bull pen should be carefully monitored by the coach.
Coach's Point:
The drill helps develop arm strength and stretches the players arms out.
The pitchers start 50 feet apart and gradually back up to a distance just beyond what they can throw in the air. After 10 throws at the maximum distance, the pitchers work their way back. Forty to 50 throws are usually adequate to stretch the arm. However, in the off-season, when a pitcher is trying to develop arm strength, more repetitions are required-up to 100-with one third of those being at the maximum distance.
Unless they are injured, pitchers should long toss at least every other day. In-season pitchers may want to cut down the number of long tosses. Off-season, pitchers should long toss only every other day and increase the repetitions to develop arm strength. Long-tossing, more than anything else pitchers do, increases velocity. It also shortens their recovery time.
Long tossing the day after pitching a game stretches out the arm and helps with blood circulation in the arm. Number of pitches The number of pitches pitchers throw in a game, a scrimmage game, or the bull pen should be carefully monitored by the coach.
Coach's Point:
The drill helps develop arm strength and stretches the players arms out.
Monday, February 15, 2010
2-1 Count or 2-2 Count Scrimmage
To increase the pace of a scrimmage and teach the players to be more aggressive at the plate in hitting, accelerate the pitch count to either 2-1 or 2-2. Divide the team into two teams. Every batter starts with either 2 balls and 1 strike or 2 balls and 2 strikes.
Coach's Point:
Because of the advanced count, pitchers must be aggressively throwing strikes and hitters are compelled to swing the bat. Quick pace to this drill. Hitters get more at bats and pitchers face more hitters.
Coach's Point:
Because of the advanced count, pitchers must be aggressively throwing strikes and hitters are compelled to swing the bat. Quick pace to this drill. Hitters get more at bats and pitchers face more hitters.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Proper Pitching Mechanics
Stance
As hitters have many preferences when it comes to position in the batters box, so do pitchers when it comes to position on the pitching rubber. Some will pick one spot and some will move around depending on the mound or the situation. Whatever the preference the most important factors are comfort and balance.
Some pitchers will stand with both feet lined up and some will stand with the stride leg slightly behind.
The position of the glove and pitching hand also changes from pitcher to pitcher. Some will hold the ball in the glove with the pitching arm dangling by their side. Others will have that same position but keep the ball in their hand. Others will have their hand inside their glove. For the majority of pitchers the glove is held somewhere between the waist and the chest.
Most young pitchers don't have any idea how the stance can affect the final outcome of the pitch by either allowing or taking away from a smooth efficient delivery. For young pitchers, try to get them comfortable with the least amount of movement. From the stance to the windup, the least amount of movement is to have the hand in the glove gripping the ball at about chest high.
Start the Windup Motion: Take a Step Back
If the pitcher starts with one leg back this can be a weight shift back.
Not So Big
A common problem is taking too large a step back. Again, the more movement the more difficult it will be for the pitcher to be balanced during the windup. Watch most major league pitchers and you will see they take a very small or no step back to start their windup.
As the weight is transferred to the back leg, the front foot will be turned and placed parallel to, in contact with, and in front of the rubber. The feet are now in position to begin the kick.
The Arms
At the same time the pitcher takes the step back, the arms will also move. Pitchers will either swing both arms over the top of their heads as they step back and begin pivoting their front foot, or they will keep their hands at waist level and move directly into the top of the kick from that position.
Top of The Kick
Once the front foot has pivoted and the hands have reached the top of the pump. The pitcher will shift his weight onto the pivoted foot and pull the back leg forward and up swiveling as he does this until the his thigh is parallel to the ground or a little higher. His body should be sideways to the plate. Make sure your planted leg is not locked at the knee, it should be slightly flexed. Again the critical element is balance. The pitching motion is a combination of many movements that need to be executed exactly the same way with every pitch. Without balance at this point consistency in the pitching motion is impossible and with it good control.
Reaching Back
From the top of the kick position the pitcher needs to do a few things that all must come together in order to gain momentum towards home. As the throwing arm drops the pitcher needs to reach down and back towards 2nd base. Again the throwing motion is circular and the pitcher wants the largest circle possible when pitching. Balance is still essential at this point. Reaching down and back with the throwing arm will naturally tilt the front hip up higher than the back hip. The pitcher is now in a position to stride forward toward the plate.
Push and Rotation
Both legs play an import role at this point in propelling the pitcher toward the plate. The front leg is lowered and driven forward towards the plate in a circular motion that swivels the hips open. At the same time the back leg is pushing off the rubber propelling the pitcher forward to the batter. The combination of these two motions performed correctly will not only add velocity to the fastball but also take pressure off the throwing arm.
It's important to note that most of the power will be generated from the rotation of the hips and a natural stride toward the plate. Many times young pitchers will try to gain velocity by dropping down further on their back leg and driving hard off that leg towards the plate. This will cause fatigue in the pitcher and can also result in the arm not being able to catch up with the body, the same problem that pitchers have who fall off the mound.
The stride should be a comfortable distance, not too short that your not getting the benefit of your lower body in your delivery and not too long that you land on your heel.
You should land on the ball of your foot with your leg slightly bent. Your foot should land in the same spot on every pitch and be positioned a few inches to the glove hand side of your back foot. This will ensure that you get the full benefit of the hip rotation.
The arm should follow through naturally across your body and the back leg should come forward and land parallel to your lead foot. This will put you in a good position to field your position.
As hitters have many preferences when it comes to position in the batters box, so do pitchers when it comes to position on the pitching rubber. Some will pick one spot and some will move around depending on the mound or the situation. Whatever the preference the most important factors are comfort and balance.
Some pitchers will stand with both feet lined up and some will stand with the stride leg slightly behind.
The position of the glove and pitching hand also changes from pitcher to pitcher. Some will hold the ball in the glove with the pitching arm dangling by their side. Others will have that same position but keep the ball in their hand. Others will have their hand inside their glove. For the majority of pitchers the glove is held somewhere between the waist and the chest.
Most young pitchers don't have any idea how the stance can affect the final outcome of the pitch by either allowing or taking away from a smooth efficient delivery. For young pitchers, try to get them comfortable with the least amount of movement. From the stance to the windup, the least amount of movement is to have the hand in the glove gripping the ball at about chest high.
Start the Windup Motion: Take a Step Back
If the pitcher starts with one leg back this can be a weight shift back.
Not So Big
A common problem is taking too large a step back. Again, the more movement the more difficult it will be for the pitcher to be balanced during the windup. Watch most major league pitchers and you will see they take a very small or no step back to start their windup.
As the weight is transferred to the back leg, the front foot will be turned and placed parallel to, in contact with, and in front of the rubber. The feet are now in position to begin the kick.
The Arms
At the same time the pitcher takes the step back, the arms will also move. Pitchers will either swing both arms over the top of their heads as they step back and begin pivoting their front foot, or they will keep their hands at waist level and move directly into the top of the kick from that position.
Top of The Kick
Once the front foot has pivoted and the hands have reached the top of the pump. The pitcher will shift his weight onto the pivoted foot and pull the back leg forward and up swiveling as he does this until the his thigh is parallel to the ground or a little higher. His body should be sideways to the plate. Make sure your planted leg is not locked at the knee, it should be slightly flexed. Again the critical element is balance. The pitching motion is a combination of many movements that need to be executed exactly the same way with every pitch. Without balance at this point consistency in the pitching motion is impossible and with it good control.
Reaching Back
From the top of the kick position the pitcher needs to do a few things that all must come together in order to gain momentum towards home. As the throwing arm drops the pitcher needs to reach down and back towards 2nd base. Again the throwing motion is circular and the pitcher wants the largest circle possible when pitching. Balance is still essential at this point. Reaching down and back with the throwing arm will naturally tilt the front hip up higher than the back hip. The pitcher is now in a position to stride forward toward the plate.
Push and Rotation
Both legs play an import role at this point in propelling the pitcher toward the plate. The front leg is lowered and driven forward towards the plate in a circular motion that swivels the hips open. At the same time the back leg is pushing off the rubber propelling the pitcher forward to the batter. The combination of these two motions performed correctly will not only add velocity to the fastball but also take pressure off the throwing arm.
It's important to note that most of the power will be generated from the rotation of the hips and a natural stride toward the plate. Many times young pitchers will try to gain velocity by dropping down further on their back leg and driving hard off that leg towards the plate. This will cause fatigue in the pitcher and can also result in the arm not being able to catch up with the body, the same problem that pitchers have who fall off the mound.
The stride should be a comfortable distance, not too short that your not getting the benefit of your lower body in your delivery and not too long that you land on your heel.
You should land on the ball of your foot with your leg slightly bent. Your foot should land in the same spot on every pitch and be positioned a few inches to the glove hand side of your back foot. This will ensure that you get the full benefit of the hip rotation.
The arm should follow through naturally across your body and the back leg should come forward and land parallel to your lead foot. This will put you in a good position to field your position.
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