What To Think About To Be Successful At Baseball Pitching

Here are 17 positive thoughts of top pitchers I played with and now coach:

1. - I am not intimidated by any hitter.
2. - I am determined to dominate this hitter, this game.
3. - I will throw each pitch to the very best of my ability.
4. - I am going to keep the batter off guard by throwing her what she least expects.
5. - The batter doesn’t have a chance to drive the ball off me.
6. - If a batter beats me once, she will not get the same chance again.
7. - I will learn from my mistakes and not make the same mistake twice.
8. - I will get the batter to swing at bad pitches by staying confident and consistent.
9. - I am going to use my best pitch TODAY for my strike pitch.
10. - I will pitch to the umpire’s strike zone.
11. - I will study, watch and talk with other pitchers.
12. - If I am not playing in the game, I will chart and study the hitters.
13. - I will accept criticism as a positive aspect, as a way of improving my overall game.
14. - I will trust my catcher and work with her to get each batter.
15. - I will block out the crowd and focus all my attention on pitching and playing the game.
16. - I will be up for every team and not take any team lightly.
17. - I will do what is best for my team and lead by example.

 

Are Pitchers From The South More Aggressive Than Pitchers From The North?

Social psychologists who want to learn more about aggression may want to head to their local baseball diamonds this summer.

According to a study in the May Journal of Applied Psychology (Vol. 92, No. 3), Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers hit batters more often in situations that allow them to restore justice—in retaliation for a teammate being hit, for example. That may not be surprising to baseball fans, but a deeper analysis of these hit-by-pitch events, alongside personal characteristics of the pitcher and batter, such as race and birthplace, reveal trends that may make these events even easier to predict, says the study's author, Thomas A. Timmerman, PhD, associate professor of business management at Tennessee Technological University.

A better understanding of pitchers' motivations may help the league reduce hit-by-pitch events, which numbered more than 1,800 in 2006, he says.

Timmerman looked at MLB data on the 27,667 hit-by-pitch events that took place from 1960 to 2004. He found that pitchers were most likely to hit batters when the batter had hit a home run during their last at-bat, when the previous batter had hit a home run and when a pitch in the previous half-inning hit the pitcher's teammate.

Yet, at the regional level,Timmerman also found that, in all three of these situations, white pitchers born in states typically defined as Southern by the U.S. Census were 40 percent more likely to hit a batter than non-Southerners. This trend may be due to a Southern inclination to act aggressively when their honor is challenged, he says. Timmerman recommends that the league penalize any pitcher who hits a batter—intentionally or not.

Most importantly, says Timmerman, the study may help psychologists understand the intricacies of aggression theories.

"You have to look at the situation, the aggressor and the target, all at the same time, or else you'll find nothing," he says. "It really shows the complexity of studying aggression."

The Mechanical And Mental Adjustments You Need To Make When Pitching Inside

Want to be an effective pitcher? You've got to throw inside. You've got to move hitters off the plate. And, most importantly, you've got to be comfortable and fearless when doing it.

More and more hitters are diving over the plate to reach the outside pitch.  Inside can become a real weapon by setting up other pitches.  For example, off-speed pitches away, or fastballs up or away.  The one bad part is you have little room for error.  Pitching inside is a comfort level that few pitchers possess. The reason why it is hard to hit the spot in is the combination of mechanics and confidence.  Pitchers seem to want to open their front side up early so that the ball will go inside.  Pitchers will also drop their elbow resulting in pushing the ball, instead of throwing the ball, especially to right handed pitchers to righty hitters.  Same thing with left handed pitchers to left handed hitters.  Getting around these mechanical flaws is achievable. 

First get comfortable with throwing inside to a lefty, if you are a righty pitcher or a lefty throwing inside to a righty hitter.  Even if you have to start by throwing breaking balls.  Throw curves inside, then sliders, then hard cutters.  These pitches are very effective.  Many lefties make a living on burying the cutters and fastballs in on the hands of right handed hitters.  It is very tough for a ball to "get away" if you are pitching to the opposite counterpart, because you are keeping your mechanics consistent. To get over pitching inside to a righty hitter if you are a righty pitcher, and so forth for a lefty, I would not abandon the same rules as above.  You can start by pitching hard cutters in.  Up underneath the batters hands is effective. 

Secondly, throw that sinker over the plate, and have it ride down and in.  For the most part, I would keep  away from throwing the straight 4 seam fastball inside.  That's when the hitter can really turn on that pitch.  If the ball has good action, it will keep riding in right off the hands. 

I love the outside pitch, it still is a hard pitch to really get good solid Ask.  But if you pitch one to a leaner he can really gap one in the outfield.  Try to through the inside sinker or cutter when ahead in the count.  If you fall behind, the hitter is looking for a pitch to turn on, to pull.  That inside pitch may be smoked.  That's when you throw outside and/or down.  When you are ahead in the count, he will be on the lookout for something off-speed.  Therefore leaving the inside part of the plate very vulnerable.  Another time in the order is early in the count, so in the back of his mind is that inside fastball, making breaking balls and the outside corner pitch that much more effective.  With those two things said the 0-1 count comes to mind.  Early in the count so that it may come again and ahead in the count so because he may be looking for something off speed.  Plus if you miss in, you can go away for the possible 1-2 count.  Then he's yours.  Better yet, if you hit that 0-1 pitch with a strike he's yours again!  Set's up for anything. 

The inside pitch is effective when the confidence is there and when ahead in the count.

Where Pitching Confidence Comes From

Here's a great article on the mental side of pitching: "It's just seeing what you want and letting your body take over and do it." This guy doesn't light the gun up, but instead relies on a "deep conviction and confidence in all his pitches." I thought that "conviction in your pitches" was interesting and effective terminology. What are your thoughts on whether this 'conviction' is innate and instinctive or can be taught as a normal response to the stresses of pitching?

Read complete article here.
Post your comments here.

(Thanks, Mark Collins, for sending this link!)

Why Young Baseball Pitchers Should Learn Changeups Before Curveballs

In a previous post, I suggested that after mastering the fastball (in terms of command and velocity), the next pitch a young pitcher should learn is a changeup. There are a couple reasons that a changeup is superior to a breaking pitch.

First, a changeup puts very little strain on the arm as compared to a curve or slider. The key to a good changeup is the grip. If the ball is 15 mph slower than a regular fastball, it doesn't need to move much as the difference in velocity is likely enough to throw off a hitter.

Second, learning to change speeds is a trait that any successful pitcher needs to learn. As pitchers progress into higher levels of competition, they need to be able to differentiate the velocity of their pitches. Even in the majors, a guy can't go out to the mound and throw 99 mph for long before hitters start timing the pitches and hitting them. Many talented college and minor league pitchers struggle with changing speeds. Starting at an early age gives the pitcher an advantage over someone who continues to rely on their fastball. Then, once a pitcher becomes versed in changing speeds with a fastball/changeup repertoire, integrating a breaking pitch into the equation isn't too difficult.

Lastly, starting with a changeup also gets the pitch in the mindset of getting batters out with velocity changes, not movement changes. Changeups also help keep pitching mechanics in order as the pitcher follows the same routine as the do with their fastball, only changing the grip to reduce velocity.

Work on it!

Guess What? Mound Height Directly Relates To Pitching Arm Stress

This study substantiates some of my thoughts about flat ground versus mound work, especially for some of the 10 and 12 year olds I work with.

A new study by the Medical College of Wisconsin, led by Milwaukee Brewers team physician William Raasch, concludes that the height of the pitching mound can affect a pitcher's throwing-arm motion. And the higher the mound (it was 15 inches high until 1968), the more stress there is. That increased stress can also make it hard for the pitcher to replicate the pitch and increase the potential for injury.

"They are using their body to accelerate the arm and the ball, so the body has to generate certain forces to hold things in place, whether that is a ligament or a muscle," Raasch said. "These things are generating counter force."

Read full article here

(Thanks, Mark Collins, for forwarding this study.)

All About Rotational Pitching Mechanics

There is an alarming national trend among young baseball players. Parents are bringing their children into the sports-medicine clinic and inquiring about procedures such as Tommy John surgery. This is unacceptable.

Injuries in younger pitchers are much different than those observed in professional pitchers. This observation led us to believe that the pitching mechanics are also likely to be different. The Biomechanics Research Laboratory has published several papers on the pitching mechanics of Little Leaguers, and in conjunction with our professional pitching database, we were able to compare throwing patterns of developing young pitchers to successful mature pitchers. Although significant differences do exist, there are many more similarities.

Comparative Speeds

Little Leaguers only throw about 50-65 mph fastballs. However, given the shorter distance from home plate to the pitcher's mound, this translates into a professional-pitch-velocity equivalent of 80-95 mph to the batter. Our research has also shown that Little League pitchers actually execute the pitch sequence in a similar manner, with major differences from the pros being partly attributed to height, weight, and physical strength.

Why are the injuries patterns so different? This is likely due to the physical strength and the skeletal maturity of the athletes. As we mature, the tissues become more rigid and able to withstand higher forces. Young players (as early as 13 years old) need to have proper techniques taught to them. These kids are already developing pitching mechanics that they will carry into adolescence and adulthood. Also, the unique aspects of the developing skeleton make their bodies more susceptible to a variety of injuries not commonly seen in adult pitchers.

One such injury is Little League elbow, in which the force applied to the upper arm during the pitch could play a role in these athletes during puberty and in the increase in injuries seen in the throwing arms of professional pitchers. Although these injuries may be due to the musculoskeletal changes occurring during growth, they may also be, at least in part, due to pitching techniques. Since the trunk can be utilized to create enormous power and increased ball speed, it may be that the differences we observed in trunk motions between the youth and professional baseball pitchers also may explain the differences in patterns of injuries between these two groups.

Trunk Rotation - (Rotational Pitching Mechanics)

The Steadman-Hawkins team investigated the rotation of the trunk during the pitching motion between youth and professional pitchers. The peak rotational velocities of both the upper trunk and pelvis were greater in youth baseball pitchers than in professional pitchers. Youth baseball pitchers control their trunk motion in a less efficient way than elite pitchers. Peak pelvis-rotation velocity occurred near the time of stride-foot contact in the professionals, while it occurred much later in the youth pitchers. Proper timing of pelvis and upper trunk rotation are necessary to effectively transfer energy from the trunk to the throwing arm. Therefore, increased trunk rotation speed may be a compensation for improper timing of segment rotations or insufficient muscle strength in youth pitchers. Improper energy transfer from the trunk to the upper extremity may lead to the increased shoulder internal rotation and elbow-extension velocities in youth pitchers compared to the professionals.

Easier to Correct Mechanics at a Young Age

Understanding injury mechanisms in this group is fundamentally important, but what we really want to do is utilize this information to make evidence-based recommendations for youth-league coaches about safe pitching techniques and limits, a true grass roots effort to reduce injuries in these kids. We now believe that many injuries experienced by the professional pitcher may be related to pitching mechanics that are promoted at a young age. And it is much easier to teach correct mechanics to a young pitcher than attempt to retrain a seasoned professional pitcher.

Dr. Torry is the Director of the Biomechanics Research Laboratory at the Steadman-Hawkins Research Foundation in Vail, Colorado. Dr. Shelborne is Senior Staff Scientist. The article below was adapted with permission from Dr. Torry, Dr. Shelburne, and the Steadman-Hawkins Research Foundation.