Sidearm pitching mechanics: What scouts look for?

Click the picture above to see an animated version of Chad Bradford's sidearm pitching mechanics in a pop-up window.

Quick, name as many sidearm pitchers in the big leagues as you can....

How many did you come up with?

Probably not more than a dozen. There's good reason for that: There aren't many sidearm pitchers in the big leagues.

Sidearm pitching places an incredible amount of strain on the throwing shoulder and elbow. And sidearmers tend to have flat and ineffective off-speed pitches.

Are there exceptions? You bet. But most of the sidearm pitchers you see in the big leagues today didn't start out throwing that way. In fact, most modern sidearm pitchers got to the big leagues throwing over the top.

That's because most professional scouts and college coaches usually pass on sidearm pitchers. The risk of injury is too great, and no scout or coach wants to select a pitcher who throws with a high risk of injury. It makes them look bad if their player recommendations wind up on the disabled list.

Instead, most pro scouts and college coaches look for pitchers who throw with quality overhand pitching mechanics -- mechanics that'll hold up throughout a long baseball season.

Using good overhand pitching mechanics will give you a better shot at making it to college and pro ball than throwing sidearm. I'd make the switch to overhand mechanics as soon as possible if it was my kid throwing sidearm.

Comments

[wrgterh]

im 13 and i can almost hit 70mph throwing at a 4 oclock angle. i want to know if it is true that throwing overhand will increase your fastball speed. because right now i am one of the faster pitchers in my league i can also throw a nasty curveball, a sick knuckle, 2 seem and 4 seem

[Chace]

i am 12yrs old, turning 13 in a couple months, ive been throwing at a 3 o clock angle for about 3 years. (im right handed) and ive been told numerous times i have alot of movement in all my pitches, i have great control for my age and i throw around 62-65, i am 5ft 4 (if it matters) and i weight 115lbs. when i first started throwing sidearm, people thought i was being lazy/joking around, but i havent heard anything like that for a while. my fastball is my best pitch, with my curve close behing, i was wondering if there are more affective pitches for side arm, but recently, i was kidding at a game with some friends when i found i could throw 5 o clock i need a little speed, but i think i could gain speed if i practice more. its around 50 right now. also if there any succesful sidearm pitchers that throw fsst out here, what excersises do you do for your arm and how you hold the ball. i know thus message was long, and i thank you for reading it.

[Andrew Harnage]

I am 18 years old from north carolina. Just commited to UNC-W to pitch. I have been throwing submarine for 4 years. I have never had 1 injury from throwing this way. It is all in how the person was taught and the right mechanics to reduse the risk of injury. I throw a 75 mph fastball. my slider in not flat at all it moves about 10 inchs. THis year i have already 27 K's in 17 innings pitched and a .81 ERA. I would recommend throwing this to anyone who knows someone who can teach you the right way to throw sidearm/sub. Thats how most injurys occure weather it is over hand or sidearm, from your mechanics.

[Kent Wallace]

To say that college coaches and pro scouts are not interested in sidearm pitchers is ridiculous. I have college coaches all the time ask if I have anyone that throws from an unusual arm angel (sidearm or submarine). If you do not throw consistently in the low to mid 80s (minimum) than you need to provide something else to throw hitters off. There's no proof that throwing from these arm angles creates anymore stress than over the top. In fact, not as much stress is put on the shoulder as throwing over the top. I see a lot of young pitchers struggle to attain the shoulder strength to throw over the top and some, in my opinion, are just not made to do so. As a former professional pitcher of 11 years, I have seen many succeed with this type of delivery and have not heard of any more injuries than those that throw overhand. Too many pitching "experts" buy into heresay that throwing this way is risky...Don't trash it unless you have tried it yourself.

[benny rodriguez]

Im about 5'6 134 pounds I trow side hard since I started playin ball around 10 years old im 17 now and I trow around the 82 83 with a lot of movement. Always use my explosive wrisk..

[benny rodriguez]

Im about 5'6 134 pounds I trow side hard since I started playin ball around 10 years old im 17 now and I trow around the 82 83 with a lot of movement. Always use my explosive wrisk..

[John K]

I don't completely buy into the fact that a sidearm delivery is any more tough on the arm and more prone to injury. It's just different and not a lot of pitchers are comfortable with the unorthodox delivery. That's why you don't see a lot of submarine pitchers. Two of the most durable relievers in the 70's and 80's were Kent Tekulve and Gene Garber, who both had bizarre, sidewinding submarine delivery motions. Both were almost entirely free of injuries during their long respective careers.

[cody richardson]

i also agree with your believes on sidearm/submarine pitchers. I am also a submarine pitcher, i have been basing my mechanics off of chad bradford. i have had a lot of sucess throwing this way. i only top out at about 73 but have a very good change up and a sub par slider and my new fasination has been a submarine knuckleball.

[Sam Fanara]

Just recently, about two years ago my pitching instructor switched me to submarine. I threw pretty hard but I just couldn't located going over the top so he thought I should try it. Well it worked, and I started to throw submarine. And about three weeks ago my coach decided that I didn't quiet have the consistency he was wanting. He decided to change my mechanics and now he is wanting me to throw more like Bradford. This Monday was the first time I really got to try it out, before we were just looking at his mechanics compared to mine and I found that with Bradford's mechanics I could get quiet a bit more zip on the ball than I previously could. I only threw a few pitches but from what I saw they were more consistent and were faster.

[John Longstreet]

I'm a 15 year old, about 5'6,left handed.Should/Can i start throwing side arm?
i throw at a 9 o clock direction

[Cy Dahmer]

I am also a D1 submariner at a major university in the southern part of the country. I TOP OUT at 84 mph with my average being 81-82. As a freshman I threw 3 hitless innings at Georgia, 2 hitless innings at Kentucky and 2 hitless innings at home against Clemson. It is very possible to do well at the high college ranks with a sub par fastball if you can master this arm angle. I was given my scholarship based on the fact that I throw a way that hitters are not customed to seeing.

[Cory Sudbrook]

Also, most modern sidearm and submarine pitchers (Chad Bradford) got to the majors BECAUSE they threw from a differnt and funky arm angle. Bradford throws no harder then 78 mph and he would have had no shot to make it to the show throwing that hard over the top with the typical carbon copie pitching mechanics you speak of. The tall lanky right handers that throw 90 should continue to throw over the top, BUT I PERSONALLY recommend that if you have a below average college fastball, lower your arm angle, get more movement, and become a rarity in baseball, a sidearmer who throws strikes and gets people out. Thats what gets coaches attention. Thank you for your time....Cory Sudbrook #8 St. Bonaventure University

[Cory Sudbrook]

I take exception to your statement of there not being many sidearmers at the College and Big League Level. The reason they are not many is because it is an extremely hard arm angle to master. It took me four years to develop into a sidearm pitcher. I now pitch Division 1 Baseball with nothing more then a 80 mph fastball and a slider. My slider is my out pitch and I throw it 85% of the time. Hitters do not see a sidearm slider very often, therefore it is a very uncomfortable at bat for them and I lead my team with a .240 batting average against at the Division 1 Level last year as a soph. There is nothing flat about a sidearm breaking pitch or a sidearm fastball; the lower your arm angle drops the more movement you get on your pitches, you obviously have not had much success with sidearm pitchers in your years, but your statement of coaches looking for typical over the head arm motion that is completely false at the College Level, it is true however of Scouts because they want the 6'4 Right hander that throws 92 mph. I