Teaching Lower Body Baseball Pitching Mechanics

It's been my experience with teaching and learning baseball pitching mechanics that the upper half is much harder to change than the lower half. In other words, once a kid has established his throwing motion, it can be VERY difficult to change those habits.

Therefore, when working with pitchers, focus on that lower half first. Good lower body movement often "self corrects" poor upper body movement!

Do you have any tips on teaching pitching mechanics?

A Simple Trick To Check Your Pitching Stride Length In Games

Was watching the Boston Red Sox host the Detroit Tigers tonight at Fenway. Thought it was interesting that the first thing Red Sox starter Brad Penny did when he got on the mound (before taking his warm-up pitches) was to measure out a distance in front of the rubber with his cleats where he wanted his stride to be -- and then mark it off with a line in the dirt.

I used to do this, too, when I pitched. I liked how it gave me a visual aid to shoot for with my stride. And it allowed me to check my stride length and where my foot was landing from time to time as the game progressed.

Perhaps something to consider doing the next time you pitch.

How Pitchers Can Easily Improve Control

I want to address the physical side of a pitcher's ability to improve control and throw strikes more consistently. And it starts with form. As a pitcher, you must strive to be as consistent as possible in throwing each pitch the same way. If you are consistent about this, it makes it much easier to make adjustments when you're wild because you can "zero in" on the target.

A pitching coach once explained it to me this way: It's like a sharpshooter. If he is consistently missing his mark high, he simply lowers his sights. If he's consistently missing right or left, he adjusts to the other side. But if the sharpshooter is not holding his rifle the same way -- in other words, he holds it at his shoulder one time, and at his waist another time -- he will not be able to zero in on the target. So his actions must be consistent to adjust his sights and line of target.

The same is true of a wild baseball pitcher. If your pitching motion is the same on each pitch, it's a lot easier to make small adjustments and find that strike zone again. Consistency of your pitching mechanics is the key to consistency in throwing strikes and improving control.

Proper Pitching Mechanics And Techniques

To aid baseball pitching coaches or pitching instructors in organizing their pitching instruction more effectively, here is a checklist of important techniques to stress when teaching proper pitching mechanics, form and delivery.

1. The pitcher should throw all of his pitches from the same angle.

2. The pitcher should not be forced into a delivery that is unnatural to him.

3. The pitcher must avoid idiosyncrasies that will "tip" his pitches. The ball should be held well up in the web of the pitchers glove, or if necessary, the pitcher should windup with the ball in the glove.

4. The pitcher must vary his time to the plate (the amount of time he holds the ball once he comes set) with runners on base.

5. It's generally a good idea to keep the eyes fixed on the pitching target throughout the entire delivery. This simple pitching technique can improve control.

6. The pitching arm should thrust down with the back of the hand up, as the pitcher drives down to pitch.

7. Hip action is one of the most important aspects to be stressed in the delivery. The timing mechanism is hips open first, then the shoulders which deliver the arm to fire the baseball.

8. The back should be bent and loose in the delivery.

9. The leg kick and stride should not be exaggerated.

10. The follow-through should be a natural culmination of total form and delivery.

11. The hand and wrist action should be loose and flexible.

12. The stride leg should land on the ball of the foot, on or across the center line.

13. The pitcher must practice to find his proper release point and keep it consistently.

14. The ball should be gripped loosely but firmly in the fingers. The ball should not be choked back in the palm of the hand, which inhibits wrist action and pop on the fastball (i.e., pitching velocity).

15. The grip should be selected bearing in mind the pitcher's best pitch and pitching style.

Pitching Control: What To Do If You're Consistently Missing The Strike Zone Inside Or Outside

Many young baseball pitchers have trouble throwing good, consistent strikes. Some of this is strength (or, more specifically, a lack of overall body strength and balance), but most of the time control problems can be attributed to having inconsistent pitching mechanics. In other words, many young baseball pitchers haven't developed a repeatable pitching delivery, which is necessary to throw quality strikes with good control.

If you're consistently missing the strike zone inside or outside with your pitches, I encourage you to get out the video camera and see where your head is.

Most pitchers who miss consistently in and out do so because they don't control the movements of their head. Your head controls the flight of the ball horizontally. Even if your front side is flying open, or if another mechanical problem prohibits good balance, keeping your head still and on target will almost always help.

Pitching Mechanics: Pitching Out Of The Stretch With Runners On Base

In yesterday's post, I talked about the timing differences between the full wind-up and the stretch. You may want to read that first before reading today's pitching article. Today I want to address one of my favorite topics as a former closing pitcher: pitching with runners on base.

When using the stretch, you usually have men on base. You're holding a runner. And a runner usually brings a few more obstacles into the situation.

Remember, the whole point of "the stretch," entering the delivery at "3-and-a-half," is to limit the amount of time that base runner we assume is on base has to decide if he committed to moving. In the stretch, you are acknowledging that you have a runner there. You probably even look at the runner, make eye contact. You let him know you see him. You hold the ball longer. And, by throwing from the stretch, you try to interrupt his notion of stealing second base.

Pitching With Runners On Second Base

Now, when the runner is on second, there's a little bit of a different game going on there. Good players love to try to pick up pitch signals between the pitcher and catcher. That runner at second base will try to relay what kind of pitch might becoming to the hitter.

The runner on second might also try to look into the pitcher's glove, to see how the pitcher's throwing hand is holding the seams on the baseball (because the seams are an important factor in how a pitch is thrown). Knowing the guy on second is looking in, I'll sometimes used to split my fingers like I'm throwing a forkball, but then I'll change them over to across the seams for a fastball right before kicking my leg up with an abbreviated leg kick and delivering the ball to the plate -- busting the batter inside with a four-seam fastball.

Doing that once or twice usually calls off the jam. The batter goes into the dugout and says, "All bets are off." That's what you have to do, especially with good hitters.

And the runner on second doesn't just relay pitches, he can also pass along advance warning about pitch location. The runner can catch where the catcher sets up. But that's where your smart catcher comes in, playing with the head of that base runner.

Teaching Pitching: Timing The Full Wind Up And The Stretch

Today, you see relievers come in and throw from the stretch all the time, even with no runners on base. Perhaps you do that. I did in pro ball when I went from being a starter to a closer.

I can't tell you the name of the first guy to do that, to throw from the stretch without runners on base, but my guess is the guy who made it catch on probably played in the late 1970s. It was in that era that relief pitchers started to become more and more essential to big league play and started developing their own "sub-species of reliever" called a "closer." These pitchers grew comfortable pitching from the stretch because they had normally inherited runners on base and just did it that way. They never had the luxury of the full wind-up.

But, really, the difference between taking your drop step and making your turn from the wind-up is just all timing. It's a timing mechanism.

Remember, there are six stages of pitching mechanics. Your "1-2-3" stages are all your opening timing mechanism. You get into the slot, you make a good turn, you keep your shoulder closed... and your "4-5-6" stages are your explosion. That's where you fire the ball to the plate. That's basically how a pitcher counts it. The first "1-2-3" is calmly counted, the "4-5-6" just explodes out.

When you go to the stretch, however, the timing of the delivery is different. It's now not "1-2-3-4-5-6." It's "3-and-a-half," if you will. You start at 3-and-a-half. Your leg comes up, the ball comes out, and then you explode to the plate.

Submarine Pitching Mechanics: How To Throw Submarine Pitches

A good submarine pitcher can be a hitter's worst nightmare. With a deceptive delivery and deceiving movement, a submariner can have an advantage over a typical over-the-top pitcher. However, there are several things to keep in mind when learning how to throw submarine, as well as some pointers that current submarine pitchers can learn from.

First off, you may want to find a pitching coach who specializes in submarine pitching. The mechanics for throwing submarine are unique, and it takes a certain coach to understand these mechanics. A good submarine coach can be hard to find, but very valuable for a submarine pitcher in training.

If you look at many of the submariners, there really isn’t a lot of difference in their mechanics from a regular pitcher other than the extreme shoulder tilt. The arm still operates a similar fashion as the same mechanics still apply to the shoulder and elbow. The arm circle should still be applied and you will see a similar layback of the forearm into maximum external rotation.

The main key to avoid arm problems as a submarine pitcher is to finish with a pronated  hand position and follow through to your opposite hip like you normally would so that the stress on the elbow is relieved. At the same time, remember to keep your fingers on top of the ball, otherwise you will be throwing uphill and hitters love that.

You may ask yourself, "Is throwing submarine a joke or gimmick"? The answer to that is "no". Many scouts love a good submarine pitcher who has good command and movement. There have been multiple professional submarine pitchers who found success, usually as a closer. Of course, if a scout is looking for a starter who throws heat, you may be out of luck. But if you are a good submariner with great command and off speed, scouts will notice and will consider you a prospect.

When deciding whether to throw submarine or overhand, consider these pros and cons:

Submarine Pros: Easier to get movement, deceptive to hitters, easy to keep the ball low.
Overhand Pros: Greater velocity, easier to find instruction, better potential to be a starter.

Submarine Cons: Slower velocity, harder to find instruction, can limit off speed options.
Overhand Cons: Batters are used to it, more competition in the "next level".

The main thing when deciding to throw submarine is if you are comfortable with it, and it is effective for you. If you are looking for a good submariner to watch, check out Chad Bradford.

This baseball pitching article by Jeff Moree for StevenEllis.com.

Which Side Of The Rubber Should Pitchers Stand On?

If all things are equal and the pitcher can command the fastball in the zone, then the LHP should pitch on the left side and the RHP should pitch on the right side.  Keeping the arm side closer to the arm-side hitter is certainly advantageous.  However, if the pitcher with sink or run to his arm-side, it would then make sense to switch sides in order to catch more plate.  This change can affect the breaking ball at first, but over time, the pitcher should make adjustments on where to start and finish the breaker.

How To Help Pitchers Develop Repeatable Pitching Mechanics

In yesterday's blog, I mentioned a coaching strategy I often use to continually bring the pitcher back to his fastball to re-establish his timing and confidence after working on other pitches in a bullpen setting.

Along with that, I think it is important to share another coaching strategy in the bullpen that is just as simple and just as effective.

When a pitcher throws 3 pitches, 2 of them will tend to match. In other words, his mechanics will usually repeat themselves 2 of 3 times.

Being patient and letting the pitcher self-correct is critically important in a bullpen atmosphere, and holding off with instructional cues until trends start to become evident will help.

It is also helpful to remember that the bullpen is not an opportunity to showcase our knowledge about pitching, but it is an opportunity for a pitcher to develop a better feel and to walk away feeling like they made their own discoveries. Our job, as coaches, is to lead them to this. If they can self-correct, without us saying a word, we have done our job.