Things Baseball via Clyde

PITCHING

a) Throw only from the stretch (none of that rocking stuff.  There are coaches who try to teach it but the full wind up adds nothing at the LL level and only adds needless complexity)
b) Relax the shoulders and breathe. If the shoulders are “held tight” and the kid is not breathing normally it is an indication that they will be trying to “aim” the pitch. The result is a loss in velocity and usually a bad pitch.
c) Focus on the target. The target I use is a point a few inches in front of the batter’s top hand. LL pitchers almost always hang on to the ball for a split second too long which means “low and outside” when the ball reaches the plate. The catcher’s glove is a poor target because it is generally at or just above the batter’s knee. If the pitcher aims for the glove the result will be a lot of passed balls and walks.
d) “Drop” rather than “pull” the ball from the glove. The throwing hand should be palm down as the throwing arm is drawn back.
e) The throwing arm should be relaxed as it is extended fully in preparation for the pitch. “Short arming” (holding the arm in a “cocked” position) prior to the pitch decreases velocity and diminishes accuracy.
f) Throw past the ear. The purpose of this instruction is to keep the throwing hand moving overhand rather than sidearm. If the throwing hand comes from too far outside of the shoulder the result will be an outside pitch.
g) Point the throwing hand fingers at the target on release. This one is a real key to throwing accuracy.
h) Point your toe at the plate. This goes along with “point your fingers” and “throw past the ear” in establishing the frame in which the pitcher should be working.
i) Throw past the catcher, not to the catcher. Pretend that the catcher has his back against the backstop and throw hard enough to reach the backstop.

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Let’s start with Pitching:
Pitching is formalized throwing. Learning to pitch is good for everyone even if you don’t actually take the mound that often.  Here is a great Pitching lesson & with it you will find I’m plonking you down into an amazing website which is an amazing resource of information.

http://littleleaguecoach.org/home.aspx?article=229

If you need help registering contact me.

For now, check out the pitching video first – and with that video please note that at our beginner level I am not teaching the first “windup” steps.  I’m teaching “from the stretch” which at this level is more simple and virtually as effective.  I find the other additional motions only serve to confuse & complicate without adding any accuracy or velocity.   So just start the lesson with the foot already turned and against the rubber.  All else is the same.

If this is a parent reading, please share the video with your player, too.  It’s for both of you

And earlier today I sent out the distance from the mound to the plate: 46 feet or about 15-1/2 paces.

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http://bleacherreport.com/articles/540366-power-ranking-the-100-best-players-in-mlb-history/page/5