Help, please.

[craig3410]

I am a lefthander that, when it comes to playing baseball, stinks at just about everything but keeping the bench warm. (I swear, I have trouble catching fly balls). I still want to try out for the highschool team, even if all I do is watch the game. But, after practicing for about 2 years or so, I've noticed that I stink the least at pitching. What are some good, easy-to-throw, basic pitches that I should work on?

[The Mick]

As a guy who played catcher for 8 years I can only offer the following advice:

#1 Work on control before you work on speed.
#2 Get someone who has pitching experience to show you how to use the "mechanics" of your body (holding the ball properly, winding up properly, placing the ball in the strike zone)
#3 If you can, practice with one of those "spring-net" pitching stands that "sends the ball back to you.
#4 As far as pitches? Maybe a basic fastball to start - for accuracy. Then, maybe a change-up or simple slider BUT NO CURVES (if you are young) - It will tear up your arm if not done properly.
#5 Have someone "stand in" the batter's box whenever possible (Pitching over an empty plate when no one is standing there doesn't help much with your accuracy or placement.)
#6 Practice-Practice-Practice!!!

Good luck and also remember to HAVE fun. My son's a hockey goalie and he plays and works so hard he forgets it's "a game"!

[craig3410]

Thanks. I'm 17 and my fastball only goes about 70-75 MPH. I'll work on that first.

[hammy]

I coach at the HS level, and if you are a LHP that can throw 70-75 mph, you're off to a good start!

Everything Mick said is 100% correct (IMO), especially not worrying about a curveball. Fastball, cut fastball, and change are plenty. Here's a few drills that will help you as well.

1) Long Toss with the focus on accuracy. Stand about 90 ft. from your partner, and long toss using proper pitching mechanics with the goal to hit your partner's glove. Don't throw hard, just long toss. Gradually move in until you are at 60'6''.

2) Softball Toss - sounds weird, but it works! Pitch from 60'6" using a softball instead of a baseball for about 15-20 pitches. Don't throw at full velocity, throw as if you were warming up to start an inning. The softball has the same effect on a pitcher that a weighted bat has for a hitter....the baseball will feel like a tennis ball when you switch over, plus it is darn near impossible to throw a softball 60'6'' for a strike without using perfect mechanics.

3) You're a lefty.....develop a strong pickoff move. You will have a god-given advantage in trying out for your team if you show your ability in this area. I once kept a kid on varsity who was not one of my best pitchers because he had a great pickoff move, and he won a game for us with that skill.

[kelo80]

Great tips!!
Im 16 and I play with my college baseball team, Im right hander and throw about 80-85 mph, I was looking towards a mlb career but I think Im past my prime because I dont play baseball too often, I miss many games with my team, I think Im still hopeful because I watched that "the rookie" movie, Im too lazy to have a career like that . Ive thrown curve since I was 12 and there hasnt been a problem with me. I tried the softball thing and it works very good.
Thanx for the tips!

[BattN A 1000]

Craig, there are 3 things to becoming a good left handed player

1. Practice

2. Practice

3. Practice

By following these 3 simple steps you will indeed get better.

Lots of Luck
BattN A 1000 =0)

[#51_#42_#12]

Originally posted by The Mick
#4 As far as pitches? Maybe a basic fastball to start - for accuracy. Then, maybe a change-up or simple slider BUT NO CURVES (if you are young) - It will tear up your arm if not done properly.

Forgive me if I'm wrong but doesn't the Slider mess up your arm more than a curve?

[Ravenlord]

Originally posted by #51_#42_#12
Forgive me if I'm wrong but doesn't the Slider mess up your arm more than a curve?

depends entirly on your mechanics. but in general yes.

[#51_#42_#12]

and I could also use some help,

I am also a lefty pitcher
I'll list my pitches and the problems I'm having with them,

4 Seam Fastball- It doesn't have a lot of movement, and I don't throw hard enough to make up for that, and theres controll problems

Sinker- I usually dont have problems keeping this down, however I do have trouble keeping nearby the plate

Splitter- very slow, I think its breaking to soon, and I have a lot of controll problems with it

Curve- I seem to be very streaky with this, there are times when it has a ton of movement and is right aroung the s-zone, but it also has a tendancy to hang, and I overthrow it a lot

Cutter- I just learned how to throw this and have only attempted about 10 times, about 5 times it had about no movement or velocity, about 4 times it had decent velocity and it had some movement, but it wasn't a sharp break like its supposed to be, and just once have I thrown what I belive to be very good one, It had a relativly high amount of velocity(compared to what I normally throw), and had a very sharp, small break on a 45 degree angle.

Overall I have a lot of of contoll problems and not a high velocity.
Could anyone direct me to a website or something that could help show me some better mechanics to use?

[DennisDubay]

My first post here. Hopefully, don't make a fool outta myself from the get-go.

One thing that is overlooked, I think, is breathing. I know, sounds stupid. But, it's easy to do, as a pitcher. Your up there, everyone staring ya down. Take a second, suck in that fresh cut grass, and just think about how great it is to be throwing that little white ball around. Clears your mind, focuses you on your task at hand.


Dennis

[Ravenlord]

Originally posted by #51_#42_#12
and I could also use some help,

I am also a lefty pitcher
I'll list my pitches and the problems I'm having with them,

overall it sounds mainly like you're not finishing your pitchers. in other words, it sounds like you're not bending your body as you release. it could also be a mechanical flaw. if you can, try filming yourself throwing from a few different angles.

4 Seam Fastball- It doesn't have a lot of movement, and I don't throw hard enough to make up for that, and theres controll problems

i can't throw one of these either. you may be like me and it's simply because you're hand is too small. i gave it up and just use a 2-seam fastball (whihc adds velocity). it could also be that your holding the ball back into your fingers, rather than letting it roll off of your fingertips.

Sinker- I usually dont have problems keeping this down, however I do have trouble keeping nearby the plate

that's mainly a release point issue. just keep throwing it (especially with someone watching or on camera) and find what works and emulate that. do you have trouble throwing it wide or short?

Splitter- very slow, I think its breaking to soon, and I have a lot of controll problems with it

sounds more like a forkball. when it breaks, does it hit in front of the plate most of the time? if it's not, and it's hitting on the plate or just behind it, that's exactlly what you want. the best way to work on it is the same thing as i said with the sinker. also, if you keep throwing it off to one side consistantly, move to the otherside of the rubber or aim on the otherside of the plate to compensate. also, how do you grip it?

Curve- I seem to be very streaky with this, there are times when it has a ton of movement and is right aroung the s-zone, but it also has a tendancy to hang, and I overthrow it a lot

same as the sinker. having someone watch and figure out the release point, or film is probably the best route on that one. how do you grip your curve?

Cutter- I just learned how to throw this and have only attempted about 10 times, about 5 times it had about no movement or velocity, about 4 times it had decent velocity and it had some movement, but it wasn't a sharp break like its supposed to be, and just once have I thrown what I belive to be very good one, It had a relativly high amount of velocity(compared to what I normally throw), and had a very sharp, small break on a 45 degree angle.

sounds like you mainly just need to get used to it.

Overall I have a lot of of contoll problems and not a high velocity.
Could anyone direct me to a website or something that could help show me some better mechanics to use?

this one i can help with very much: http://www.eteamz.com/baseball/instr...fm?m=1,2,3,4,5

you may also want to try developing a change up. it's getting so that more systems are requiring their pitchers to develop a change while in the minor leagues. thing is, you have to figure out how to do it without slowiing down your arm motion because that's real easy to pick up on. Chris Hammond changes speed on his but not pushing off the mound as hard, but i don't know how he does it succesfully. palm balls and circle-changes are the two best solutions out there for most people.

[NextBravo29]

It sounds to me like you guys are missing the point. You are both HIGH SCHOOL pitchers. Most professional pitchers do not throw as many pitches as you guys have listed. You have to remember quality over quantity. Being able to throw 5 pitches does not mean a thing if you dont have one that works. To me before you worry about any other pitch u should be able to locate your fastball. After that is accomplished learn to locate your change-up. After those 2 are mastered and only after that maybe learn a curve. Notice i say LEARN to throw a curve. Dont just go out and throw what u think is a curve because there is a very good chance u will do it wrong and mess something up. Even if u dont mess your arm up you will get into bad habbits that will be hard to get out of when someone does try to teach u the proper way to throw it. I pitched in high school and threw too many pitches. Now i should be pitching in college but cant because i had Tommy John surgery in june. You do not want this to happen to u so take my word throw fast balls and change-ups if u can locate them well u will succeed in HS. Velocity isnt as important as those two pitches are. A good change up can make a 72mph fastball look like a 80mph fastball. Pitching is all about keeping the hitter on his front foot. The sooner u learn this the better off you will be. I know pitchers that threw in the 90s in school and thought they were major league bound because they could blow anyone away in highschool. Then they got to college and realized good hitters can hit a fastball no matter how hard you throw it. That is where the change up comes in. Remember that and u will be successful.

[Ravenlord]

i throw 4 pitches, but i know how to throw just about all of them. i throw a 2-seam fastball (yes, i can locate it), and circle-change (again, i can locate it, the problem is i apperently slow down my arm to throw it, so i have to work on that), a slurve (i control none of the side break, which is just fine i think), and as a result of experimenting with 2-seamer grips, i found my grip and release point for a forkball. don't really like throwing it because if i miss my release point, it hurts.

i started out throwing everything. curves, sinkers, sliders, knuckleballs, palm balls, cutters, anything else you can think of. and i tried from just about every arm angle imaginable. the point wasn't to develop a pitch at that point, the point was to find which pitches didn't hurt to throw repeatedly. i found 5 (a very slow sinker is there as well) of them, but believe only 3 will ever really be effective, so those are 3 i work with. as far as arm angles go, i throw 3/4 angle now. i really liked submarining when i tried it. had really good feel with the fastball with it, but couldn't figure out how to throw a breaking ball from that angle.

[Zeth]

I have real small hands, which prevents me from throwing any kind of good breaking pitch, so when I pitched (I hurt my elbow and my pitching days are behind me... yeah, I'm still in my early 20s) it was almost entirely fastball and change. (I'm right-handed.) My change wasn't very good and I threw fastballs probably 85% of the time. But I had two advantages -- I can throw hard, and I can locate the fastball. I pretty much gave up on breaking stuff early on because of my small hands, and focused on locating that fastball. It worked for me. I throw mid-80s... straight as a frozen rope, but when you throw mid-80s and you can locate it, you can get high school and city-league hitters out.

If you're a lefty, it's absolutely vital that you learn to locate your fastball with pinpoint accuracy. It's not enough to be able to throw strikes; you've gotta be able to put that ball right where you want it, consistently. Especially if your fastball isn't 80+ (assuming this is high school here).

I'm not a pitching coach and I don't think a guy who messes up his elbow at age 21 is exactly qualified to teach mechanics, but a pitcher really, really has to be able to locate the fastball. Once you get that down, then work on a changeup and maybe a simple breaking pitch.

The release point, of course, is extremely vital to location, and so is footwork. You have to get to the point where you're putting the front foot down in exactly the same spot on every pitch. I have a very late release point, which helps keep the ball down but probably increased the stress on my elbow.

Young guys these days read so much about how scouts love "stuff" (meaning, lots of pitches) and ruin themselves trying to learn 6 pitches when they ought to be working on their fastball every day. Mark Prior is already one of the best pitchers in the world and all he throws is fastball and curve, basically. But man, can he locate.

[neilsherren]

improve my fastball

im 14 years old i throw about 73-75mph fastball i would really like to improve that to about 78-80 please give me some tips on how