Help, please.

[Chris O'Leary]

I am 13 years old im from cochrane ab in canada and i havent found anyone that can help me! i can throw my 4 seamer 65-70mph sidearm. but i also have my change and i teaching myself a knuckle and its working good but when i throw the knuckle i have to come over top. any tips to help throw fastball over top instead of sidearm. iive pitched only 5 games and i already got tendenitis and its the sidearm doing it. plz any suggestions

Three things will help to raise your arm slot...

1. Not reverse-rotating your shoulders. Instead, just break your hands so that your pitching arm side hand goes straight back to 2B.

2. Tilting your shoulders.

3. Pulling your glove into your glove-side pec.

[mycykerr]

and im a righty

[mycykerr]

I am 13 years old im from cochrane ab in canada and i havent found anyone that can help me! i can throw my 4 seamer 65-70mph sidearm. but i also have my change and i teaching myself a knuckle and its working good but when i throw the knuckle i have to come over top. any tips to help throw fastball over top instead of sidearm. iive pitched only 5 games and i already got tendenitis and its the sidearm doing it. plz any suggestions

[BristolBoy]

Please note before you listen to any of my 'advice' that I've got next to no baseball experience - I'm a fan only .

After YEARS of playing cricket, I'm able to make a cricket ball break (which is just ridiculous when you think of the physics of a cricket ball) both left and right at will, which to say is uncommon is an understatement. As far as throwing what a slider would be (away from a right hander by a right hander, unless I'm wrong, please correct me if I am), I always had to make sure my index finger was directly behind the right side of the ball as it was released and my thumb along the middle of the ball - as you release the ball, because of the way your fingers are set up, your wrist snaps through naturally to create the rotation. The same goes for the one that breaks the other way (a screwball? I don't know, I'm English ), except, you need to get your hand further out in front of you before you and throw it with more fingers in contact with the back of the ball.

As for actually pitching, if you can get your hands on a cricket ball, do it - it's the same size but heavier than a baseball, which is probably better than trying to get your hands around a softball.

For anyone who is cricket-minded, I'm a spin bowler, which apart from the 40mph difference in speed, is the closest thing in cricket to a pitcher. You basically work by being able to spin the ball as much as possible along its seam (there's another exercise for you - as a cricket ball has the one seam, straight through the middle, see if you can throw it and keep the seam from 'wobbling', i.e. the ball spinning directly along the seam), by use of either your wrist, fingers or both. As bending the arm is illegal in a bowling action, I know that any break I can put on a pitch is coming from the wrist down, which therefore should mean just trying any of these things SHOULDN'T (but please please please correct me if I'm wrong) mess anything up mechanically.

[Tmacstyle11]

Accuracy

The most important thing that you could do is to work on your mechnics and your accuracy. Being able to throw like curve and slider can give you more options to get someone out but fastball and change up are the most important. Being able to fool the batters is what make pitchers great.

If you want to work on your accuracy throw through a tire thats right on home plate........you can also work on accuracy by just throwing to a catcher (repitition) try to pick corners with fastball and change up. Accuracy is the #1 thing you need to work on.

[Bump11]

Keys to piching

This is how to get started:

1. Work on your mechanics
2. Try to establish good control so that you can throw not only strikes but smart pitches.
3. Try to get stronger and get some movement and velocity on your fastball.
4. Develop a breaking pitch and a straight change (slider, curve, splitter, knuckleball, circle change, etc.)
5. Learn how to pitch to different hitters in different counts.

As a breaking pitch, I reccomend throwing a slider. Try to visualize with me here:

Take the ball so that you are looking at an "n" shape in the seams.
Put your middle finger on the inside of the seam (either side, I do it on the the right side).
Take your index finger off the ball but still grip it with all your other fingers.
Throw it like a fastball.
It is going to take some time before it starts to break right. To work on it you should play short catch using that grip.
I hope that it works for you because it does for me. If not, sorry.

[Bump11]

Cutter

A cutter is basically a slider (which I throw). As you know, a slider is a pitch that starts out like a fastball and breaks at the last second.

[kballer]

cutter

is a cutter like a fastball that breaks? and also how do you throw it?

[Mariner DNA]

Here's some advice for your pitches, mechanics, and velocity, Mr.#51

Sinker/two seamer -- Do you change arm angles on this pitch? If that's the case, then your mechanics could have fouled up during a previous game. But if that's not the problem, then your mechanics are most likely fouled up anyways. A sinker moves alot, and depending on the arm angle, the pitch does different things. A more overhand delivery makes the ball move downward, while a 3/4 or sidearm delivery can give the ball a more sharpened movement away from right handed hitters (for you). I've seen this type of movement from left handers.

A couple things you can do to help your sinker: Try spreading your index and middle fingers farther apart on the ball. This helped Roberto Hernandez tremendously. Also, Snap your wrist down a little at the release point. This can be very effective if you have a slinging type delivery.

Splitfinger -- If the ball is breaking too soon, that can mean the grip is too tight. It also explains the slow speed. Your fingers have to be relaxed and used to the abuse rendered by the pitch. The pitch can be cramping, I know, but it can be cured. Hold the ball in the splitfingered grip for an hour a day for about a week...this is the classical way and the most effective remedy. You will get very comfortable with the pitch after this, from transfering the ball to your glove in between pitches, to being able to control it.

To give the pitch more tumbling action, remove your thumb from supporting the bottom of the ball at the release. If your thumb is to the side instead of underneath of the ball, it lets the bottom fall out better. Use this pitch only on a 0-2, 1-2 for a little while. It sounds like you have to get your mechanics straightened out until you get used to the splitter.

Curveball -- Yeah, if it's overthrown, the tendency is to hang in the zone. If it's a good pitch for you, then keep it. Lefthanders usually have a really good breaking ball. Don't get happy with it, unless the break is Zito-like.

Cutter -- No cutter has the sharp breaking action everytime. Don't expect that from it. This is a great pitch in which to pound the inside part of the plate with. Alot of pop-ups are the expected result, or the ball won't make it past 250 ft.

Which side of the ball do you put the pressure on with this pitch? The left side would be ideal for you.

Your control problems are either a result of fouled up mechanics, or the ball is being overthrown, and possibly a balance problem. I think you throw too many breaking pitches anyways. Your arsenal is one of a power pitcher. And you don't pitch that hard -- Kind of like Jeff Fassero to name one likeness. I suggest you drop the splitter and work on a change-up. A big curve, sinker/cutter, change is a good combination to work with. The change-up is so underrated I cannot even begin to tell you. Work on one, it will do wonders.

To get the velocity up, play long ball catch from across the outfield. Try using a weighted baseball, also. Work on your deltoids in the weight room. Don't open up your shoulders on the delivery; stay compact.

One thing to help you with your mechanics: see where your lead foot lands on the front of the mound. If there are footprints scattered around, that means you're all over the place. Try to step in the same place. And don't let the lead foot point towards the first basemen. :o

[Mariner DNA]

I heard someone mention the slider. This pitch will turn young arms into jello. I usually don't reccomend even a curveball to young players. A fastball and change work fine, with less stress to the arm.

[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

[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.

[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.

[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]

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.