Pitching - Hardball & Softball

Pitching is getting the ball over the plate with something on it. Developing pitching success is not a hit or miss proposition. It requires knowledge and correct use of mechanics. Proper mechanics and control are one and same. Lack of control is generally the result of poor mechanics. The only solution for mastering control and mechanics is practice, practice, practice.

Proper Stance on the Rubber

The proper stance on the rubber for a right hander, the with the right foot on right side of the rubber and this is reversed for a left hander. When a right hander delivers the ball to the ball to a right handed hitter from the right side of the rubber, the hitter has little or no angle on the flight of the ball so it is hard for the hitter to judge distance and focus on the ball. Another inportant reason to be on the right side of the rubber is that it allows the pitcher to step directly toward home and open the hips. If you do not open up all the way, you tend to throw against your body and it is hard to move the ball in and out.

The Delivery

Proper form and delivery may vary from pitcher to pitcher but the basic mechanics are usually the same. A good pitching delivery is one that seems to flow in a smooth manner with a full arm swing, and finishing with a sharp snap of the wrist. In any type of delivery, overhand, sidearm, or underhand, the pitcher must have good balance, a proper pivot, correct stride, and a good follow through. Practice and more practicewill give the pitcher the coordination and rhythm needed for an effective delivery.

Primary Motion for Windup

Keep your head up and concentrate on the target. all pitchers get lazy at times and drop the head during the start of the wind up and take their eyes off the target. This is a very bad habit to get into. There are three preliminary motions:

• Start with hands together in front of the body. As hands come up and over the head, step back with the left foot. Shift your weight forward as you rotate into the pitch. this method used to hide the pitch from the hitter. It is difficult for the hitter to detect the grip, angle of the wrist when the pitcher uses this motion
• Stand erect, square to home plate, hands at your side and head up. Hands swing forward in front of the body and touch as you bend slightly at the waist. As the weight goes to the right leg leg, hands break and swing back. Step back as the hands swings forward and over the head.
• This motion is the same as above but the hands don't touch in front of the body. they go back first and then over the head.

Shoulder and Hip Rotation

In the preliminary motion, when the hands come back over the head and the weight moves to the right foot, the left shoulder rotates and draws a bead on home plate. Do not let the left shoulder continue closing to third base. Aim the left shoulder at the target. The further you rotate and greater margin for error. The lead leg action governs the shoujld turn.

Lead Leg Action

the fundamental action most often often performed improperly is that of the lead leg or left leg for a right right hander.

• the left leg should come up with the toe pointing slightly down. If your toe is up, you tend to land on heel and throw against a stiff front leg.
• the lead leg should not swing back past the rubber. If the leg swings to far back it become harder to maintain proper balance. Pitching leg up in front will help keep the weight back.
• As you lift the lead leg avoid bendingf backwards at the waist and avoid dropping the back shoulder. Keep the shoulders parallel as this make rotation easier and keeps everything on plane.

Remember the leg kick is in front of the body, not in the back. This will keep the weight back and allow you to swing the arm down so the ball will be released on a downward plane.

Rushing

This is a very common fault in the pitching delivery. Rushing occurs when th ebody gets in front of the arm and you lose all mechanical advantage, speed, and control. You tend to throw high pitchesl, the ball won't move well, and breaking ball will flatten out. th eproper sequence of events is the hands separate, arm has swung down, back and up, elbow is shoulder high or higher, weight back, NOW you drive forward with the back leg. Remember don't drive forward until the arm is up. Rushing merely means that the upper part of the body is too far ahead of the arm, thus causing undue strain on the shoulder and arm.

Breaking the Hands

In order to throw on a downward plane, it is important that the pitcher break the hands in a definative fashion. If you carry the hands to far back without breaking them, you have a tendency to start forward with the upper body, with the arm still down and back behind you. a good basic fundamental isa place your glove hand and throwing hand together at the belt buckle. Extend both arms straight out, nowe come halfway back to the belt buckle, that spot should be a good point to release the hands. From here the arm can swing down and back up with the weight still back on the right leg.

Wrist Action

The proper wrist action should be as follows, the hand bends forward at the wrist as you pull the throwing hands out of the glove. As the arm swings back and up the hand bends back and up. As you release the ball the wrist snaps forward. (Forward, Back Forward)!!! The palm always remains facing the ground.

Path of the Arm

The correct path of the arm is as follows, down, back and up. A pendulum action. This places the arm in position so that the elbow is up as you go into the release area. Keep the arm motion moving, do not stop the arm action during the delivery. After the ball is released, the path of the arm should go across the body and down.

Stride

As the weight goes forward you will notice that tyour chest is out over your lead leg and your head is to the left of the lead leg. Therefore an extremely long stride is harmful because it makes it virtually impossible to get your weight over the lead leg and the arm travels parallel to the ground making it difficult to get on top of the ball. Your stride should be straight ahead and not too long. The long stride may slow the arm speed and the idea is fast arm action on all pitches. Imagine the line between the toe of the pivot foot and the middle of home plate. Your lead foot should land on that line. If it lands to far to the right you are throwing across your body. If your step is too far left you will forward your shoulder open too soon and lose your forward drive.

Follow Through

Proper transfer of weight from the right leg to the left leg enables the upper part of the body and right arm to follow through naturally. As long as the lead leg is bent the follow through becomes natural and automatice. If you land on the heel of your lead leg, the leg tends tro straighten and it becomes difficult to bend at the waist and complete the follow through. As you follwo through after releasing the ball, all your weight is over your lead leg. Because you come off the rubber with such force, it is virtually impossible to just put your right foot down and be in position to field. The correct footwork is as follows: move forward with right - left footwork to bring you square to home plate.

Some pitchers cross over the lead leg. It is not necessarily a good thing to do but the important thing is to maximum effort into each pitch. If you do cross over your lead leg, simply bring your left foot back around to square up with home plate.

The Grip (Baseball)

A very important aspect to pitching is the proper grip of the baseball. It might seem insignant but could be a major contributor to control problems. Hold the ball loosely with the gfinger tips. The tighter the grip the more restricted the wrist action becomes. Tension creates restriction in other parts of the body.

There are two basic ways to grip the ball, across the seams and with the seams. In both cases, hold the ball as far out as possible and still have a good command over the ball. A hard thrower who throws over hand or three quarters has more advantages when throwing across the seams. The ball is easier to control and will actually look smaller as the seams blend together. Throwing across the seams can cause vertical or upward movement.

When you throw with the seams there will be generally more movement. The ball is moving down and away from the batters eyes and plane of the bat. Sometimes taking something off the pitch with the seams creates more movement. A with th eseams pitcher will generally struggle up as the ball flats out.

The ball is a bit easier to control when held across the seams. This technique should be taught with most young pitchers as the moves less. As young pitchers gain confidence with throwing strikes, they can start to throw with the seams to create more movement. This adds another element for the hitter to consider.