Chapter 5-Pitching


Essential Technique


Correct throwing technique is obviously an essential for pitchers for greatest control, maximum speed, and greatest reduction of arm injury, but it is also a basis for fielders to optimize their throwing as well. Here are the essential mechanics of throwing:

1) The Preparation
The pitcher should start on the far throwing-hand side of the rubber, unless the stride hole is too far away from where he strides, so he should move slightly towards the center to get a firm base to land on. Start with a controlled step back behind the rubber with the glove-hand-side leg. If the pitcher has trouble getting a feel for rotating around and getting to the first balance point, his step can be taken to the side of the rubber. Next, the pitcher places his back foot in front of and parallel to the rubber. Next, he brings his glove-hand leg up as high as he feels comfortable. Bringing it up too high is not necessarily better. The key indicator is if the pitcher is able to reach a good point of balance.

The First Balance Point
With the movement of the front leg upward, the pitcher should move all his weight on to his back leg. When the front knee is at it’s apex, the entire body should be comfortably and entirely balanced on the back leg. This is often referred to as the first balance point (Photo 19).

3) The Cocked Position
Next, the body begins to fall forward. The first movement is to thrust the hip slightly towards the batter, allowing weight to remain on the back leg as the front leg begins to fall forward in a controlled fashion to the ground. The stride should be about 90-percent of body height, and the stride foot should land and point straight at home plate or closed by no more than 10-15 degrees (as lined up from the heel of the back leg).
At the moment the stride foot lands, it is important to be in the following position: 1) The front elbow raised up to shoulder level and pointing at the target with the forearm vertical to the ground; 2) The throwing elbow shoulder height (but no higher) with the palm facing straight back, between the ball and the head, and the ball farther back than the elbow (Photo 20A).
To get the proper arm path, the throwing arm remains flexed when the front leg starts downward, and the hand pushes the ball in a smooth circle straight back and up, bringing the elbow up to the cocked position. It is essential that the arm remain bent and flexed throughout this movement, and it must be done in a controlled fashion. Also, the chest should bow out to retain balance. It is important to note that the pointing of the front elbow works in a corollary action with bringing up the throwing hand to a cocked position. If the front elbow is brought up too high, the throwing hand will be too low, and vice versa. Also, if the front elbow is not directly pointing at the target, the throwing hand will be off-line as well.
When this point is reached, notice that the lower body is opened, while the upper body remains closed. This is key to enact the whip action that ensues.

4) Bracing
Once you have landed on the stride foot and reached the cocked position, the hips begin rotating and the front leg stops, that is, braces in place. The front arm tucks the elbow down to the front hip, helping the hips to rotate, helping the throwing arm to come around and release the ball. It is here where the throwing elbow leads and the ball is turned from facing backwards to facing forwards, leading to external rotation (Photo 20B). The hips should rotate horizontally and all the while, the front leg is braced and not moving. The head should be still and get to a balanced position over the front leg (Photo 20C).

5) Release Point
The throwing arm should optimally be at a high-three-quarter position at release point for pitchers (Photo 21). That is, not straight over the top, not sidearm, but a notch higher than the midway three-quarter point. The hand should smoothly reach out and gain extension at the final moment of contact before the ball is released. The pitcher should also bend at the waist while rotating the hips. Next, the hand and arm should follow through across the body, going to the outside of the front leg. At the same time, the back knee should pull forward a little, in order to make sure the back hip rotates.

Note for Infielders:
It is important to move rhythmically into the correct throwing mechanics. Before reaching the first balance point, a fielder needs to be aware of his overall balance as well. Catch the ball with two hands with most of your weight on the glove-hand side leg. Immediately after catching the ball, begin to square-up, that is, begin to turn the shoulders clockwise, so you can line them up with the target and reach the first balance point. Also, during this movement, the ball is being transferred from the glove to the throwing hand, and the fielder should get in the habit of holding the ball across the seams, in a 4-seam grip.
For the fielder to throw, he takes a crow hop, a quick shift from balance on the back leg to balance over the front leg, although not a lunge. When the stride foot lands, the body should still be in direct line with the target in the cocked position.

Notes on Each Body Part:


Legs
The legs are key for a pitcher, as they maintain the first balance point, as well as the bracing of the lead leg after the stride foot lands.

Hips
The hips have a two-part function: The first is throwing the hip following the first balance point which allows weight to remain on the back leg as the front leg glides forward to an open position at stride landing. Second, the hips rotate around a braced front leg with the back knee propelling forward to aid the back hip in rotating.

Lead Arm
The lead elbow is thrown up at the same time the throwing hand goes up into the cocked position. The lead elbow points at the target, then when the throwing hand accelerates into the release, it is pulled down to the left hip, thus helping to rotate the hips.

Throwing Arm
There are numerous debates over arm angles, although in general, high three-quarters reduces injuries and allows for optimal movement. Also, it allows for a good combination of both rotational forces (from the hips turning), and downhill forces (from the arm coming almost straight down). While throwing over the top creates good downhill forces, the pitcher won’t throw as hard as he can, and it has the tendency to pinch the shoulder, along with making the ball go perfectly straight. The low three-quarter position allows for a little more movement, but it can rely a little too much on rotational forces, eliminating the extra speed found in a good mesh of rotational and downhill forces. Note that it is hard to change an older kid’s natural angle (age 18+).

The Stretch
The stretch should be little different than the wind-up, although pitchers must make sure to practice it often. Initially, the pitcher should hold the ball in his throwing hand, while choosing the same grip every time so as not give it away to the hitter. The pitcher should come to a stop with his hands between the chest and the chin, so he doesn’t bring his hands up when he starts his motion. Bouncing the hands in this manner is a common fault which causes the pitcher to not get the ball out of the glove and up to the cocked position quickly enough. This is an important point of emphasis. Next, the front leg should pivot back towards the thigh of the back leg, thus displacing weight onto the back leg, providing the first balance point.
Pitchers should remain in the stretch with runners on third with less than two outs, as well as with the bases loaded with a 3-2 count and two outs, unless it will upset the pitcher’s rhythm.

Slide-step
The slide-step can be effective in stopping runners from stealing, but it too often causes the pitcher to rush out and not get his throwing hand to the cocked position on time. The result is a loss of control and/or speed. Therefore, pitchers should not really use it, unless they occasionally want to deceive a base-stealing threat.

OPPOSING THEORIES
Much like hitting, there are numerous pitching theories, yet there is one essential tenet: Optimum mechanics lead to maximum speed, better control, and reduction of injuries. To reduce injury is reason enough to apply the core basics of proper throwing. Many people negatively refer to the cloning of pitchers as being bad. While forcing all pitchers to follow every subtlety of a certain pitching theory is wrong, it is still important to follow the essentials, mechanics which incidentally, most all major league pitchers follow.
These essentials are described above, with subtle variations not included – variations like where to stand on the rubber, bringing the hands over the head in the windup, how high you bring your front knee up, or even sometimes the arm angle, which sometimes can’t be changed for older pitchers. The essentials are reaching a proper first balance point; keeping the elbow flexed when bringing the ball back and up; reaching the cocked position by pointing the glove-hand elbow at the target and bringing the ball up with the palm facing back; bracing over the front leg, rotating the hips, and bending at the waist.

INDIVIDUAL PITCHES
Fastball
The straightest and hardest fastball comes from the four-seam grip, held across the seams by holding the ball firmly but not tightly, with the fingers spread only slightly apart (Photo 22A). This should be used as a control pitch, as well as when the fastest possible pitch is needed.

Two-seam
The two-seam fastball allows for more movement to the right for a right-handed pitcher, caused by holding the ball with the seams (Photo 22B), or else by holding it across the seams then turning the ball one-quarter turn to the right, and putting slight pressure on the index finger (Photo 22C). The pitcher must acquire a feel for slightly pulling the thumb under the ball to get more movement. It is possible to use this as the control fastball, especially for pitchers who don’t throw that hard and don’t want to throw four-seamers which stay straight all the time.

Curveball
Curveballs are effective pitches, as long as the same mechanics as a fastball are followed. That is, until just after the cocked position, whereupon the palm turns inward, facing the head, and the pitcher reaches out and down to gain extension, while pulling straight down with the wrist. He also must make certain to rotate the hips. It is important not to hook the wrist at any point, as well as have a relaxed wrist and forearm. The ball should come out going across four seams, so hold a regular four-seam fastball, then rotate the ball ¼ turn, with both fingers outside the seam, or with one finger on each side of the seam (Photo 22D). Throwing the curveball correctly consistently requires getting a feel for moving the wrist during the period between the cocked position and release, as well as the proper amount of hip rotation. Two curve balls should be developed: one for strikes, and another, a better one which breaks hard, for getting a hitter to chase.

Change-up
The simplest and most effective pitch to deceive hitters is the changeup. In short, the goal is to get a feel for a comfortable grip which can consistently be thrown for strikes. There are a couple of effective grips: 1) The OK change, or circle change requires holding the ball with the middle and ring finger, instead of the index and middle finger, plus placing the ball underneath the second and third knuckles. The thumb and index finger don’t have to make the OK sign, just merely cradle the ball in a sideways U shape (Photo 22E). 2) Another way to throw a change is to use three fingers, with the ball held loosely and deeper in the hand. The pitch should be thrown with the exact same arm action as a fastball, although it is possible to turn it over by having a higher release point, and rotating the wrist out and away to get movement. However, movement should not be construed as essential in this pitch in levels lower than professional baseball. The straight change is a valuable pitch on its own merits of being slower, yet with the same arm action as a fastball. It is important to get a feel for throwing changeups, by playing changeup catch every day, as well as changeup long toss.

Cutter
The cut-fastball is held with four-seams with pressure placed on the middle finger, but the key is the slight wrist turn after the cocking phase, halfway between a fastball and a curveball. In turn, the ball moves from right to left for a right-handed pitcher.

Control
Throwing with control comes from a mesh of mechanics and rhythm. The top tier pitchers are able to throw low strikes on both sides of the plate consistently. This is a goal to aspire to, followed by the ability to throw low strikes, followed by simply throwing strikes.

Tips for Control
The left-right direction of throws is dictated by where the front elbow (and front shoulder) are pointing at the moment the stride foot lands. It is decently simple to eliminate this variable, as long as the player maintains a feel for lining it up, much like lining up a sight on a gun. A feel for proper hip rotation also helps left/right control.
The height of the throw is more difficult to quantify. It is essentially a feel for being balanced, for a consistent stride length, for good hip rotation, and for a consistent release point, although it is essential to make sure to reach the first balance point, with all the weight on the back leg. This is commonly referred to as staying back. It t is important not to go out too fast onto the front leg, usually referred to as rushing.

Mental Approach
Rhythm
The pitcher shouldn’t take long between pitches. He should catch the ball after a pitch, step back onto the rubber and get ready for the sign. Pitchers who linger not only inhibit themselves from gaining a rhythm, but force the fielders to lose focus and lose their rhythm. By establishing a ritual, a rhythm develops where the pitcher will feel like he is throwing without thinking.
In addition, the mental game of pitching means being relaxed, yet focused. This conflict - of trying hard without over-trying - is dispelled with a good game plan. That is, make sure your mechanics are as good as possible in practice, then in the game, you can focus on the situation, or on mere subtle adjustments. An example of focusing is to remind yourself of one or two mechanical points, almost like a mantra. For example, a pitcher can make sure he hits his first balance point, and then not to rush out. This won’t bog down the pitcher, and provides a good mental rhythm which doesn’t interfere with the muscle-memory of his mechanics, yet guides them to fluid action.

Notes:
1) Pitchers should throw their fastball at 90-95 percent, then throw it at 100 percent when they need a little extra.
2) Pitchers fall into slumps too, albeit unconsciously. One way out is to change their grip.
3) Change-ups can be controlled better than curveballs, thus can be an invaluable pitch. A good time to throw changeups is after a hitter pulls a fastball foul, or fouls it straight back. Following this, a change-up in the strike zone will invariably result in a ground ball or a pulled foul ball. Long fouls on change-ups are actually good pitches. Don’t be fooled by the distance as the purpose is to get the hitter out on the front foot. Also, they should never be thrown two times in a row and should never be thrown to bad hitters who are late, because it will look like a regular fastball to them.

Notes on Strikes
1) Pitchers should regularly throw their fastball for strikes 60-70 percent of the time, curveballs for strikes 55-60 percent of the time, and changeups for strikes 55-60 percent of the time.
2) Batters who walk with zero outs score anywhere from 40-60 percent of the time.
3) A good pitcher’s strikeout-to-walk ratio should be 3-1 in college, 2-1 in high school.

Fielding Skills
Footwork Emphasis
On balls hit in the area of the pitcher, pitchers must abandon the controlled footwork of the pitching motion and act like an infielder with quick feet. The key is to go hard after any ball they can possible get to, break down in a balanced fashion, and either take a crow-hop and throw, or else throw from down low with just a quick balancing step from the lead leg. Whenever the ball is rolling, the pitcher must field the ball with two hands, with the bare hand ready to ball slap. If the ball is stopped, he can push hard into the ground with five fingers and get the two-finger grip as he brings the hand up to throw.

Covering First
Pitchers need to cover first on all balls hit to the first-base side. He should sprint to the foul line, two-thirds of the way towards first, and run up the line on the inside. He should hold the glove up and catch the ball with one hand while stepping on the base with the right foot. If the throw isn’t there, he needs to hold the bag by dragging the right foot.
Throwing Home
Pitchers must remember to square up the shoulders before throwing home on a comebacker.
Throwing to Second
On bunts, pitchers should try to square their shoulders to second before they field the ball, then stay low, take a quick step with the left, and throw to the bag, not the fielder, because the base is the one immobile constant. On comebackers, he should do a quick crow-hop to square-up, and again throw to the bag. If the fielder is not there, it’s not the pitcher’s fault. Do not hesitate, he will be there.
Bunt with Man on First
With a man on first, the pitcher should charge directly at the batter, and think aggressively about getting the lead runner. If not, he should reset his feet and throw to first.
Bunt with Men on First and Second
With men on first and second, the pitcher has to cover the right side (third base side). He needs to break for the halfway point of the foul line between third and home. He should call for the ball, and do a reverse pivot to throw to third without hesitation. Or, reset his feet and throw to first.

Pickoffs
Runner on First
For Right-handers
A pitcher’s only goal is to keep the runner from getting a great jump on steals. This can be accomplished many ways, for example, throwing over early, holding the ball longer in the stretch, stepping back, pitchouts, and even sometimes not throwing over at all so the runner can’t get a read. When the pitcher does throw over, he needs to learn to do everything the same from the start. When he throws over, he needs both a good move and a slow move. For the good move, the pitcher needs to learn to rotate his shoulder, break his hands a moment before his feet, and throw with a short arm path, like a catcher. He can also use a jump-turn which is quick, but allows the runner to pick up the move earlier. For the slow move, the pitcher needs to use the same footwork, only use a long arm circle. In addition, the pitcher can use an early move where he bounces the ball off the back of the glove on the way up.

For Left-handers
Lefties need to be sure to have good balance in the first balance position on the back leg, allowing them to perform the same arm action to throw both home and to first. This is done by bringing the arm down, back and up in the same manner, and merely throw to first or to home. From the set, the pitcher needs to look halfway between first and home. If he does this every time, the runner will never get a chance to use his head as an indicator for stealing. When the pitcher throws to first, he should slide the foot forward six inches towards home, then step on the 45-degree angle towards the foul line. He cannot bring the front leg behind the plane of the rubber.

Runner on second
Holding runners
A pitcher needs to keep the runner at second close, not only to keep him from stealing, but to give the outfielders a chance at throwing him out at home. This can be done with help from the shortstop and second baseman, but the primarily responsibility rests with the pitcher. He should not be predictable with his moves. He should come to a set looking home, allowing him to throw home without any looks as an option. Next, he should check the runner, then look home, then look to third before throwing home. He has the option of throwing home with no looks, with one look, or after the look to third. It is imperative to switch up the amount of looks. He should also add in the spin move periodically, so it’s planted in the runner’s consciousness. (Pickoff moves are described in detail in the Team Defense chapter.)

Throwing/Running Schedules
Pitcher’s routine in-season
Game Day
Off Day 1 - Run, play light catch
Off Day 2 - Run, Long Toss, light bullpen if loose
Off Day 3 - Run, Throw hard in bullpen (get a feel for control)
Off Day 4 – Light catch, bullpen if not on Day 3
Game Day

Running Routine
Pitchers should run as much as possible in the off-season, usually distance work between 3-5 miles. During pre-season, pitchers should run every day, mixing in long distance, poles, and sprints.

Rotator Cuff exercises
For all players, not just pitchers, simple rotator cuff exercises should be maintained throughout the season, as well as the off-season (Photos 23A-F). Do not use more than three pounds on rotator cuff exercises or you’ll get a dead arm. You can use a tennis can filled with sand, a two-pound weight, or even a baseball bat. This is in addition to a throwing program that includes long toss.

Practice Drills
There are innumerable pitching drills to use, but a few drills covering the key points should be emphasized.

Balance Point Drill
The pitcher brings his front knee up and stops at the balance point, holding it for five seconds.

Weight Shift Drill
From the first balance point, the pitcher throws his hip, lowers his leg in a controlled fashion and lands in the cocked position.

Hand-break Drill
Start with the hands together and practice synchronizing the raising of the glove-hand elbow and the throwing hand into the cocked position.

Kneeling Drill
Kneel down and throw to a partner, practicing bending at the waist.

Lead Leg Brace Drill
Kneel down and go through the throwing motion. When the arm is about to release the ball, brace the front leg and stand upright and throw. Bend over the waist with a good follow through.

Hand Speed Drill
Start with the stride already taken. Perform the hand break and accelerate the hand after reaching the cocked position.

Backup Bases Drill
The pitcher stands at the mound, and then breaks to back up either third or home. A coach throws a ball to the appropriate base, the fielder lets it go, and the pitcher has to practice backing up the play.

Long Toss
Pitchers should take a crow-hop and quickly lengthen out while trying to throw on a line. A little arc is all right, as long as arm extension comes forward and out, not up and resulting in a rainbow throw. It is important to maintain good mechanics throughout, even if you have to bounce the ball to your partner. Pitchers can also play long-toss with changeups.

Bullpen Sessions
Pitchers should give equal time to both the wind-up and stretch. Pitchers can either work on a specific pitch, throwing a mere 20-25 pitches into a screen or to a catcher, or they can throw a game-condition bullpen – even adding a batter for realism - for 10-15 minutes, or to a pitch count, usually 25-35 pitches. A good gauge to know when you’re done is when you get a feel for all your pitches and your control. It is essential to work on all pitches in different locations and a good method is to do a 3-and-1 sequence (3 pitches away, 1 inside). When working on pitches, throwing to a catcher only 54-feet away is equally effective for working on the feel and control of pitches.

Fielding
Daily Dozen
This is a quick, 10 minute drill to cover every defensive play a pitcher could possible make in a game. Pitchers act as their own fielders, and rotate, for example, from pitcher, to back-up first baseman, to first baseman, to back-up catcher, to catcher, and back in line with the pitchers.

1. Cover 1B
3. Comebacker to SS
4. Comebacker, look back runner at 2B, throw to 1B
5. Comebacker, look back runner at 3B, throw to 1B
6. Bunt to 1B
7. Bunt to 2B
8. Bunt to 3B
8. Comebacker to home
9. Passed ball, cover home
10. Anti-squeeze drill
11. Intentional pass
12. Pitch-out
13. Pick-off to all bases

1. Problem: Not staying back
Result:
Pitches going high
Stress on the inner elbow (medial epicondyle)
Remedy:
Hit the first balance point
Fall forward in a controlled fashion onto the front leg
Bring hand up to cocked position earlier
Drills:
Balance point drill
Hand break drill

2. Problem: Hooking the ball
Result:
Curveballs in the dirt
Slower pitches
Poor control
Remedy:
Keep wrist straight throughout
Bring hand up quickly to cocked position
Drills:
Hand Break Drill

3. Problem: Not staying on top on curve
Result:
Curve hangs
Ball spins from side to side instead of down
Remedy:
Maintain fastball mechanics
Turn wrist inward after cocked position
Pull out and down, getting extension
Get a feel for the hand movement
Bend waist
Drills:
Hand Break Drill for curves
Bullpen work

4. Problem: Not establishing a changeup
Result:
Hitters can dig in on fastballs
If the curveball can’t get over, you’re a one-pitch pitcher
Remedy:
Throw to good hitters after good cuts on fastballs
Always follow with a fastball
Have confidence in it even when behind in the count
Drills:
Test yourself in bullpens
Change-up catch daily

5. Problem: Poor two-strike pitches
Result:
Wasting pitches
Giving up hits with two-strikes
Remedy:
Throw the best curveball you have to get the hitter to chase
Throw low and inside
Throw low and outside, off the plate
Don’t go for the strikeout
Drills:
Bullpen work

6. Problem: Poor location
Result:
Walks
Pitches down the middle
Remedy:
Point front elbow at target
Stay closed until stride foot lands
Get feel for rotation of hips
Maintain correct arm path
Drills:
Mechanics Drills
Bullpen work

7. Problem: No explosiveness
Result:
Not throwing as hard as possible
Remedy:
Slightly throw the hip after the first balance point
Rotate the hips
Hold ball firm, but with a loose wrist
Bring back knee forward at release
Drills:
Hand Speed Drill
Kneeling Drill
Long Toss

8. Problem: Not backing up
Result:
Runners advance bases on wild throws
Remedy:
Have awareness once the ball is hit
Drills:
Backup Bases Drill
Simulated Games

9. Problem: Too lethargic in fielding
Result:
Great margin of error on close plays
Rushed throws
Can’t turn double plays
Remedy:
Practice drills game speed
Watch from the bench
Drills:
Daily Dozen at full speed
Team Defense Drills at full speed

10. Problem: Not helping yourself in the field
Result:
Giving the other team extra outs
Remedy:
Act like an infielder
Use correct fielding technique
Expect a ball to be hit at you
Drills:
Daily Dozen
Team Defense Drills

11. Problem: How do I get a rhythm for being a good pitcher?
Result:
Pitcher throws strikes without thinking too much
Ball goes where the pitcher wants it to
Remedy:
Always work on your mechanics and aim at a target whenever you throw
Establish good consistent technique in the bullpen
Establish a ritual, both mental and physical
Perform the technique fast and hard, but also as smoothly as possible
Drills:
Bullpen work
Simulated games