Transcript Windham Minor/AAA/Major Coaches Clinic Hitting Pitching

Pitching
Overview
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The key to Pitching is:
– When the front foot lands, the throwing arm
automatically explodes forward.
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The pitching hand fires forward when the stride foot lands
There is an optimal release point for pitchers and it is directly affected by the
location of the pitching hand precisely when the front foot lands.
Getting the throwing arm/hand into perfect launch position (every time) is a
function of following the Proper Pitching Sequence
The Proper Pitching Sequence is:
Phase
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Post
Break
Release
Follow Through
Key Focus
(Balance)
(Symmetry)
(Efficient explosion)
(Long arc of deceleration)
Your job as a coach is to
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Teach and reinforce proper sequence and mechanics
• Minimize risk of arm/shoulder injury
• Maximize your kids’ abilities
Post
Balance
•The role of the Post position is to:
•Create a repeatable and solid starting position for all pitches
•Keys
•Head above posting leg, in balance
•Shoulders square to target
•Landing Knee PULLED up and tight
•Hands collected near chest
Break
Symmetry
•The role of the Break phase is to:
•Get the throwing hand into perfect launch position – by getting the
hand in proper position exactly as landing foot lands
•Keys
•Hands go DOWN, then circularly into position
•Elbows ABOVE shoulders at end of this phase
•Landing foot goes directly and forcefully to home plate
Release
Efficient Explosion
•The role of the Release phase is to:
•Maximize rotational and linear forces to the delivery
•Keys
•Elbow ABOVE Shoulder!
•Glove Tuck in unison with throwing arm explosion
•Extension
Follow Through
Long Arc of Deceleration
•The role of the Follow Through is to:
•Provide Long Arc of Deceleration for throwing arm
•Be the constant ending position to an efficient delivery
•Keys
•Throwing elbow past knee
•Flat Back
•Throwing shoulder to target
•Eyes on target
Pitching
Drills
• Post Drill
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Have the kid(s) go from rocker step to post.
Have them hold position for varying periods – the longer the better
Make a contest out of it
• FencePost Drill
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Have the kid(s) go from rocker step to post – only have them brace their lift KNEE
on Fence.
Have them hold position for varying periods – the longer the better
Pitching
Drills
• Break Drill
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Either from the Post position, or from the beginning (rocker step), have the kids
break their hands and stride toward plate with landing leg
– Ball to the ground (thumbs in and down)
– Circular path to launch position
– Hide ball through entirety of drill
– Elbows above shoulders
Repeat, repeat, repeat – build muscle memory
• Watch the stride leg. Make sure:
– It fires directly to the plate (or a little closed to it)
• Watch the stride (landing) foot. Make sure:
– He lands on the BALL of it
Variations
Put your hand down at the desired spot his hands should be in during
the initial breaking motion (down below waist).
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His hand and/or ball should hit your hand.
Stand at pitcher’s back and guide his arms through motion
If he’s not striding far enough (roughly his height) – put a target out
there for him to hit with his landing foot
Pitching
Drills
Release Drills
One Knee Drill
• Isolates upper body
• ‘Slap me Five’ Drill
• To get your pitchers more aggressively extended, put
your hand out in front of the pitcher and have him go
through the throwing motion – he should hit your
hand when he’s extended.
• Too easy? Move your hand further toward home
plate
• Too hard? Ditto in reverse
• Long Toss
• Have pitchers use proper pitching motion –
• Have them throw 75-150 feet – on a LINE DRIVE.
No arcs!!! It’s better that the ball bounces to the other
player.
Pitching
Do’s and Don’ts
DON’T
DO
Post
Post
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“Rush”
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Kick knee up
Kick leg out (toward 3rd base if
RHP)
Be in Balance
Lift knee high and tight
Hands gathered anywhere near
chest
Break
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At beginning of backswing, be sure
the hand and ball break the plane
of the waist (first motion is toward
the ground, below the waist)
Let the arm develop a circle action
behind body during backswing
Hide the ball (keep the back of the
hand between the ball and the
head)
Point front shoulder directly at
target
Step DIRECTLY to plate, land on
ball of foot
End Break phase with BOTH
elbows ABOVE shoulders!!!
Release
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Release with elbow even with or
HIGHER than shoulder
Release ball at full extension
Enhance rotational power with
glove pull
Finish (wrist flip @ release)
Follow Through
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Finish with throwing elbow over
landing knee
Flat back if possible
Throwing shoulder points to target
Break
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Keep the throwing hand above
the waist during backswing
Land flat footed OR on heel
End this phase with EITHER
elbow below the shoulders
Release
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Pitch with the elbow below the
shoulder
Pitch with dead glove arm (no
glove pull)
Follow Through
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Intentionally slow the arm
down after release