QAccuracy

How can I enable myself to locate pitches with better accuracy? My fastball is in the mid-seventies, and I have fairly decent control. I can improve in many ways, but I just don't know what drills will help me. I'm 14 years old and I have recently developed a change-up, but I need to be able to place the ball.

AThe first thing you need to do is understand how the parts of the body are connected. The secret to pitching accuracy is consistency; the secret to consistency is finding the optimum release point and being the same on every pitch and that, believe it or not, starts with the landing foot - the more that foot lands in the same spot on every pitch, the more you will develop consistency and accuracy. You can use techniques like the towel drill and even throwing blind to teach your body to always land in the same spot and develop consistency.

QArm Flies Out

We have a mechanics problem and hope you can give us some ideas on correcting. My son an 11 year old pitcher is having problems with his front side opening up way too prematurely. His control is above average and velocity is also. While goofing off one day with the camcorder we decided to film him and see in slow mo what's going on and we seen that without a doubt he swings his glove arm totally out without any inward turn. Are there any drills to try and fine tune us on this problem / or ideas on this.

AWhat you see (the arm flying out) may be the end of the problem not the real cause. It sounds like a combination of things that could be rushing the throw. Here are some checkpoints to look for earlier in the video (and live)...

• Do both shoulders/elbows (glove and throwing) come up together - they should.
• When he gets through the post position (standing on one leg) is the raised knee over top of the other one - if from the side you see a gap between knees he may be leaning forward or rushing.
• When his lead foot comes forward, is it turned in - it should be - and when that foot lands is he coming down on the toes or on the inside ball of the foot (should be inside ball).

All these things will help him maintain a closed stance even before we get to torso rotation, so start there and see if the upper body problem starts to correct itself without being the focus of attention. (Often when you concentrate on the result at the end of the throw other mechanics go out, that's why work on the first checkpoints most.)

QChanging Arm Angle

My son is 10-11 years old. I've been geting him professional instruction since he was 6. We also work out together - I'm not really super critical. (He loves the game on his own anyhow.) He's lefthanded and has been working out with a pitching coach every 3 weeks since November. Currently he only throws over the top, I used to throw 3/4 and sidearm too. (His mechanics are really fairly sound, and he's balanced well.) It always seemed very unnerving to hitters and I had a lot of success with it when I played. I'm with you on breaking stuff for pre 14s, but I feel changing speeds, and location can go a long way. Also, my son is slender like his mom, and i'm concerned with his durability down the road. I swam when I was a kid, and it added a lot to my shoulders. Do these types of muscles help velocity, or just get in the way of kinetic energy for velocity? Both his coaches feel he's a really good ballplayer. I want him to enjoy himself, but i'd love to see him be as good as he can be.

ADad, I like your attitude but don't take it too far - I've also seen kids left to their own devices (no pressure) who don't realize how good they are and how good they can be.

Frankly I think you may be right to want him to drop down a bit. 'Over the top' also has risks in terms of shoulder impingement and the rotator cuff - but sidearm and control are not always compatible. Maybe if you can gradually get his elbow down to shoulder height and open the bend out to 110 degrees. Biggest thing is to do this yet keep his shoulders level.

As much as good shoulders are important and swimming is a great conditioner, strong legs also make great pitchers (Look at Pedro Martinez - the guy has no upper body but a great trunk.)

Other issues, you raised - he's got to throw a good change-up. And should by now be working on location - use things like the old hat drill (hat on corner of plate) to work on location - as long as he's not aiming.

QChest to Glove

Have now run across this change to the pitching motion twice now and I was wondering if you've heard of this variation. Tom House doesn't really touch on it but if you watch him demo his movements to his students during DRY training he does this...

When the stride foot hits the ground during delivery, you should be in the flex-t position as House teaches it. As the left arm (for a r/hander) is extended towards home and you shift weight from back side to front side during delivery, the left arm REMAINS out front and you bring your chest to the glove. You don't bring the glove to the chest or side which is what you see a lot of. I guess by bringing your chest to the glove you are prompting your pitcher to get his weight over his front leg which is also a fundamental. A pitching coach at [university] first brought this to light and House did do it in his teachings even though he didn't talk about it. I know you were at a conference with him, did he touch on this subject?

AYes, absolutely. I was at a clinic at Pete Wilkinson's in Seattle done by Ron Wolforth of Pitching Central in December (he is more-or-less a House disciple) and also at a clinic done by House himself in January. It's referred to as the locked front side and rather than the tuck and pull which used to be taught to bring the glove in, the teaching now is to bring the chest to the glove. In his book John Bagonzi refers to it differently - talking about getting over the wall. The objective is the same - to get the release point as close to the plate as possible. Tom believes this is more important than pure velocity - it give the batter less time to react to the pitch. As an example Pedro Martinez who is 5'10 releases the ball as close to the plate as Randy Johhnson who is 6'10 - the difference is Pedro's chest to glove movement.

QCookie Cutter Coaching

My son's coaches keep on my son (11 years old) for throwing what they call side arm. I taped him the other day and this is what he is doing. He brings his hand up from waist high to a position where his upper arm is level with his shoulder and his upper arm somewhere between 90 to 45 angle. When moves his arm forward to throw his elbow drops and his lower arm drops to what looks like a side arm. This is also the way he pitches. When thrown, the balls are hard and fast (60 mph) and 90% on target. I have been working very hard with him about keeping his arm and coming over the top more. When he does this his accuracy is better but speed on the ball is less. I cannot break him of dropping the arm. And his coaches don't want to play him till he corrects his throwing style to that of a right hander.

AThe trouble with amateur coaches, and the trouble with a site like WebBall, is that we tend to teach 'A' way of doing things - 'This is how you throw'; 'This is how you catch'. But kids aren't cookies and cookie-cutter teaching won't always work. If you and your son think it's a problem to be corrected, there is a page in the WebBall BullPen on correcting pitching faults.

But your bigger problem may be a resistant coach and I'm not sure how to handle that. (I don't think showing him this reply will help much.)

Why do I say the problem may not be the pitching style? Well, Lefties like Randy Johnson seem to do okay pitching sidearm. (Maybe you should show the coach tapes of both your son and Randy and see what he thinks.)

Besides, your own son seems to have sufficient speed and accuracy (at least for now). Also, sidearm actually puts a lot less pressure on the rotator cuff (the shoulder). In fact, the main reason coaches teach against sidearm is the accuracy issue - over the top has a more predictable trajectory - which is good if you're a fielder throwing to first, but there's a term for predictable pitchers, it's called "bench warmer".

I would plead for a game chance - even an inning or two. Success is the best convincer of all. Sure, it's pressure on your son, but the worst that could happen is he's back where he is right now - which, frankly, ought to be 'looking for a new coach for next season'.

QDown and Out

When a pitcher comes to the power position (leg lifted, closed, staying tall) and is fixing to deliver the pitch, does his lead leg/foot sit right back down where he picked it up from and then glide out, turn the foot over and let the hips open, or does the lead leg go down and away from the body ( leg/ knee locked to provide a swinging type motion out to the landing? It appears to me that the latter opens the hips slower and makes it difficult to oppose the centrifugal force of the leg swing at the landing and you end up with an off balance ninth fielder. Which method do you support for achieving the maximum effectiveness from the hip/torque rotation, thanks.

AI prefer down and out - meaning your first description. This keeps the front side closed longer and is better therefore at everything from late hand break, to more hip torque which in turn creates a quicker kinetic sequence.

However, it isn't about the concern you expressed about being an off-balanced ninth fielder. Many higher level pitching coaches/instructors are now less concerned than they used to be about the landing position being lined up with the plate for fielding. Maximize the late torque, let the post leg, once free, come up and forward as much as possible. The danger in trying to get your pitcher to land square to the plate is that he will release early or not get over the top of his landing knee enough, or start to decelerate too early. It's more important that he is a pitcher than a fielder.

QDragging Foot

On my right foot, when i push off and drag it down the mound, I turn my cleat so the outside of my right cleat drags against the mound. Most pitchers drag the inside or front tip of their cleat... should I work on changing that so the inside/front tip of my cleat is what drags against the mound, or just keep my motion how it is?

AI'd be more concerned with your comments about pushing off. I'm not an advocate of 'drop and drive', I prefer to see kinetic movement forward not gravity pulling downward. Also, I don't like to see foot drag of any kind - bringing the back leg up helps to tilt you forward and down the slope.

QEvery Day Pitcher?

1. How do I develop speed? 2. Does a change-up hurt your arm? 3. How long do I need to pitch every day?

AThere's much more information on the site than I can provide in an email answer. But here are a few basics...

1. Speed is something that is a combination of good mechanics - getting lots of power from the legs, and a sharp torso rotation, a good shoulder movement in an arc forward, and so on. It's all the mechanics working together not one thing. Also practice will help, but to a point (see #3).

2. You should pitch a change up with exactly the same motion that feels natural for you for a fastball - that';s to make it easier on you to thro and also to fool the batter into thinking that the pitch that's coming is a heater. What makes a change up work is that you tuck it back in the hand more - either circle change or palmball, rather than off the finger tips. That's what slows the release, the rotation, the speed. Everything else stays the same!

3. There is a page in the Bullpen on the pitching cycle. Use that as your guide. Don't overdo it, and don't pitch every day like it's game day!

QFaster Fastballs

I am one of the starting pitchers at my college (I'm a junior). Are there any techniques or exercizes to help me increase my velocity. I average around 88mph and my top is 91. This is effective for the league I am playing in, but I need an extra 3 mph in order to be considered for being drafted.

AWhile waiting for a personal answer, I hope you've had a chance to study some of the advice in the Pow'rAlley conditioning center of WebBall. The pitcher's pyramid system is an exellent program developed by Coach DeRenne of the University of Hawai'i. His own son is now moving up through the college ranks as SS.

The move from amateur to pro is a big jump. Speed (i.e. ballistic power) is only one aspect. Your ultimate top may be determined in part by mechanics, as well as physiology, muscle composition, range of motion, flexibility, etc.

Changes are harder at this level and the incremental improvement often small. A coach, especially from a distance, can only help a bit. What you need to develop are some internal feedback mechanisms to help you capture and duplicate the best of each good pitch - look to yourself for what feels right - the best pitch should be effortless. Also, the mental aspects of pitching (in the BullPen) may be as critical to consistency and concentration.

Above all, don't start trying half a dozen different things at once, you don't want to loose what you already have. And remember, control and ball movement are ultimately as critical to your success as raw speed. Every coach I know will take 27 ground-outs and pop-ups in a row to the occassional 99+ mph heater.

QFielding Position

I know the more the back leg comes around the more power you get on your pitch. But if it comes around to much, I might not get into good fielding position. Should I still try to bring my back leg around on the follow through?

AThis is a great question. The importance of fielding position for a pitcher is a somewhat of a myth. Bring the leg as far as you need to for maximum torque and your follow through, because if they can't hit the pitch you don't need to field it. Even with the free leg out to the side, you can still recover to field your position on the glove side (the arm side will have to be someone else's problem).

QFlip & Pinch

Is it true in your pitching delivery if you keep your glove up above your left elbow it is much easier to pitch. In my lesson with a former (pro) pitcher he said that it is easier to get it out of the way when you come forward than if the glove is out to the side as you deliver. Please let me know if this is entirely right.

AWhat we recommend now is the glove arm flip and pinch - by that I mean the glove is up and out front, with the arm rolled over (flipped, glove palm up) and tightened (pinched). Then the chest is pulled to the glove rather than the glove to the body. We want the throwing arm to come to the opposite hip below the glove so it is better if the glove is up.

QFollow Through

On the follow through, should a pitcher be leaning down and leaning forward, and his throwing arm go to the opposite leg?

AYes, sort of. The farther forward the release point (what Bagonzi refers to as "going over the wall" and one of the principles behind the Tom House towel drill), then the higher the perceived velocity because you give the batter less reaction - the ball gets there quicker after release. However "leaning down" could be misinterpreted - not a term I would use. You want to get your weight over your landing knee - not behind it.

QGlove to Body?

When your torso turns and you bring the glove to your body, should your glove come pretty close to the middle of your chest or on the edge, almost to your arm pit? (Now I do the one closest one to the arm pit.)

AYou shouldn't be pulling your glove in at all. You should bring your chest to the glove. The idea of tuck and pull is not what's taught by the best instructors any more. It's more of a forearm roll and pinch. The most important thing is to keep both sides (glove and throwing sides) equal and opposite - in balance.

QH.S. Mechanics Good?

How good are high school pitchers mechanics? Do high school pitchers succeed because they do enough things right in their mechanics or are their mechanics very good.

AThe answer is both. There are a lot of H.S. pitchers who are good - in the sense of successful at throwing with velocity and movement - despite what would be considered bad mechanics. A coach might ignore the fundamentals if he is getting results from a player. Ultimately, thought, good mechanics - in our view - means not only throwing effectively, but efficiently, with less strain on the body - effortlessly. That will be the difference between short- and long-term success.

QHard Throwing Mechanics

I've been coaching my son since T-ball. He has always been an above average player all around, moving up to the majors this year (11/12) year olds. I would like to know what I can do to help him keep his control while throwing harder. He has a good fast ball but tends to get a little wild at times when throwing harder - don't really notice any difference in the mechanics

AThrowing hard IS a difference in mechanics - on the inside. Everything down to release point and finger pressure can change - with a loss of control. The reason: muscle effort changes with some muscles used more, others less, so the push and pull inside change even though the outward arm location, etc., is the same.

By the way, harder doesn't equal faster. Torque, balance, and power (ramping up speed) are the keys. Hard throws are usually overthrown which results in two kinds of pitches - balls and mistakes.

QHitting Spots

I have been having troubles hitting my spots is there anyway to improving my accuracy?

AYes, over time. Accuracy is a function of command with comes from consistent mechanics - from the the release point all the way back to the first move to establish your delivery rhythm. There is no quick fix for that - constant practice is required. You might however try a couple of techniques - to try to keep your release point consistent... Always turn over your glove and firm up that arm the same way. Always visualize the ball path from release point to "catcher's knee cap" (or other small target) before throwing. Always do a complete follow through so your throwing arm makes contact on the same spot on your opposite hip. Always have your knee over knee position through leg lift the same. You might even try throwing with your eyes closed (in practice) a few times to see how well you can feel your body hitting these cue points right on.

QIdentity Crisis

I'm a 14 year old kid starting my freshman year of baseball. Through the last year I had somewhat of an identity crisis with my wind up/motion. I have over and over tried to immitate Pros but no success there. I even had to breakdown flaws in my own motion. I throw too many wild pitches or no strikes. I'm a rightie and feel comfortable throwing about 3/4.

AYour problem may not be entirely your own fault - in a sense. Have you undergone any growth spurts lately? - this is often a problem with young teens - the bones can grow longer than the muscles and nerve endings are adjusted for, hence the need to 'retrain' your body.
The pitching mechanics on WebBall - in the description and In-Motion animations is pretty standard and should work as a starting point for everyone.

Among the things to consider are the grass roots section on using stop action training which can help - to a point.

Also see if you can get a parent or friend to video tape you from both sides so you can see if what you think your body is doing is what it's actually doing.

And stop immitating pros - because then you are becoming style conscious, not working on substance. They throw the way they do because it gives them the results they want based on body size, build, leg strength, etc.

What you can get from the pros though is an understanding that consistency comes through constant training not just throwing once a week.

Just remember the following keys the rock-back / wind-up should be no more than will help you

• develop a good consistent rhythm - same every pitch.
• look for a balance point on the post leg that suits you - keep the weight back
• don't rush forward or open your lower body too soon
• land lightly on the inside ball of your landing foot.

Another tip - work more on the result than the finer points of style - use the catcher as your targeting device not the plate - focus in turn on each of the four corners - his shoulders and his knees.

Also, you want to get to the point that you can do dry throws with your eyes closed - so you can feel the way your body is moving - muscle memory aid.

QInconsistent

When I am pitch I have outstanding control with my off speed pitches. then when I go to throw my fastball I have no control. My fastball is about 82 and my curveball, slider, splitter, and my change up can range between 68 and 80 mph. Why cant I find my control?

AI would guess that your fundamental mechanics are inconsistent - your arm arc or shoulder movement may vary too much from pitch to pitch - the idea is to keep all body mechanics the same for every type of pitch, changing only your grip and release.

Also you may be landing too much on the outside of your landing foot - blowing open your upper body. You need to stay closed longer and be more within yourself. Try to isolate one body element as you work on full swings to get that consistent then progress to another body part.

The reason this inconsistency shows up more in the fastball is that you are exerting more force - pitching hard - and harder throwing is simply harder to control - mistakes are more apparent.
By the way, a change-up should be about 15% slower than a fastball to be effective - but you need controlled fastball mechanics to achieve a good batter-fooling change-up.

QJust started

I am 15 years old and i just started pitching this year. (I know kind of a late start.) My question is sometimes I can find the strike zone all game and other games I can't find it at all. How do I keep a consistent routine? And I would like to know how to add a little bit of speed onto my pitches.

AYou have the answer yourself - consistency. What you might try in practice is after throwing a few pitches, close your eyes, and do dry or real throws - visualize what feels right - lock your body into consistent weight transfer, rotation, arm angle. Try to get feedback from yourself on what feels different from pitch to pitch. You will discover that some parts of your delivery may be more consistent than others - so you can then focus on developing additional consistency that way. I would work on the control issue, before developing more speed otherwise you run the risk of trying to overthrow for power - and lose even more of the consistency you sometimes have.

QLanding Correctly

You said "Best suggestion is to land firmly on the ball of your foot with toes across the body toward throwing-side batter's box or even part way up that baseline - never pointed at the plate." I believe that the "best suggestion" is that the foot lands flat with the knee directly above the ankle. If the pitcher lands on the ball of the foot on a mound, the first tendency is to rise up on the ball and the ball will carry high out of the strike zone. The pitcher wants the knee directly above the ankle for both stability (there is a tendency to drift if the knee goes over the ankle and a tendency to reach if the knee stays behind the ankle) and for less wear/tear on both the ankle and knee joints

AThe intent of what you say we agree with. Landing with knee above ankle above foot has not been something we have talked about, you are correct. But it isn't mutually exclusive with the idea of landing on the ball of the foot. One of the reason we focus on ball of foot is that we have found a number of young players landing by digging in the heel - when they do that, seldom is the knee above the foot (usually behind), and also when they land on heel there is more probability of the leg twisting out - rotating on the heel, which as you know can do damage to ankle or knee. We have found it difficult to get them to understand landing flat on a slope, so by focusing on ball of foot we get them up off the heel and in so doing, the knee is more likely forward - above the foot. What we actually look for is the indentation in the sand - for it to be in the same spot on every pitch and it is neither digging in at the heel or too far forward on the toes. The concern about bouncing up off the ball is limited by ensuring the stride length is sufficient so that the body is not too far forward - chest over knee, not hips over knee. If you have found a problem with bouncing up, maybe the stride is too short and they have too much remaining momentum which allows them to incorrectly come up and over? We will look at changing the way we present this.

QLate Hand Break

Are there any more detailed mechanics at any point during the motion that would make you throw harder or have better control?

AMake sure there is a late hand break, good shoulder/hip separation to create max torque, make sure you have a good scapular load causing a bow-flex-bow action (explained in the new Ron Wolforth videao which we'll have listed shortly) and make sure to properly follow through across your body to protect your arm on decelleration.

QLeg Lift

How high should the leg lift be?

APersonal preference - just don't pause at the top which will lose momentum - drive the leg up and then bring it down and forward. And, no, that is not the same as "drop and drive". Drop and drive implies that the post leg bends and the weight comes down then pushes forward. We want to see the weight stay back but it is only the free leg that comes up and goes down - keeping the back side coiled.

QMechanics & Success

I'm 16 years old and want to try out for my high school team next year. I didn't start pitching until about 2 months ago. I work hard on trying to improve my mechanics by which I get instruction from WebBall and the book The Act of Pitching. I've never played competitive baseball and I was wondering just how good are high school pitcher's mechanics? Do high school pitchers succeed because they do enough things right in their mechanics or are their mechanics very good.

AInteresting question. The answer is both. There are a lot of H.S. pitchers who are good - in the sense of successful at throwing with velocity and movement - despite what would be considered bad mechanics. A coach might ignore the fundamentals if he is getting results from a player. Ultimately, though, good mechanics - in our view - means not only throwing effectively, but efficiently, with less strain on the body - effortlessly. That will be the difference between short- and long-term success.

QMore Over the Top

I have a pitcher (12 years old) that refuses to pitch over the top, everything is side arm or 3/4s. What pitches should I teach him? I think he can get by on the fastball and change-up for another year but soon the hitters will be catching on to his limited types of pitches. I guess my question boils down to, other than fastball and change-up, what are the best pitches for a side arm pitcher to throw?

AReal question: How limited is he if he varies the arm angle? That can give a fastball a different, unpredictable look - it could be his strength not his problem. (Reag other WebBall comments opposed to 'cookie-cutter' coaching.

You might work next on a cut fastball - held slightly offcenter with more index finger pressure - it might sail interestingly (or uncontrollably) off a side-arm.

Now, if you really want him more over the top, it should only be because he lacks pitch control - not because you like it that way. After all, if it's unpredictable to the batter that's good, but if it creates surprises for the pitcher and his catcher - that's not so good.

If he has control, you are wise to leave him alone. If he does not, work on having him aim across his front shoulder/elbow (elbow held up horizontally) to the batter. Then get him to drop that sightline (shoulder to elbow) from the batter to the strike zone. It's a technique to bring the front shoulder down, and bring the back shoulder over the top.

QMore Wrist Snap?

My fastball seems to be really slow. Is it be that I don't have a wrist snap at the end?

AMany things affect velocity...
- the separation created between hips and shoulders (more torque is better).
- the loading of the upper arms (called scapular loading by some)
- a delay in hand break so that every part of the momentum transfer to throwing arm happens as late and as fast as possible.
- and yes the wrist snap - which is max velocity - the ball can't move faster than the hand that releases it.

QMost Common Flaw

What is the most common flaw in a young pitcher's delivery?

AWhere to start? Not enough spring action in the shoulder blades, not enough torque through the middle, not a good chest-over-stride forward-reaching release point, not a complete enough follow-through. (To produce more follow through and stretch towards the plate, think of getting your upper body 'over the wall', make sure your hand makes contact with opposite hip on completion.)

QNice and Loose

I'm a 14 yr old pitcher and I throw about 70-75mph with a 3/4 arm action. I've been working on getting good movement on the ball. When I throw and use my arm alot I get the heat on the ball but no movement. Then I tryed throwing with my arm real loose, just letting the ball sort of roll off my fingers instead of a hard pop, its kind of like a slinging motion. When I do that I get real good movement that moves inside on a right handed batter (I'm RHP). I have pretty good control and around the same speed. Could you just tell me what think about this?

AI think you're starting to understand the difference between throwing and pitching. It's amazing, isn't it, how subtle changes in the pressure of the ball off the finger tips can have so much impact on the motion of the pitch? (This is the secret of guys like Pedro Martine.)
And that relaxed arm is probably letting you get more full range motion and more whip action than you realize - your shoulder and elbow are less tight and you're pitching not aiming. That's decent speed at your age and you have a lot of potential for improvement. Keep it going!

QOutfield to Pitcher

My son is a senior in high school and has played the outfield for the last 3 years. His coach wants him to work on pitching for his senior year because his arm is so strong. I took him to a pitching coach that told him he needs to get his elbow up and get on top of the ball. I understand getting on top of the ball, but I see a lot of pitchers who's elbows are down and throw just fine. Should I find another coach or is he right in changing my sons mechanics.

AThe elbow up is correct - as long as you understand what is meant - from a line through the shoulders, the elbow should be at or above that line. But if the body is tilted over then from the perspective of 1 shoulder it might appear an elbow is down. Still, I would concentrate more on other aspects first - lower body power, consistent landing spot, firm glove side, chest to the glove (not tuck and pull) before I ever worried about elbow per se. As a wise coaching (Pete Wilkinson) once said to me - let the coach worry about the front (glove) side, and the player handle the back side (throwing arm and post leg).

QOver Striding

I'm a pitcher at a Division 3 school and I was wondering if you could help me. I just got done watching film of me and I figured out my problem but I don't know any good drills to help it. I stride too long which doesn't allow me to follow through all the way. I've done the towel drill and all the knee drills but none seem to be helping and was wondering if you knew of any others!

AWe get lots of stride questions at WebBall. Of all the advice I've heard (and given) I like the approach to keep the landing leg loos and just easy into the landing. But lately another idea has merit - the idea of leading with your heel. This will always keep your lead hip turned in and force your balance back (tall). The toes just come around on landing, it should really shorten your stride.

QPitch Timing

I have heard that a pitcher needs to release the baseball (from the stretch position) in 1.3 sec. to give the catcher a chance to throw out a baserunner. My question is, what is a good release time for the catcher? From the time the ball hits his glove until he releases it to second base, what is a good time?

AYou have it part right. The times are not from start to release or from catch to release but for the entire cycle. A pitcher from the beginning of his motion should get the ball into the catcher's glove in 1.3 seconds and the catcher from that instant should get the ball out of his glove and to 2nd base in 2 seconds. Why - because a runner takes 3.5 to 4 seconds to run the base - so 3.3 gets him out every time (in theory). Of course slow leg kick, pitch not easily caught, lots of stuff makes the norm less than perfect. (These are MLB times, youth league times will be based on the same principal - time required to beat the runner. See Player Norms for typical times at various ages.)

QPulled Off the Mound

I have a junior who pitchers side arm. When he throws heat it pulls him off the mound. His reflexes are very good as he is known for being a good fielding pitcher. My question is: should I be concerned of either his pitching style and or his coming off the mound?

ATempting as it is for coaches (okay, some coaches) to want to mould players in their own style with standard mechanics, sometimes if it ain't broke don't try to correct it. If he can throw with accuracy and effectively, if he can field well, and if the sidearm gives you something unexpected in your arsenal, then I wouldn't be concerned, I'd be happy. An added thought: the sidearm makes him a potentially very effective relief pitcher - after a second time through the batting order with your starter, nothing throws batters off more than a radically different delivery.

QPushing the Ball

My youngest son, age 6 throws the ball well. However, my oldest, age 8 has a tendency to push the ball when throwing and doesn't follow through. Any suggetsions for drills?

AThere's a page on correcting pitching faults in the WebBall BullPen area that might help (for fielders too) - in particular ideas like the towel drill.

Basically he is probably standing with both shoulders toward the target and not reaching back to throw across the body. (Both feet need to be in a line to the target - with the back toes perdendicular to the target line and the front toes at a 30-45 degree angle.)

QRHP Corrections

I have a ten yr. old son who is a right-hand pitcher ( as well as every other position in the line-up as well). I have been working with him on mechanics and he is doing great. He does not seem to have many control problems, however when he does, it is always one of two wild pitches; high and away (over the head of a right handed batter) or low and in (at the ankles of a left handed batter). Since the wild pitches are consistently in the same areas, any suggestions? Is it release point?

AAs a righty, it seems to be an issue of overthrowing to glove side. If so, it seems to be a function of alignment and stance perhaps as much as release point. I can't be sure without seeing, but here are some things to look for.

His front shoulder may be opening too early - if he is a pitcher who tucks and pulls his glove in and back, that should be corrected - you want the glove arm kept out front - we call it flip and pinch - flip the glove palm up and firm up (pinch) the arm muscles, then have his body come to the glove (rather than pull glove to body - this should bring his release point forward and down.) However, this will work best if he does not open any part of his front side too much or too soon.

Check his foot position on foot strike (front foot landing). You want him landing on the ball of the foot, toes pointed up the line. If he points directly at plate, or with heel down toes up - it needs work.

Also check that his head is level, and he has a 3/4 to high 3/4 arm slot. Too much elbow drop, or too much head tilt (if his arm slot is too high), and his pitches won't be staying within the zone. You may have to watch for a while to pick up each of these details before being able to spot the ones that need correcting. And if you find anything, try only one correction at a time. For other corrections, see the page on Pitching Faults.

QSide Arm

My son is 11 years old and a left handed side arm pitcher, and this is his first season pitching. My son has not had any problems with his coaches regarding his pitching style, but [someone] said coaches feel that a side-armer is a one dimensional player, unable to play the outfield because of his side arm, and that if he does not start throwing overhand soon, that by the time he is 15 his muscles will be set for side arm and he will not be able to learn to throw a curve. Are these concerns valid and should we be encouraging our son to throw overhand? We have had many comments from other local 'experts' that he will throw out his arm by the time he is 14.

ATwo answers. My own take on this was to simply say 'leave the kid be' - if it ain't broke don't fix it. Like many oft-perpetuated baseball myths, I think many people have it backwards - side-arming is in fact a more natural pitching style that does less damage to the rotator cuff. Although I will admit that I have struggled sometimes as a coach with a player whose fielding throws tended to drift sideways like his pitching style. But I'm not one to try to produce cookie-cutter players with everyone throwing the same way.

But that's just my opinion. So I decided to ask someone else who knows a thing or two about pitching. Here's his reply to your question...

Try NEVER to alter (genetic) arm path. Match up glove side in the equal and opposite mirror image and let mother nature run its course. ANY pitch can be thrown side arm AND if the boy can hit, run, and catch the ball, he can find a position as a side armer somewhere on the field.
Yours in baseball,
Tom House

Hope both our answers set your mind at easy. Let him do what comes naturally.

QSidearm or Submarine

I'm 16 and a sidearm pitcher who wants to convert to submarine style pitching. Where can I learn the proper mechanics for this style of pitching.

AI guess the first question is why? While I have coached some sidearm and submarine pitchers, I have never tried to instruct them that way. There are many issues related to muscle memory and consistency on all tailing pitches. We don't have anything specific but there is a drill I might suggest to help you see if you have the right feel for it.

Try this. With a partner as spotter, do some throws dry (no baseball in hand). Then throw dry same way with your eyes closed. Now get the ball and throw again with eyes closed. (Why you need a spotter.)

Do this complete drill sequence twice - once all sidearm (dry and blind) and once submarine (dry and blind). After the experience which felt more consistent internally, regardless of where the balls ended up (eyes open or closed)?

It's a short course way to determine if you want to pursue this more. The basic submarine pitch by the way is a palm-up two-seam fastball grip.

QSlide Steps

Somebody told me the other day that pitchers should not do a 'slide-step' when pitching from the stretch, but that they should try to bring their knee up to their chin. How right is he, and what are the advantages/disadvantages to each stride type? For instance, I am not a fast pitcher and I need the slide-step to keep fast runners from stealing on me and my catcher. What should I do?

AThe 'somebody' is wrong. I don't often say anything as an absolute but the purpose of being in the stretch is to shorten the lead time between the start of your pitching motion and release of the baseball. The big leg lift puts the long delay back in which, as you say, helps the runner get a jump.

However, and this is something to consider - there is no law that says you always have to do it the same way. If you feel the runner is not going on the 0-0 count but will be looking for a count that favors the batter, then you could do a big leg kick on the first pitch, then slide-step on the 2nd or 3rd.

The main argument against the slide step has always been that it takes away your pitch velocity. But most velocity comes from the torque in your throw not the forward movement. If the big leg kick helps develop torque/timing then you need to work on slide step timing that still allows you to torque the upper body. This will maximize your velocity on the slide-step delivery.

QStand Up Pitch

I've been having problems with my delivery. I can't seem to use my upper body to pull down on the ball and as a result, keep my pitches aound the knee. I've been getting rocked as of late because my coaches have been telling me that when I come down on my left/landing leg, I throw the ball standing up instead of bending my landing leg and using my momentum to bring my right leg of the rubber. Do you have any drills or know where I can find some that'll help me fix this mechanical problem? My coaches say that that is my number one problem and that once I can fix it I might have a definite presence on Varsity for next year.

AWebBall has a  page on correcting pitching faults. But it doesn't yet cover this problem. So I'll suggest a couple of things to you then add it there...

Two things may be happening...

1. your landing leg may be too stiff from the balance point (with your leg lifted before hands break, practice letting your foot hang loose and swing like a dead-weight pendulum, then as you swing the leg forward keep it loose - practice this without the baseball first)
2. your stride length may not be right for you - it could be too long so the chest never gets over top of it, or it could be too short a stride so that you stay tall. To determine which, where does your trailing leg land when it comes forward - try to adjust so they are in decent fielding position.

If that helps, great. If not - consider these mechanics and have someone observe what's happening with your chest and both legs - then write back with more details.

QStiff Pitching Leg

I have a ten year old that when he pitches, his lead leg stiffens and straightens as opposed to bending at landing. He has good accuracy, etc. He loves to pitch. What complications result in this and what are corrective measures?

AIt's always tough to answer these questions without seeing video. It may be that his stride is short allowing him to come up over the top on a stiff leg - a longer stride would force the leg to bend. But before you impose that change, consider that is he is doing okay know, the change may not be warranted just because stylistically he doesn't look right. Making a change will force him to get worse before he gets better again - both of you have to understand that risk and be willing to work through it. If you do go ahead, drills like the towel drill will put his focus on reach and release point out front with the arm (the last thing you want to do is make this about bending the leg and create too much conscious effort in the wrong place.)

QStride Length

I hear all the time that my stride length should be at least equal to my height, but whenever I try to get a longer stride my delivery flattens. A month ago I was throwing from flat ground and I threw so hard, with such a beautiful downward angle, but didn't worry about my stride lenghth. The only thing I worried about was my arm motion. I never again was able to throw in such a perfect fashion. I think it's got to do with the angle. I've been trying to force that downward angle from then on with no success. This is frustrating. I am almost sure it's got to do with my stride. What do you think?

ATwo answers to this one, first from WebBall's Richard Todd, based on former Blue Jay pitching coach Al Widmar's advice, and the second answer from 'Coach Thorn'. Same result, just two ways to think (or not think?) about stride length.

A wise old pro pitching coach once described to me a technique that worked for him. The first thing to understand is that each body action, from rocking back to elbow height to front shoulder tuck are part of successful mechanics. Perhaps least important should be what to do with the lead leg. He suggests practicing from the knee up position with the lower part of the leg dangling - very relaxed, almost a dead weight. Then as the hips rotate and the pitching arm comes forward, the front leg will just swing to where it's supposed to be - to a very soft landing with the knee pointing towards the batter. This makes sense to me. The front leg is just there for balance - to allow the chest to stretch forward over top of it - that's where the downward angle comes from - chest over knee. It's not the stride length itself, but how much forward body stretch it allows that really might make a difference.

Now the second answer from Coach Thorn

You answered your own question here. Concern yourself with proper arm action, getting into the high cocked position consistently at the right time with good balance and weight transfer, and let stride happen. Stride is a symptom not an illness.

Stride length is individual and generally is 80 to 100% of body height. If you're throwing from flat ground then your stride is going to be shorter anyway. Normal.

Probably by concentrating on your stride length you are getting your body too low at landing, rushing forward with your upper body and not getting your arm up in time. Will this flatten out the delivery angle? You betcha.

Concentrate on staying tall in your post up and drifting out (leading with your hip) to a good closed postion at foot plant. If your arm is up and your upper body is back, you'll get the good downward angle you're looking for. Lots of things here to work on, stride length however is not one of them.

QStride Length

How long should the stride be towards home plate?

AAs long as possible provided you can still get your chest over your landing knee and get good extension to the forward release point. An easy guideline is 90% of body length - lie down on your back the mound with your heels at the pitching plate and your head towards home then mark the dirt beside your neck - that's a good starting point. Use exercises like the Tom House towel drill (also well covered in the John Bagonzi book) to work on maximizing the release point.

QSurgical Tubing

Can you explain how 'surgical tubing around throwing arm' is helpful as mentioned in you throwing mechanics article?

ABy tieing tubing to the fence behind and gripping the tubing between fingers and palm, then 'dry throwing' from the fence toward the field, the arm gets enough resistance that the muscles try to find the path of least resistance. Then as you adjust, say, arm angle or the front shoulder tuck down, you'll get a better sense of what a good throwing angle should be. It combines resistance feedback and range of motion strengthening. The tubing is cheap and can be picked up at a local medical supplier store.

For a more exact approach - with correct resistance - consider the J-Bands that go around your wrist, or Arm Strong with the ball attachment.

QThrowing Sidearm

I have a player who throws sidearm really bad, to the point where she will hurt her arm. Can you give me some advice on how to cure this. Maybe you could explain what makes this happen. Is it because she has her arm below her shoulder?

AActually, I've never been convinced there's a medical reason not to throw side-arm. The worst pitching injuries are...

• rotator cuff - not a problem unless the elbow is ABOVE shoulder height;
• and elbow - caused more by attempts to throw screwballs and other side-slip pitches.

In fact, underhand pitching is actually a more natural movement - which is why fastpitch hurlers are so fast. So, unless she exhibits signs of pain during the game, side arm by itself is likely not a medical issue, however...

Medical issues aside, I believe there's a definite loss of accuracy with side arm, because of the side-spin drift of the ball. This makes it tough on batters (which is good) but also may produce more walks (which is bad).

If the results are poor, then a change in mechanics is in order. Start by breaking down the throwing action (see Tai Chi info in Coaching > Grass Roots) to focus on having both elbows up and even with shoulders. Get her to practice the hand-release-to-elbow-up move on its own before progressing to lead-arm tuck-in and throwing-arm over-the-top steps.

QToo Much Advice?

I am 16 years old, ninth grade, southpaw, varsity freshman, My problem is people keep telling me different things about getting speed and control..Some people tell me to push off the mound and some tell me to fall off the mound! ( I am falling off right now) and I just need to bring up my speed and control for the varsity level. I was wondering about the balance and the step, and how much of a stride I should get when I began to fall? I have been to many camps but i just cant seem to get it down!

AMaybe too much advice IS your problem. I don't know if I can simplify this or will add to your confusion.

1. I have definitely been in the fall-from-tall camp, but now have syed away from gravity approach to a more kinetic approach (drive up through the post position, let back hip collapse trigger forward stride.) The best advice I've heard on stride is to go no farther than where you can keep the landing foot soft or really get the chest over the knee.

2. I would concentrate more on the hip rotation and keeping the front shoulder and front foot in - so you can get as much torque as possible.

3. Also pitchers with a higher 3/4, more over the top delivery (front shoulder drops to bring the back shoulder over) tend to have more control - but it can be harder on teh rotator cuff.

4. And also for control always make sure you have your knuckles on top of the ball (do you know the old 'thumb to thigh, circle to the sky' reminder?)

Whatever you do - try only one change at a time - keep everything the same but adjust one thing only in a warm-up routine. If it seems to work better in that game, then stick with it. If not then go back to what you did before and try something else.

You know, overall, you may be trying to think out there too much - not feeling it. One drill I like is to have a pitcher throw with eyes shut (do clear the area first!) That way you can feel the throw.

QTrailing Arm

I am a high school pitcher and I have a very bad problem of my arm trailing and when I do this I have a tendency to throw the pitch up and away to right handed batters a lot. I have a difficult time coming inside on a right handed pitcher, even though I am on the third base side of the rubber. My arm angle is a little below 3/4, and I get a lot of movement, which is how I have always thrown. Can you suggest any drills I can do to help correct my arm from trailing so I can get in the proper arm slot and get out in front and control my pitches?

AThis a tough one for us. If we could see some video it might help. The reason it's a challenge is that many pitchers aren't doing what they think they are doing. Are you assuming the arm is trailing because your release point is high? Or is it because of your "up and away" result. It actually sounds as if you might be throwing over your body too much which is causing you to almost be reaching around your front side on release, rather than waiting until your chest is over your landing knee. It might also be that your arm angle is not what you think it is. If the shoulders are level and your upper body is not titled to third (unlikely given what you describe) then you are truly throwing with a low arm angle so you are sweeping across instead of staying on top. More likely is that with your body tilted over your elbow may be in line with both shoulders but that your body is taking you away from the plate and so the arm compensates by throwing it away (again, as noted, across the body.) If you do not have video than you'll need a friend with good eyes. Ask them to look at your shoulders - are they level - or is there a pronounced head tilt? Ask them to check your strike foot on landing - is it slightly closed on the inside ball - or too open or too closed? Ask them to look only at your glove arm - does it stay out front, or do you pull it in and pull your upper body around too soon? All of these are important clues and often the clues point the way to the best solution.

QUp Down Out?

How do I get my 14 year old lefty to get more of his lower body and hips into the pitch? I'm well aware of the "up down and out" theory as opposed to the "up out and down", but when I look at film of pitchers like Koufax he definitely does not bring the leg back down and then out. It's more of high leg kick and a long stride from the high point in the kick. I know over rotating as Kevin Brown does is not a good idea, but I'm trying to get him to feel somewhat of a pendulum type of feel from his hips. Is the "up, down and out" theory the absolute best? and should we just keep on working on it?

AThese are the kind of questions we like: they challenge our pre-conceptions; they makes us justify the instruction we provide; and they give us pause to consider how teaching the game has - and hasn't - changed over the years.

Koufax had a distinctive delivery to be remembered, but I always question whether anyone should look at pros, especially someone like Koufax, as your guide - his delivery was uniquely what worked for his body. Also, the trouble with looking at the outside for what forces are at work under the clothing and skin is that you are getting only a little bit of the picture. It is possible but unlikely that anyone's son is the next Koufax.

But that would also mean he would have to have that same stride length which is not typical. A longer stride will work if the chest can still get way over the front knee - which means an exceptional amount of leap forward off the back leg.

If anyone's son can do it and stay contained and get good whip action and release velocity well up there, then maybe. But in my view up-down-out keeps the body contained longer so that when the back hip drives out and torques the upper body forward, it is later in the delivery and therefore the arm action has more snap to it. I find that up-out-down results in everything including shoulders opening too soon and so there is less left for rotating the throwing side forward. (I expect and welcome counter-arguments on this one.)

QWhy Some Throw Faster

Let's say a skinny ball player can throw 80mph, and he starts working out, and he gets really strong. Will he throw harder than he did before? What makes the ball go faster? I mean, why can some people throw harder than others?

AThis answer offers several key points to remember...

1. Don't confuse size with strength.
2. Don't confuse strength with power.
3. Don't assume power is everything.

A pitcher with good mechanics can improve by strengthening his legs and trunk then his back and chest then his shoulder and arm. Note the order of priority in working out - thighs, hips and abs first. Also note the phrase "with good mechanics". If the trunk turn, the leg lift, the shoulder alignment, the arm slot, the grip, the release extension and a full follow-through are all done well, then proper weight training can help. But if you just focus on lifting weights, it won't matter. Classic example - Pedro Martinez - strong trunk, great arm action.

QWill It Hurt

This is my first year in the -- minor baseball league and I am a pitcher. I have been told not to throw a curve ball cause it will ruin your elbow. I am 14 years old. Will it hurt my arm? Can I keep throwing curve balls?

AYes it can ruin your elbow - if not taught properly, if not thrown properly, if you have not started to strengthen the muscles, if your growth plates (elbow joint) are still maturing. By 14 you can start developing a good curveball - but you need proper in-person instruction and it sounds like your coach doesn't want you to throw it because either he can't teach it or he is concerned about your arm strength.

QWind-Up Speed

Is it better for a pitcher's windup to go slow, fast, or medium?

AIt doesn't matter until you have come to pivot. After the turn and start of leg lift, faster mechanics are best. Before then it is simply to get you into a comfortable rhythm so you are focused.