Category Archives: Pitching
Knuckles to nose
One of the challenges of throwing the backhand change is getting rid of the hump in the pitch — the tendency for the ball to go up slightly before dropping down on its way to the plate. The hump causes two big problems — it hangs it up high, where it’s easier to hit, and it also makes it easier to see.
The basic cure is to not let the ball go all the way to the bottom of the circle. Instead you want to finish flat, or parallel to the ground. Easier said than done.
Once cue I’ve found that works pretty well is to tell the pitcher to take her knuckles to the catcher’s nose, or knuckles to nose for short. As she comes into the last part of the pitch she should take her knocking knuckles in a straight line as though she’s trying to punch the catcher in the nose. The nose is generally about the height the hand will come through if it raises slightly above the bottom of the circle. You can even bring her up close to the catcher and show the difference between a straight in “punch” and an uppercut to the chin, which would require the hand to go all the way to the bottom of the circle.
It seems to be pretty effective, and is fun for the pitcher too.
Driving off the back foot
Lately I’ve been putting a lot of emphasis on driving the front knee out and up at launch. As well as that has been working, it’s important not to forget pushing off the back foot too.
The key thing is getting the timing right. You don’t want the feet to get too far apart from each other. That means the push off the back foot needs to come as the front knee is driving out.
Again, the object of all of it is to get the body/center of gravity moving forward effectively. This seems to be more difficult for some than others. I’ve observed some pitchers can push off strongly without much thought. Others will drive the front knee out, but just straight out or lock the back leg, which acts more as an anchor than an outboard engine when trying to get off the pitching rubber.
A good indicator is where the back foot is by the time the arm gets up to 12:00. By that point the back foot should already be dragging forward off the pitching rubber. A camera phone will show that. If it’s not coming forward the pitcher is not getting good back leg drive. You will need to correct that in order to maximize pitch speed and effectiveness.
Video is one of the best allies in this one. Show the pitcher what she’s doing, explain how to change it, and work on that foot work. You should see an improvement in speed in a short period of time.
The Law of Opposites
While that is just a bit in the movie, it definitely has an application in pitching. I call it the Law of Opposites. Essentially, it states that in order to perform any movement pitch, you need to take your body in the opposite direction from the way you want the ball to move.
There’s nothing new per se in this idea. For example, pretty much everyone teaches that to throw a curve ball the pitcher should step across the power line. What’s new here is a way of explaining it so it makes more sense, especially to youth players. In my experience they seem to be able to grasp the concept better as a universal law rather than a separate set of instructions for each pitch.
According to the Law of Opposites:
- To make the ball go left (as in a curve ball from a right handed pitcher) you must first go right.
- To make the ball go right, (as in a screwball from a right handed pitcher) you must first go left.
- To make the ball go down, you must first go up (get on top of the drop ball).
- To make the ball go up, you must first go down (get under the rise ball).
I’ve been getting good results with the Law of Opposites. And it allows me to walk around like the Mystery Men guru, sounding wise. What could be better?
Leaning into the drop ball
Getting the proper lean, however, is tougher than it might seem. Often times instead of leaning out the pitcher will bend at the waist. She feels like she is forward and over the front foot, but really her weight is more centered. A cue I’ve found that works is to tell the pitcher to look down at her T-shirt. If there’s something written on it, tell her to get the first word or words out over her front foot.
The effect is to help her get her upper chest out over the front. If she does that it will set up the proper angle. Then (if she hits the release point) she will be able to get the sharp downward break.
Making the curve ball work
We’ve been putting a lot of emphasis on leading the elbow, and getting it in front of the hip. It’s that getting it in front of the hip thing that has been the key.
When the elbow gets in front, it sets up the proper angle to cut not only under the ball but across the body from right to left. It helps get better side spin on the ball.
When the elbow stays on the side, or behind the hip, it tends to make the ball go straight. You may get the correct spin on the ball, but it won’t get the right to left angle that will help it break.
When you get in front of the hip, though, and get the hand underneath the ball of course, you can get the nice, tight side spin that leads to great ball movement. It’s a thing of beauty.
The peel drop — It’s all in the butt
I will also explain need to keep the hips open until the arm passes (rather than slamming the door shut) by stating that in the war between butt and ball, butt always wins. It’s a more fun way of making the point that two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time, so if the butt is in the way the arm will have to go round it, causing the pitch to go somewhere it’s not supposed to go.
Now lately for the drop ball I’ve been explaining the release point by stating the hand needs to pass next to the butt rather than down at the thigh. If it comes past the butt (or hip) the pitch starts higher, allowing it to start as a strike rather than getting too low immediately.
Understand that I don’t necessarily teach the peel drop the same way as some other coaches. I’ve never much cared for the “slide the paper out” method. It seems unnatural and potentially dangerous to the shoulder to me. Just one man’s opinion. Instead, I like the elbow to drive down and the hand to flatten out so it’s palm down behind the leg/butt, like you’re trying to slap a hand back there. Then as the hand comes forward it goes somewhat over the ball, and when the wrist snaps it is adding that little extra bit of spin. If you use this method then bringing the hand past the butt makes sense.
Referring to the butt seems to be a good way of making the point and keeping it more fun. Butts are funny. Gotta go with what works.
Keeping the back foot down
In any case, this one is about a fairly common problem with fastpitch softball pitchers — lifting the back foot when they push off. The rules, of course, state the back foot is supposed to remain in contact with ground until the ball is delivered. Many pitchers, especially those trying to get some good leg power into it, seem to have trouble with something that seems like it should be very simple. Although to be honest most umpires won’t call it anyway unless it’s really blatant. Still, we like to play the rules so let’s try to solve it.
There are some good drills that attempt to address it. One of my favorites is Cheri Kempf’s drill where you put a piece of paper or cardboard down in front of the pitcher’s rubber, and then try to drag it forward as the foot moves forward. That will treat the symptom, and will probably help if practiced enough. But it doesn’t address the reason that foot is coming off the ground in the first place.
In my experience, the thing that causes the foot to come off the ground about six inches or so is that the ankle gets locked on launch. And that is often caused by turning the pivot foot too much during the launch phase in a desire to get to the open position. In other words, a right handed pitcher will turn the toes way to the right (toward third base) instead of leaving them pointed forward at the plate and the catcher. When that happens the push-off comes off the instep of the pivot foot, the ankle locks, and the foot comes off the ground.
So how do you change it? Start with making sure the toes remain pointed at the catcher, or mostly so, so the ankle can flex — much like it flexes when a basketball player goes up for a layout. As the push-off occurs, push off the ball of the foot and roll up onto the toes. It’s not too tough a move — anyone who walks does it every day. Flexing the ankle and pushing off the ball of the foot should cause the toes to point down, allowing the foot to drag lightly across the ground. If you see a big divot in the ground, you’re not getting “up” enough and you’re losing leg speed.
The toes forward/ankle flex is a movement that can be practiced without a field, gym, or even a ball. All you need is about eight feet of unrestricted space. Start by focusing just on the feet and legs, without using a full motion with the arms. Once you’re comfortable with that, add the rest of the pitching motion, again without a ball. When you can do it reliably without the ball, add the ball. The problem should be solved.
Pitchers, get your butts in gear
This post is more about what you should be feeling when you drive off the rubber. There is a tendency for young pitchers to reach out their front foot, leaving a big spread between their feet, then dragging their back foot up to complete the pitch. This action will pull them forward, but not as powerfully as it could.
If you really drive the front knee forward, you should feel your butt pulling forward as well. This is your center of gravity moving toward the plate. If you get that happening you will generate more momentum into the pitch, which will help increase pitch speed — especially because you will have to increase your arm speed to keep up with your feet.
It takes a little getting used to, but it’s definitely worth the effort. Remember: the key is the butt. Get it in gear.
Sacrificing speed for control
Here’s another one that’s said a lot that drives me crazy. A pitcher will be in pitching a game. Apparently couldn’t find the plate if it was made uranium and she had a Geiger counter, so her coach advises her to “slow it down and throw strikes” or something to that effect.
I understand why it’s being said. If your pitcher keeps walking everyone it’s going to be tough to win the game. But having your pitcher slow down her motion in order to gain control is extremely counter-productive, both for her and for the team. If she has been working very hard to learn to be an effective pitcher, asking her to completely change what she’s doing is going to set her back. You’d actually be better off taking her out and putting someone else in there. After all, if speed doesn’t matter and you just want strikes, that isn’t that tough of a goal. You can put pretty much anyone in there to lob meatballs in order to avoid the almighty walk.
What got me thinking about this one is an article that re-ran recently in a business newspaper called Investors Business Daily, or IBD for short. In addition to the usual business articles about corporations and such they like to run articles about leadership and success. It just so happened that I picked up the issue where they were talking about a particular major league baseball pitcher who had the very same problem we’re discussing. He threw hard, but he was wild.
According to the article, when the pitcher had been in the league a couple of years “He’d go six or seven innings, throw 160 pitches, walk seven guys, strike out 15.” His strikeout-to-walk ratio ran close to 1:1 for several years, starting in the minors and continuing to the majors. He could chuck his fastball in the high 90s, which helped keep his ERA low (and kept him in the majors) but it could go anywhere. Think Nuke Lalouche in Bull Durham. He was also advised to slow down and get the ball over, ut he kept working at it, making changes in his mechanics to improve his control instead. It took a while, but he eventually harnessed his speed, and in six years made four All-Star teams, finished in the top 10 in Cy Young award voting five times (winning one) and dominated the game. The pitcher’s name? Randy Johnson.
In the same article, pitching coach Brent Strom is quoted as saying “With a pitcher like Johnson, who throws very hard but wild, you’re better off letting him be wild for a while. There’s a saying: ‘The best way to ruin a pitcher is to try and make him a pitcher.’ We take these guys who are a little wild, and we immediately want to slow them down to get more control. Invariably guys go from throwing 98-99 mph and wild to 91 and still wild. Taking away what a pitcher does best is the wrong thing to do.”
Yes, it can be hard to watch the girl you thought would be your ace walking half the Western world in a single game. But assuming she is practicing and taking lessons to learn her craft, you’re not doing her any favors by telling her to slow down. All you’re doing is taking away the one thing in her that made you want her in the first place.
Control is not a goal. It’s not something you have to work at separately. It is a result of good mechanics plain and simple. Encourage your pitchers to use their bodies properly to throw the ball and you’ll see plenty of strikes. Maybe not today, but it will happen if they work at it properly.
And don’t even bother telling her to “just throw strikes.” That’s a waste of breath, because unless she’s just emerged from a cave for the first time ever she knows she’s supposed to be throwing strikes. It’s just a lot harder than it looks.
Always like to hear the good news
Back in early April (I think) I had the opportunity to watch one of my pitching students in action. Her HS team was playing my daughter’s HS team. To say that Kristen struggled that game would not be an exaggeration. Part of it, her dad told me, was that she was nervous pitching while I was there. (That is part of the female psyche from what I’ve read — she didn’t want to disappoint her coach, whereas I was looking forward to seeing how she was doing.) In any case, between a weak defense and some control trouble it was a tough game for her. She finally came out in the last inning, replaced by a lobber.
We didn’t have a lesson that week, but she came in the following week and we got right to work. We were able to get one more in after that, and at that point I told her two things. One is that she was definitely ready to pitch, so get out there and do it with the confidence. The other was not to get frustrated if the defense struggles. Just keep pitching your game and let the rest fall as it may.
I had the opportunity to check in on her again one Monday night so I stopped by to watch her game. She was doing better but still had a rough point in one inning. Still, it was only that one inning.
Last night I received an update from dad, Joe. He told me in a recent game she struck out 17 hitters on her way to picking up a victory. She also came into another game where she struck out eight in three innings. She’s on top of the world right now.
It would’ve been easy for her to give up and say “I can’t do this.” But that’s not in her nature. Kristen stuck with it, focused on the things we identified together, and is now reaping the rewards. It doesn’t get any cooler than that.
Life in the Fastpitch Lane 