Category Archives: Pitching
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.
Pitch speed isn’t everything
Over the weekend I had the opportunity to watch a game (on TV) between the University of Tennessee and LSU. It was an excellent matchup of two very good SEC teams — who were rated #1 and #5 respectively at the time.
While it had all the usual drama and some great plays, I noticed something kind of unusual that seemed to go against the conventional wisdom. When Monica Abbott threw a pitch, it generally registered in the 65-67 mph range. No surprise there. That’s what everyone expects a D1 pitcher at a top-rated program to throw.
But then when Dani Hofer was in the circle for LSU, the numbers were “shocking.” I never saw a pitch speed above 58 mph, and frequently she was below that number. LSU did lose that game 2-1, but Hofer was only charged with 1.08 earned runs. Interestingly, their other pitcher (Emily Turner) got two wins, but received a little more offensive support from her team. Had Hofer gotten the same number of runs she’d have had a win.
I thought it was pretty amazing, especially in this era when people claim to have seen 10 year olds who throw 65+ with eight different pitches. Hofer was obviously moving the ball well, hitting her locations, pitching to weaknesses, and getting hitters to swing at pitches they didn’t like. She only struck out five, but it didn’t matter that much.
The reason I point it out is there are a lot of pitchers out there who may never crack the 60 mph mark, much less throw consistently in the mid-60s. Their DNA, size, number of fast twitch muscles, or other factors simply may not allow it. But it doesn’t mean they can’t be effective.
Hofer is definitely a testament to the saying I used on the back of my T-shirts this year: it’s not how good you are, it’s how bad you want it. I’ll bet most D1 teams wouldn’t even give her a first glance, much less a second. But with a record of 21-2 I’ll bet some of them wish they had.
Using the front knee
Like most other pitching coaches, I have always put a lot of emphasis on having a strong push off the pitching rubber. I encouraged pitchers (and continue to do so) to bend that pivot leg knee, get into the ground, and fire out hard.
But when I videotaped my students and watched them back in slow motion I noticed an interesting phenomenon. Despite their working hard to drive off the rubber with the back leg, it seemed more like they were simply reaching out with their front legs until the back leg pushed them off. In other words, the legs were getting spread pretty far apart, and they really didn’t come off the pitching rubber until the arm was past the 12:00 position. So even though some of them were getting out 6′ to 7′, it still didn’t look like it was as powerful a drive as I was looking for.
There were a few exceptions, though. I notice a few, especially the older girls, were already coming forward off the rubber by the time their arms reached the 12:00 position. Determined to figure out what the difference was, I dutifully sat in front of my computer, running video clips back and forth, until the light bulb came on.
The difference was in the stride leg knee. On the girls who were coming forward before or at 12:00, the stride leg knee was firing out like a front snap kick in karate, with the foot following afterwards. On those who weren’t getting out there, the foot was leading, creating more of a reach than a pull.
Seeing that, I stood up to try it. My family is used to me throwing pitches on the field in my mind so they barely take interest, except my wife who has noticed some banana-shaped marks in the carpeting in the family room and on the new tile floor in the basement. The things we do for fastpitch softball!
In any case, what I found when I worked harder on driving the knee out is that it engaged the muscles in my ample behind and helped pull me off the pitching rubber more quickly and powerfully. The more I drove that front knee, the faster and more powerful the movement became. I had to speed up my arm circle in order to keep up, and that’s usually a good thing.
Since I liked it I started introducing the concept of driving the front knee to my students. While it sometimes actually makes them slower at first because they’re not used to it, once they get the hang of it they show speed improvements — both visibly and against the radar gun. Driving that front knee out there can add 2 mph almost instantly, and probably more as it becomes a habit. It definitely helps engage the entire body more.
This is not anything I’ve seen taught anywhere specifically. About the closest I’ve seen is Michele Smith talking about stepping over a box as you go forward. But I have seen a few pitchers execute that instruction without adding to their power. The nice thing about talking about driving the front knee is that it is something you can demonstrate.
Tell the pitcher she needs to drive her front knee out and then up. Then grab behind her knee and gently but quickly pull it in that direction. They’ll get the idea soon enough, especially when they feel their whole body go forward when it goes out.
The middle joint is the key to many athletic movements. Looks like this is one more.
What it takes to succeed
Everyone likes to talk about what it takes to succeed, whether in softball or in life. One of the words used frequently is dedication. Yet does dedication really mean? Does that mean you attend all team practices and games? Do you work on your own? Is it something else?
Last night I saw a great example of what dedication truly means. My last pitching lesson of the night was at 9:30. It was for a high school sophomore named Erica. She was there on time, but there was something in the way she was warming up that made me ask a question. I asked if she’d had a game earlier in the evening.
Yes, she and her dad responded. Then they told me the game ran nine innings, resulting in a 1-0 loss on a throwing error. I have to admit I did a double-take before asking them, “And you still came here?”
“Yes,” the dad replied, “although we did talk about not doing it.” Ultimately, though, I’m sure the decision was left to Erica, and she decided she wasn’t satisfied with a nine-inning two-hitter. She wanted to come in and work on her screwball, and this was her only chance for the week.
Not a lot of players in the same situation would’ve made that decision. You could certainly justify blowing off a pitching lesson after throwing nine innings in falling temperatures already. I wouldn’t have blamed them. But those who really want more will look at the options, fight through the fatigue, and work on getting better.
She hasn’t been my student for long, but I can see why Erica has achieved the success she has. Makes me proud to be a part of her softball education.
The difference determination makes
Had another one of those experiences last night that goes to prove once again that it’s not the teacher, it’s the student that makes the success.
One of my pitching students, a young lady named Rae Ann, has been working on learning the screwball all winter. She actually has the spin down, and has had it for a while. But she has been unable to get her arm to go along the right path to get it over the plate. She has consistently been well inside on her throwing side (lefty pitcher).
Last night the pitch was 95% there. A few missed inside still, but she was getting a lot of them over with good movement. Her dad told me she went out for three hours to work on it one day over the weekend, then spent another hour outside the next day doing the same thing. She had decided that she was going to get this pitch, come hell or high water, and darned if she didn’t!
Learning new things, whether it’s a pitch, hitting, playing a musical instrument, or even riding a bicycle doesn’t happen overnight. It only happens when you are determined to make it happen. Once you make that decision to achieve a goal, and that nothing will stop you, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
It was exciting to see Rae Ann throwing that pitch. I’m sure it will serve her well this summer. More importantly, though, the lesson she learned about working at something you really want will serve her well long after her softball days are done.
The biggest thrill an instructor can have
Well, at least this instructor. Every time I teach someone a new pitch and they get it to work consistently I have to admit I get a little charge out of it.
The latest example was last night. I’ve been working with a girl named Shannon for a couple of (or maybe a few) weeks now on developing a curve ball. She’s throwing a good drop and an excellent change, both with very good mechanics, so it seemed like a pitch that would break off the plate when she’s ahead would be just the ticket.
We went through the usual learning steps — starting with the spin (using the frisbee, then a ball), drilling it from close range, then getting back into a full pitch. She’s been working a lot on getting it to spin correctly, which is a combination of wrist movement and overall body control.
Last night we started up on it again, and at first we were getting either bullet spins or more of a 12 to 6 spin like a fastball or drop. Then all of a sudden it clicked for her. She started getting side spin, then faster side spin, and before you knew it she had a pitch that looked like it was going to be an outside fastball until right before the plate then bam! Off it goes, about a ball and a half off the corner. It was a thing of beauty.
I’m not sure who was the most excited — Shannon, her dad Randy, or me! But it was pretty cool. I love it when a plan comes together — and the student actually works on what we do in between lessons!
Why I love this (coaching) job
Last night I had one of those moments that makes it all worthwhile. A couple of weeks ago I had a new student start. Her dad brought her to me for a sample lesson after she’d been with another pitching coach for three years. He said in that time he hadn’t seen her progress.
I had her throw a few pitches and said I could see why. The mechanics she’d been taught were not really in line with what we know now. It looked like it was the theories of 10+ years ago — particularly how she was working so hard to “close the door.” Most of her pitches were in the dirt and inside off the plate, and so-called movement pitches all had a basic 12-6 spin. I told them what I would do if she came to me and explained why. The next day they set up some regular lessons.
But it wasn’t an automatic. At first, as I worked with her to stay open and drive straight in instead of closing the door I could see she was skeptical. That’s ok — what I said totally contradicted what she’d been told for three years, and while she may not have been particularly effective with it she was comfortable with it. But she dutifully complied. After the second lesson I pointed out to her that while she was working on doing what I said in order to comply (rather than totally buying in) her control troubles had gone away.
Still, she wasn’t quite convinced yet. Her dad e-mailed me asking if I could point to some clips she could watch so she could understand what I wanted better. That may have been the reason, or it could’ve been that they wanted to see if my statement that what I teach is what the top-level do was really true or whether I was just feeding them a line. I sent a link to some online clips and told them who to watch and what to look for.
Last night this girl came in for her lesson and she was spot-on with what I wanted her to do. Well, every now and then she went back to the old ways but I’d say 97% were the right mechanics. That effort was rewarded with excellent control and speed. We worked on her changeup, improving that, and got her going on a true screwball — one that spins in toward a hitter rather than 12-6 as she’d been throwing before. She was quite thrilled with the progress and now totally enthused with what we’re doing.
I have to say it made my night. This girl has some talent, and with a lot of work and some proper instruction she should do well. It’s fun when it all comes together.
Some validation
Had a kind of fun experience over the weekend. My daughter attended a half-day pitching camp with Michele Smith and Cat Osterman at the local high school. During the camp, Michele explained the fundamentals of pitching, then she and Cat worked with the various pitchers to try to help them get to where they need to be.
Validation #1 was that what Michele said is what I teach. Not just mostly, but pretty much exactly. While I am confident in what I’m doing, especially with the results I’ve been able to help my students achieve, it’s still good to get that sort of reinforcement.
Validation #2 was what happened when Michele and Cat were walking around working with the girls. When they got to my daughter, neither of them wanted to change anything. Not one thing! Both said she looked very good and should keep doing what she was doing. In fact, the only change was a different grip on her curve ball, which got her pretty excited. She said it was breaking better than ever.
Of course, #2 is more a tribute to her than me. She did the work — I just pointed the way to it. But I was glad to see her get that kind of reinforcement from two pitchers who have achieved so much success.
By the way, Michele is an excellent instructor. Very friendly and approachable while being very knowledgeable. I’m not big on these one-day clinics, but if you’re looking for tweaks rather than learning from scratch, Michele’s is a good one.
It’s like being psychic
Earlier today I put up a post about coaching, and mentioned that being a good (or great) player doesn’t necessarily qualify you to be a coach. I was speaking in general terms at the time.
But tonight I heard what one of my students was told at a clinic that featured some NPF players, including one very big pitching superstar. You would think this woman would know what she was talking about since she’s had a lot of success.
When I asked her what this person said, the first thing my student mentioned was that the woman told her she should touch her hand to shoulder for her follow-through. Ugh! That is horrible advice that will likely lead to elbow trouble. You never want to force a follow-through. You want it to be loose and relaxed. Bill Hillhouse advocates finishing across the body. I’m not too picky as long as it’s loose and natural. Incidentally, this woman, who is still playing, has pretty much no follow-through herself. She definitely doesn’t touch her shoulder when she throws a pitch. But here she’s telling an impressionable young girl to do it.
She also told her to snap her wrist. Now that I know she does herself, but mostly because she has no follow-through. If she finished her pitches, as I’ve mentioned before, the wrist would snap on its own. Again, you’ll hear Bill Hillhouse saying the same thing, and he should know — he’s been there and done that for a long time.
The point is, don’t just take someone’s word for it. Even if they have a gold medal. Make sure whatever you’re told makes sense and you’ll have a longer, more successful career.
Life in the Fastpitch Lane 