Throwing in a controlled manner as a pitcher
Pitchers are at the center of the action. Together with the catcher, they decide which pitch they want to throw in a certain game situation. Regular and varied practice of “throwing in a controlled manner as a pitcher” enables injury-free pitching in the long term through a variety of specific training forms and increases the likelihood that the throw will land in the strike zone.
In this learning module you will learn about the factors for a successful pitch, the basic positions and the differences between the different pitches.
There are two different basic stances in baseball, the windup position and the set position. The choice of stance depends on whether there are runners on the bases. Which stance would you choose in the following game situations (red dots = runners)?
Think about what you would pay attention to in the pitching movement, write down your points and only then watch the video.
Practice the pitching movement in a varied and holistic manner. Make sure your pitchers can experience for themselves as to when their movement allows them for controlled pitching. This consolidates the optimal pitching movement in the long term and enables varied, successful pitching.
Make sure the language is simple to understand, e.g. using metaphors and images so that young people can understand your instructions and feedback. Work with developmental issues to engage youth in the learning process. What metaphor would you use to convey this coaching point?
Swing leg up and turn hips out
Fall forward and spread your arms
After landing on your foot, release the front of the ball and let your arm swing out
Be ready to field the ball
Different grips and different release points give different rotations to the thrown ball. These lead to different trajectories and make it difficult for the opposing batter to hit the ball optimally.
Individual differences in the throwing motion are normal. There is no perfect throwing motion and it can vary greatly depending on your body type. This includes the angle of the throwing arm, the extent of the leg swing and the arm swing.
When communicating with the catcher, the optimal pitch is chosen depending on the game situation and the opposing batter. The choice of pitch depends on the batter's position.
- Is she/he further forward or further back in the batter's box?
- Is she/he closer to home plate or further away?
Look at the photos and think about why you would choose which pitch. Then turn the card over and compare your thoughts with those on the back.
Pitching puts a lot of strain on your shoulders and elbows. Make sure that the affected body parts are warmed up well before any activity and that you do regular shoulder stabilization exercises. For example with these exercises
Practice as often as possible in specific game situations. This way you can teach your young pitchers how to pitch in a variable, playful and sustainable way.
Pitcher, catcher and batter stand in a row. The batter's position cards face down on the floor. The batter turns over a card and stands further forward, back, closer or further away in the batter's box depending on the instructions on the card. The pitcher throws the appropriate pitch depending on the batter's position.
Variant: The coach turns the card and shows the catcher which pitch the pitcher should throw. The batter stands where he wants.
Two pitchers take turns pitching to three imaginary batters, trying to get strike outs. The catcher calls the pitches. He constantly varies the pitches (fastball, curve...) The catcher decides on balls or strikes. On the first batter, pitchers throw from the windup position; when a batter reaches base with four balls, they must move to the set position. Goal: Get three outs with as few pitches as possible.
Variation: Put a real batter in the batter's box.
How do you assess the coach's feedback? What advice would you give the coach to encourage the youth's pitching development??
There is no perfect throwing motion and this can vary greatly depending on your body type. Not all pitchers have a 90° angle in their throwing arm. Allow individuality. Intervene where movement may cause injury in the short or long term.
The feedback should be limited to the essentials and well justified (e.g. “it is important that the arm is kept as close to the body as possible to avoid injuries”). Less is more and it is important that you limit yourself to one or a maximum of two points and address them. Make sure to regularly use questions and metaphors when providing feedback. Ask your young pitchers targeted development questions to encourage them to think about their pitch and support them in finding solutions/improvements on their own. This stimulates young people's self-reflection, sustainably promotes individual movement learning and enables participation and self-efficacy.
"When a young pitcher in our practice has difficulty keeping her/his elbow higher, I ask her/him where her/his elbow points when throwing. Or if she/he rotates her hips too late or too early, I might ask her/him if she/he felt she/he generated enough force forward and how she/he could try to generate more force."
Another effective approach is implicit learning through the design of the practice form. This means that the exercise is designed in such a way that the young pitcher has to adapt her/his movement within a narrower solution framework.