Rethinking Pitching

10/19/2007

I never set out to become a pitching guru.
     Instead, I am merely the father of two young boys (12 and 7), both of whom love baseball and look like they are going to be decent pitchers.
     The problem was that, as I set out to learn as much as I could about pitching in order to help coach my sons and the other pitches on their teams, I quickly learned five things about the conventional wisdom about pitching.
     First, much of the conventional wisdom about pitching isn't helpful. Among other things, it doesn't help pitchers throw strikes. That is due to a variety of factors, including being based on a flawed understanding of how the body works.
     Second, much of the conventional wisdom about pitching is contradictory. In many cases different pitching gurus hold diametrically opposed views of what good pitching mechanics look like.
     Third, much of the conventional wisdom about pitching has no scientific basis. I am a scientifically-minded person, and as I dug into the world of pitching knowledge, I found that extremely little of it was based on science. Instead, much -- if not most -- of it is based on what everybody knows. Unfortunately, too often what everybody knows simply isn't so.
     Fourth, much of the conventional wisdom about pitching is dangerous. The problem is that in many cases the advice that is given to solve certain flaws does just that but also increases the likelihood that the pitcher will injure themselves. What's more, in some cases advice that is sold as decreasing the likelihood that a pitcher will injure themselves will likely have the opposite effect; it will increase the likelihood that they will injure themselves.
     Finally, much of the conventional wisdom about pitching is focused on velocity and ignores things like control. I believe that, while they do have some common ground, there is a huge difference between throwing and pitching; that to be successful a pitcher has to have more than just velocity. Instead, they must also have good control and be able to throw a variety of pitches that will allow them to deceive batters and interfere with their timing.
     As a result, I have spent the past year trying to get to the truth about how pitchers really pitch, how and why they are effective, and how and why they get injured (or don't). I have put together this web site to share what I have learned with other people. I hope you find it both helpful and interesting.

Essays About Pitching
I have written a number of essays that compile some of the best advice that I have found with respect to pitching.

Coaching New Pitchers
I have put together a page of essays specifically designed to address questions about coaching new pitchers.

Pitching Problem Troubleshooter
During the off-season I did a lot of research into the reasons behind common problems that pitchers have and put together a document to help me troubleshoot problems pitchers commonly experience.

Professional Pitcher Analyses
The analyses page contains breakdowns of the pitching motions and mechanics of major-league pitchers like Chris Carpenter, Roger Clemens, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Freddy Garcia, Mark Prior, Sandy Koufax, and many others.

Examples
I have collected a large number of photos that I think are examples of what to do and what not to do.

Pitcher Profiles
If you are looking for stills of pitchers, I have created a page of pitcher profiles that contains stills of pitchers like Greg Maddux and Roy Oswalt.

Frequently Asked Questions
I have also posted to my site the answers to frequently-asked questions about my approach to pitching and pitching instruction.

Pitcher Injury Questions And Answers
I have also posted the answers to questions that I have received about the possible root cause of injuries to pitchers.

Evaluations
From time to time I do evaluations of pitchers' motions to help them, their parents, and their coaches understand how they could improve their performance and/or what could be causing them to feel pain while throwing.

Dr. Mike Marshall 101
I am a big fan of the work of Dr. Mike Marshall and have written a number of articles that help to explain his ideas using words and pictures that ordinary people can understand.

Who I Am And How I Got Here
So that you know who and what I am -- and am not -- I have put together a short essay that discusses my background.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about what you find on this site.