Pitching
Problem Troubleshooter
8/1/2008
This document describes common
problems that pitchers experience when
throwing and their likely root
causes (listed roughly in descending order of likelihood). This
document covers two classes of problems...
A
related document that I have written, called
Proper Throwing Mechanics, describes how I teach kids to
throw. It is designed to keep many of these problems from arising
in the first place.
VELOCITY, CONTROL,
AND OTHER PROBLEMS
Poor Velocity
- Hips not rotating ahead of shoulders
- Opening up the shoulders too soon
- Limited hip and shoulder separation
- Flying open with the glove
- Aiming the ball
- Too much skin on the ball
- Gripping the ball too tightly
- Rushing
- Not striding sideways to the target
- Not starting out sideways to the target
- Leaving the pitching arm side foot behind on the rubber
- Overstriding
- Short-arming the ball
- Landing too closed
- Landing too open
- Landing on the heel of the foot
- Fatigue
- Not consistently stepping directly at the target
- Dropping the elbow
- Starting out with the PAS toe pointing at the target
General Wildness
- Trying to throw too hard
- Jerking the head off the target
- Tensing up
- Dust on the ball
- Poor grip on the ball
- Aiming the ball
- Picking up the target too late
- Flying open with the glove
- Head not still
- Not consistently stepping directly at the target
- Poor balance
- Kicking out the glove-side foot
- Inconsistent throwing motion
- Taking the eyes off the target
- Hooking or wrapping the wrist
- Uneven landing spot
- Landing on the heel
- Not pointing at the target with the glove
- Dropping the back shoulder
- Excessive reverse-rotation of shoulders
Can’t Throw Strikes With A Batter In The Box
- Looking at the batter and not the glove
- Aiming the ball
- Short-arming the ball
- Crouching
Missing To The Glove Side Of The Plate
-
Looking at the batter and not the glove
- Flying open with the glove
-
Excessive reverse rotation of the shoulders Getting Hammered
- Leaving the ball up in the strike zone
- Flat pitch plane/Low release point
- Overstriding
- Predictable speed and location
- Catcher giving the pitcher a high target
- Crouching
- Throwing sidearm
- Fatigue
- Flying open with the glove
Hitting Multiple Batters
- Looking at the batter and not the glove
- Overstriding
- Rushing
- Landing too closed
Can’t Catch Up After Falling
Behind
- Aiming the ball
- Tensing up
- Thinking
Can’t Finish Off Batters
- Aiming the ball
Missing High And To The Pitching Arm Side Of The Plate
- Rushing
- Landing too closed
- Overstriding
Missing Outside
- Looking at the batter and not the glove
Missing Both Inside and Outside
- Looking at the batter and not the glove
- Flying open with the glove
- Kicking out the glove-side foot
- Reverse-rotating the shoulders
- Landing too closed
- Landing too open
- Throwing sidearm
Missing High
- Rushing
- Understriding
- Overstriding
- Pushing off the rubber
- Aiming the ball
- Short-arming the ball
- Collapsing the back leg
- Tilting the shoulders
- Not following through
- Landing on a stiff front leg
- Fatigue
- Dropping the elbow
- Landing too open
Missing Low
- Understriding
- Tilting the shoulders backwards
- Not following through
- Afraid of being hit by a come-backer
- Releasing the ball late
- Crouching
Missing To The Pitching Arm Side Of The Plate
- Looking at the batter and not the glove
- Rushing
- Excessive reverse rotation of the shoulders
- Landing too closed
PAIN AND INJURY PROBLEMS
Inner Elbow Pain
- Supinating the forearm when releasing the ball
- Showing the ball to CF (or to 2B)
Shoulder Pain
- Rushing Feel
free to contact me if one of
your kids is having a problem that I haven't listed above. I'll do
my best to help you figure out what's going on. |