| Pitching Info For Managers, Coaches, and Athletic Directors |
Do Your Pitchers
possess these traits?
Rotation
possess these traits?
- Balance and Posture
- Stride and
Momentum
- Opposite and Equal
- Separation and
Rotation
- Stack and Track
- Swivel and Stabilize
Glove
- Release Point and
Follow Through
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Welcome To
Pitching Perfect
Pitching Perfect
Do your pitchers have what it takes to visualize the
strike zone? Read this article from NPA MLB
catcher and director of baseball operations Ryan
Sienko. Ryan has taught me as a pitching coach
what an "acceptable level of competency" actually is.
'Just throw it over the plate' is something that coaches have been telling pitchers
probably since the invention of the game. 'Aim small, miss small.' Those words should
be echoed by coach and player when talking about locating pitches. To understand
why, let's take a look at how many players view pitch location.
Many amateur players throw to the plate or to the catcher or to an area around the
batter, i.e. low and away, inside, high and outside, etc. While this is an acceptable way
to describe where a pitch ended up or to discuss pitch strategy, aiming pitches to such
general areas is not the best way to locate a pitch.
A pitcher should only see and aim at a target the size of a dime in the middle of the
catcher's glove. According to research the human eye has a standard deviation of
approximately 8 inches over 60 feet. Aiming at something small or some specific spot
as tells our brain to and hence our nervous system to align the body to throw at that
target instead of at a general area. If we are 'a little off' that specific spot as opposed
to being 'a little off' to a general area, we are much more likely to be much closer to
where we were truly aiming in the first place.
probably since the invention of the game. 'Aim small, miss small.' Those words should
be echoed by coach and player when talking about locating pitches. To understand
why, let's take a look at how many players view pitch location.
Many amateur players throw to the plate or to the catcher or to an area around the
batter, i.e. low and away, inside, high and outside, etc. While this is an acceptable way
to describe where a pitch ended up or to discuss pitch strategy, aiming pitches to such
general areas is not the best way to locate a pitch.
A pitcher should only see and aim at a target the size of a dime in the middle of the
catcher's glove. According to research the human eye has a standard deviation of
approximately 8 inches over 60 feet. Aiming at something small or some specific spot
as tells our brain to and hence our nervous system to align the body to throw at that
target instead of at a general area. If we are 'a little off' that specific spot as opposed
to being 'a little off' to a general area, we are much more likely to be much closer to
where we were truly aiming in the first place.
Many players have played the game commonly called '21' when you throw to a
region of the body and specific points are given to a throw to the chest or the head.
In fact, this is how many pitchers pitch during the game, just throwing to regions
instead of throwing to a very specific target. The problem is that if you are aiming at
the lower right side of the target and you hit the top left side of the target (just a 'little
off,') it really is not a success. That would be like aiming at the knees outside and
throwing the ball up and in.
Anyone who has been around baseball has seen or heard of someone who has
pinpoint control, basically meaning that the person could always hit the most specific
target. This ultimate compliment for a pitcher really separates the elite players from
the average or amateur players. Learning how to throw to a small target early on will
help a pitcher understand the importance of the effectiveness of accuracy. If the
game wasn't called a game of inches, then this wouldn't be a problem. But being off
by the slightest millimeter can mean the difference between a home run and an out.
An inch here or there can mean the difference between a bang-bang play and a
safe call.
So from now on, 'Aim small, miss small! and become much more accurate locating
your pitches!
© 2004 by NPA
All Rights Reserved
region of the body and specific points are given to a throw to the chest or the head.
In fact, this is how many pitchers pitch during the game, just throwing to regions
instead of throwing to a very specific target. The problem is that if you are aiming at
the lower right side of the target and you hit the top left side of the target (just a 'little
off,') it really is not a success. That would be like aiming at the knees outside and
throwing the ball up and in.
Anyone who has been around baseball has seen or heard of someone who has
pinpoint control, basically meaning that the person could always hit the most specific
target. This ultimate compliment for a pitcher really separates the elite players from
the average or amateur players. Learning how to throw to a small target early on will
help a pitcher understand the importance of the effectiveness of accuracy. If the
game wasn't called a game of inches, then this wouldn't be a problem. But being off
by the slightest millimeter can mean the difference between a home run and an out.
An inch here or there can mean the difference between a bang-bang play and a
safe call.
So from now on, 'Aim small, miss small! and become much more accurate locating
your pitches!
© 2004 by NPA
All Rights Reserved
| Thank you to the NPA Staff for your dedication, hard work, and mastery of modern pitching biomechanics. Sign up for an NPA camp near you and discover why Dr. Tom House is considered the most progressive professional pitching instructor in the sport! |