A question for O'Leary

[cartersball]

Chris,

I am having some pitching trouble with a few of the boys on my fall team. They are all 10u and many of them have been throwing 3/4 side arm to almost completely side arm. I want to find some quick and effective drills to train these arms to get over the top. I am getting ready to try what I call the 3 stage process.

Stage 1:
Player sits indian style on ground, ball in throwing hand, glove hand holding forearm perpendicular to the ground. Snap the wrist and release ball into the fence.

Stage 2:
Player sits indian style on ground, ball in throwing hand, glove hand holding elbow, wrist bent back, snap elbow then wrist and release.

Stage 3: Player sits indian style, coach holds ball arms length away, player reaches back takes ball, follows through to release.

Does this work, if applied effectively and repeatedly? Do you have any more ideas?

Drew

[Chris O'Leary]

Chris,

I am having some pitching trouble with a few of the boys on my fall team. They are all 10u and many of them have been throwing 3/4 side arm to almost completely side arm. I want to find some quick and effective drills to train these arms to get over the top. I am getting ready to try what I call the 3 stage process.

Stage 1:
Player sits indian style on ground, ball in throwing hand, glove hand holding forearm perpendicular to the ground. Snap the wrist and release ball into the fence.

Stage 2:
Player sits indian style on ground, ball in throwing hand, glove hand holding elbow, wrist bent back, snap elbow then wrist and release.

Stage 3: Player sits indian style, coach holds ball arms length away, player reaches back takes ball, follows through to release.

Does this work, if applied effectively and repeatedly? Do you have any more ideas?

I'm not convinced that any of these drills will work.

Let's take a step back.

First, remember that the difference between throwing overhand, throwing 3/4, and throwing sidearm is simply how much the shoulders tilt. In each case, at the release point the hand and elbow are at the level of the shoulders (with the elbow fully extended).

http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/ThePitchingMechanic/Images/ChrisCarpenter_2006_001.jpg

As a result, the first thing to do is make sure that they are tilting their shoulders.

Second, I find that my guys tend to throw more sidearm if they fly open with their gloves rather than pull their gloves into their glove-side pecs.

Third, I find that how my players break their hands can affect their arm slots. If they break their hands high, then they will tend to short-arm the ball which can then lead to a flatter release. I like my guys (pitchers and position players) to break their hands at their belt buckles and swing their arms down, out, and then up into the high cocked position.

[jojab]

I like my guys (pitchers and position players) to break their hands at their belt buckles and swing their arms down, out, and then up into the high cocked position.

As always, compare what you hear/read to video clips of what the best in the world actually do.