Tips From the Dugout of Coach John Peter

For Coaches Burnout is a real thing and not a generic buzz word! "Rec" baseball is important and should always be viewed as a place where any boy can play right through High School. Competitive and travel league baseball is probably the better place for those players who would like to play High School ball and possibly beyond. The decision on which road a player takes should be that of the player and his family, not dad or coach alone. When building a team, choose the more athletic players when possible. Why?...Because they are more likely to play different positions and do more things well.And yes, there are always exceptions! For Pitchers The Most Valuable Pitch in baseball is..STRIKE ONE! The pitcher's job is to start the hitter's bat and induce a weak swing or batted ball, not to strike everybody out. For Hitters When you are in a slump, make things simple.   1- Swing at the first good pitch you see, then the second and the third good pitch if needed!   2- Focus on hitting the ball right back toward the pitcher!

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Baseball Bytes:  Common Mechanical Pitching Faults
From the video Common Mechanical Pitching Faults by Bill Thurston

Having command of his various pitches is the most important skill a pitcher can possess. A pitcher must have good mental discipline, visualization, confidence, and courage as well as consistent mechanics. Don't Push Off the Rubber Many young pitchers believe that you push off the rubber. You really don't push off the rubber. As you lift your leg you drift forward into the cocked position. If you push off the rubber before your front foot is planted all you're going to do is increase your stride length and there is a problem of over-striding there. Do not teach pitch a pitcher to push off the rubber. Faults Out of the Wind-Up Position: Swinging the Leg Young pitchers like to swing the leg up. As they bring the leg up they swing it up, versus lifting up. And of course as soon as you swing you are out of balance and you have to make a correction as you come forward. So we ask our pitchers to take a soft rocker step back and lift the knee and let the foot hang. Balance and alignment in this part of the motion is very important. Keeping Fingers on Top of the Baseball When they break their hands all of the pro and college pitchers will keep their fingers on top of the ball. Real young pitchers (under 15 years old) will bring the hand under the ball, kind of catapulting it. Older pitchers 15 and up sometimes will break with the fingers on top of the ball, but then they roll the hand under and catapult the ball. When the hands break, the fingers should be kept on top of the ball. Coach Thurston Tip Right-handed pitchers should work off the right half of the rubber; the left-handed pitcher works off the left side of the rubber. There's an advantage on the curveball and it is more threatening to the hitter. Bill Thurston has been the pitching consultant for the American Sports Medicine Institute since 1990 and the head coach at Amherst College in Massachusetts for 38 years. Common Mechanical Pitching Faults - Only $39.95 Recommended for Training Serious Pitchers Age 13 and up Not all successful pitchers throw exactly the same way, but there are many common mechanics that consistent and high performance pitchers use. Coach Thurston's video should be standard equipment for all serious coaches and pitchers plus any youth coaches who feel a bit overwhelmed in teaching pitchers. This 66 minute video covers Common Mechanical Faults Drills to Teach Proper Mechanics Pitching From the Set Position Techniques to Improve Control Send this page to a friend   Featured Article Recognizing Pitching Faults and Injury Patterns   Bill Thurston This issue's feature article is authored by Coach Bill Thurston. You will not find a more accomplished and understanding pitching coach on any level. He simply understands the relationship between creating an efficient arm motion and its effect on a pitcher's improvement and efficiency. As a bi-product, he can assist coaches in keeping a player's arm healthy. Simply follow the directions on the package and you can really help your players improve while reducing risk of arm injuries. Coach Thurston has worked with and catalogued over 1,200 pitchers from ages 14 to MLB. This guy really knows his stuff! [ article excerpt ] At the college level, the pitcher is the most often injured player, nearly twice as often injured as a position player, and the throwing mechanism (shoulder, elbow, forearm, and wrist) suffers the highest rate of injury of any of the various body parts. At a high level of play, it is important that a coach is able to recognize various faults, and identify the point of origin of the fault, then know how to teach the proper technique. Of course many injuries to the throwing arm are caused by factors other than mechanical faults. I believe we can divide the causes of pitching arm injuries into 3 categories: A.  Conditioning Factors B.  Fatigue, Overuse, or Overload Factors C.  Mechanical Throwing Faults    Read the full article

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Free Baseball Instruction

Did you know that as a reader of the Baseball Tips Newsletter you can view, download and print over 110 articles of baseball instruction and drills.... A good place to start is our 10 most popular articles from September: Fall Baseball - A Great Time To Really Coach Different Pitches and the Reasons We Throw Them How To Choose a Pitching Machine Hitting Simplification How to Choose a Wood Baseball Bat Lost Secrets of Hitting Thrive on Throwing: Arm Strength and Conditioning Program Correct Pitching Mechanics by Playing Catch When and How to Throw a Curveball Change Up: The Pitch for a Strong Arm's Lifetime

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Baseball Training Card Tip

Hitters:  Focus On Release    Lesson # 69 As you wait for the pitch, focus on the pitcher's head. As he raises the ball up to throw it, shift your focus to the ball. Concentrate on trying to pick up the spin of the ball as it leaves the pitcher's hand - that will help you follow the ball to the point of contact. Learning to read the spin on the ball will help you know what kind of pitch is coming, too. 3 free cards (lessons on front & back) with DVD purchase: Ultimate Infield Backyard Baseball Drills Catching: The Big 5 Mom, Can You Teach Me How To Hit? Winning Baseball Strategies The 59 Minute Baseball Practice

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