| You are a youth baseball coach. One of your | | | | some give or a slight bend in the stride leg knee. |
| pitchers is having trouble throwing strikes. When a | | | | A stiff front leg tends to "pole vault" the player's |
| pitcher is having a bad day on the mound, there | | | | body upward causing the pitch location to be |
| has to be a reason. In most cases bad days are | | | | altered. The stride foot should land flat. Many |
| caused by simple pitcher delivery flaws. Often | | | | times a pitcher will get the bad habit of pointing |
| times these flaws can be quickly identified and | | | | the toes upward and landing on the stride foot's |
| corrected. What are the first three things that a | | | | heel. Landing on the heel will in most cases cause |
| coach should check in the pitchers delivery? Here | | | | control problems. Make sure that the stride foot is |
| I discuss the first three things that I always | | | | landing on the ball of the foot with the entire foot |
| check first. | | | | landing flat. |
| 1) Target Focus and Concentration | | | | Release Point Consistency - I first check to see if |
| 2) Front Leg and Landing Foot Action | | | | the pitcher is properly releasing the baseball out |
| 3) Release Point Consistency. | | | | front and in the same spot pitch after pitch. I |
| These three elements of a pitcher's delivery are | | | | want to make sure that the pitcher is consistently |
| extremely important when it comes to becoming | | | | releasing the ball in the same location. It is |
| a good pitcher with good control. | | | | impossible to have good pitching control without |
| Target Focus and Concentration - Many pitchers | | | | perfect release point execution. Stress to your |
| let their eyes wonder during their delivery. They | | | | pitchers to get the ball out front. The pitcher |
| get their sign from the catcher and start their | | | | should practice enough to master a consistent |
| motion. At some point they may look away from | | | | release point that never varies. |
| the target. They do not keep their eyes zeroed in | | | | I hope that these tips are helpful to you. The |
| on the catcher's mitt. When a young pitcher takes | | | | main thing you need to remember as a youth |
| his eyes off the target, even briefly, the results | | | | coach is that if strikes are not being thrown, |
| can be poor concentration and inconsistent control. | | | | there is a reason for the problem. Every pitcher is |
| Coaches should always watch the eyes of the | | | | to have his great days and bad days. But, the |
| pitcher. Make sure that the younger pitchers keep | | | | key is to make sure that the bad days are not |
| their eyes on the target throughout the pitcher's | | | | caused by a simple pitching flaw that can be |
| pitching motion. | | | | quickly identified and corrected. |
| Front Leg and Landing Foot Action - The second | | | | Thanks for taking the time to read this article. For |
| element of the pitchers delivery encompasses the | | | | more articles like it, you can visit the Baseball |
| action of the stride leg and stride foot. The lead | | | | Coaching Digest, Youth Baseball Digest, and Little |
| or stride leg should can be locked or stiff during | | | | League Digest. Good luck to you and your team. |
| the final stages of the delivery. There must be | | | | Thanks for taking the time to read my articles. |