I have been coaching my 9 year old son’s pitching. He is double jointed and I have trouble comprehending how I can teach him the mechanics of how to properly deliver the ball. Right now he is throwing about 26% of his pitches for strike and he needs to increase his velocity. Do any of you have some suggestions or tips for me?
Pa Pa David :?
Begin with fundementals. It is a recurring theme of mine but you can’t emphasize them enough at this age. Make sure he throws the ball in a fundementally sound fashion, make sure he does it regularly. If it isn’t regular (Say only game day and the odd once before the season practice…for example) it will be nearly impossible for him to have a high % of strikes. With just those 2 things; practicing fundemental throwing, with regularity, I would contend that he has an excellent opportunity to develop into a sound and healthy pitcher. I see many kids attempt to emulate what they see on MLB games and they end up throwing in an uncoordinated or posturally incorrect or arm unhealthy manner, backing it down to simple efficient athletic movements is much easier for the kid to handle and understand physically so throwing to a spot is much more regular.
thanks for the feedback. i have been teaching gabe the basic mechanics of pitching and have worked with him nearly everyday for the last 3 weeks. he has shown remarkable improvement at keeping his pitches around the strike zone, usually over 50%. his coach tells him that he will have the opportunity to pitch at least once during the season. should i continue to have him practice his pitching once the season starts?
Sure, just allow enough rest if he throws multiple innings.