Lil'SC: Better, worse or the same?

Pitching Mechanics
#1

I guess that is one of them thar rhetorical questions. :smiley:

I was going to post this in the Youth pitching section, but since things can get a little stagnant down there, i decided to do it here. So i guess if anyone wants to comment on the second video to keep this thread on topic, go ahead. But mostly, this post is my thank you to everyone at TCP, from Mr Ellis on down to the regular posters just like me. Its been a fun year, and i think that my son has benefited from me posting here. Just a little jaunt down memory lane, here is a video of my then 9 yr old son taken way back on August 20, 2009.

Certainly not the worst youth pitcher ever, but just as certainly much room for improvement. We started with getting his glove side hand into proper position, and on his overall balance. We also worked on his release, and his over (or maybe early is a better description) pronation of his throwing arm. We worked on his follow through to encourage finishing pitches. I hammered into his head a phrase im pretty sure i picked up here…“Pitching with intent” In the end, i think he made vast improvements. Obviously, he still has much room for further improvement (I think his arm action is better, but i still dont think he is getting all he could out of his lower body), but as we sit here on the beginning edge of The Offseason (cue ominous music) i thought some of you might be interested in how he is doing. .My son’s Little League Minors team was State runner up, and when the team that won the Championship declined the invitation, his team was invited to represent the state of South Carolina in a Minors Tournament of State Champions in Huntington West Virginia, which we have just gotten back from a few days ago. So all in all it was a great summer for him. Now he is beging me to get a refund on his fall soccer registration so he can play Fall baseball. Too bad for him. LOL. Anyway, without further ado, here is my now 10 yr old son, pitching in the SC Minors State Championship Tournament, about 11 months after the original video was taken

Again, thanks to everyone here.

#2

Your son looks very good, especially for a 10 year old. He already has developed nice scap loading and his segmentation seems very much in order. One thing to work on would be his glove action. If you notice (although the angle isn’t great, a third or first base would be better) he seems to be pulling his glove into his chest instead of swiveling and stabilizing it.

Besides that mechanical I can’t complain too much. The followthrough will happen, remember he is still 10 and hasn’t developed the proper coordination or strength yet so he won’t have as much power in his delivery which means he won’t follow through as much. My advice would be to find a general strength program and slowly start him on it. It will do wonders.

#3

He looks really good, certainly a bing improvement since last year. I think it looks like once the ball is gone he really isn’t finishing all the way, I feel that if he finishes all the way with his body he will improve his velocity naturally because there he can decelerate more naturally.

#4

I dont like his lower body,as long as he is this young teach him to coil his lower half ,he is a "step and thrower "

check out this clip…look at his front leg action during the 90’s frames,…he is UNCOILING your boy just steps towards the target…maybe cue him to show his front left pocket to the batter? i dont know what cue may work for you BUt i would start there

http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/RethinkingPitching/Essays/ProperPitchingMechanics_GregMaddux.html

#5

very nice. i dont feel hes finishing his windup after he releass the ball though

#6

He looks great for 10 the only thing that jumped out at me was that slight pause at the top of knee lift seems a little long and delays those hips getting started. Like I said looks nice and smooth and in control for a 10yr.

#7

[quote=“wogdoggy”]I dont like his lower body,as long as he is this young teach him to coil his lower half ,he is a "step and thrower "

check out this clip…look at his front leg action during the 90’s frames,…he is UNCOILING your boy just steps towards the target…maybe cue him to show his front left pocket to the batter? i dont know what cue may work for you BUt i would start there

http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/RethinkingPitching/Essays/ProperPitchingMechanics_GregMaddux.html[/quote]

Are you talking about how Maddux’s leg kind of sweeps out and around toward home?

#8

I have got to dissagree with the Wog…On the coil & sweep
We sliped into this trap last year the coil in my opintion should only be about 20 to 30 deg this becomes a timing issue in real young pitchers until they acheved a stronger core, the same goes for the sweeping leg.
In my experence keeping the squeeze of the knees and rotating into foot plant is easier to control then the leg sweep. As I said befor he looks good for 10 he is still growing and getting stronger. Dad you may want to get a little more push from the back side this will help that stride distance. Keep up the good work it shows.