Looking for help with young (10 1/2 yr old) pitcher

#1

Hello all -

My son has just started pitching in game situations this year. He’s 10, has pitched in practice since last year and saw little mound time in games, but this year, due to injuries (very RECENT and LONG-Lasting injuries), is being counted on to carry a larger load at pitcher. He has a strong arm, normal position is SS and cntr field - did not expect to pitch much, but now season started and too late for private lessons as our family’s sched is booked solid, especially with tourney ball. I know there is no quick fix…but maybe someone knows something that can help (a little) almost immediately with endurance and accuracy…especially to prevent injury before he overthrows and wrecks his arm?

Anyone have a quick ref guide/ checklist that can help us out? He is accurate for his age, but arm turns to rubber quickly…exercises appropriate for his age? thoughts? suggestions?

Thanks,

Charles and Blake

#2

He has a strong arm, which is very good. The important thing is not to overdo things—not to throw an awful lot of pitches, which can be a real temptation given that he seems to be the only one on the team who can pitch. I would say that an inning or two at the most is a good place to start, and he should concentrate on the fast ball and the changeup—there’s time enough to experiment with other stuff.
The key is, of course, good mechanics, and to that end he should work on things like balance, release point, follow-through, glove-side stabilization—and don’t worry about the arm-slot; he’ll find the one most comfortable for him and he should stick to that. A good pitching coach can help a lot here. And, of course, he should throw strikes! :slight_smile:

#3

Stabilizing posture and controlling the glove can go a long way toward improving accuracy.

Get your son to keep his head upright and online with the target. Eliminate all head movement in directions other than towards the target.

Also get him to extend the glove arm out front after hand separation and then keep it out front while bringing body towards the glove. Don’t let him drop the glove, pull the glove back, or swing the glove out to the side. Glove arm positioning boils down to equal angles at the elbows only. Elbows can be bent in different directions (up, down, forward). Make adjustments to the glove arm only.

#4

I would advise you incorporate 3-5 basic rotator cuff flexibility movements 3/week. I would also advise warming up with a 4 oz ball from progressively longer distances…then warm up with the regular 5 oz ball. He may not want to exceed 2 dozen warm-up throws total. Bob