Which route should I take?

#1

Hey everybody, I just found these forums on google and signed up! I was wondering if anyone could lend some advise.

Right now i throw middle 70’s(What my coach for highschool said). I know my fastball is never going to be my shining pitch because its just not what i like to throw. I have a very good breaking curveball and a solid two-seamer.

I want to expand my arsenal to consist sliders, cutters, sinkers, ect. Is there a place to teach on how exactly to hold/throw them properly. I just started taking lessons to help with my mechanics and was thinking about discussing this with him also.

What do you think?

#2

Hello again!
When I realized I was never going to be a Feller or a Raschi or a Gibson or a Verlander, to name four fireballers, I went the other way and became a snake-jazzer—and a very good one. Welcome to the club!
By all means, talk to your coach about adding a few extra pitches to your repertoire. I would strongly suggest, however, that when it comes to the slider you get in touch with a professional pitcher who throws (or threw) a good one; there have been so many instances of injuries resulting from improper instruction in how to throw this pitch, too many people relying on all sorts of abstruse technologies and what not. What Ed Lopat told me was simplicity itself: “Throw it like a curve, but roll your wrist, don’t snap it”—and he showed me the off-center grip he used and demonstrated the wrist action, then handed me the ball and told me to go ahead and try it. I got the hang of it in about ten minutes, and I had a new pitch to work on over the winter.
Oh yeah—be sure to learn a good changeup or two. Babe Ruth, who knew a thing or two about pitching, once said that a good changeup will cause batters more grief than just about anything else! The other day I was watching the Yankees on TV, and I saw Joba Chamberlain make several hitters look very stupid with a good changeup.
Any more questions, I’m here. :slight_smile: 8)

#3

One thing I’ve always done with my fast-ball is played with the grips a little. Putting pressure on different fingers will give it more movement if done properly. I throw a 4-seam and a 2-seam. The weird thing is that my 4-seam has more movement than the 2-seam. People say its usually the other way around.

Most high school players should stick to about 4 or maybe 5 consistent pitches to throw. I wouldn’t recommend trying to throw a slider unless you have a VERY experienced person show you how to throw it. Luckily for me, my neighbor used to play in the minor leagues, and he showed me how to throw the pitches I know. As far as I know, I do throw them properly. I have had problems in the past with mechanics in the past, so if you’re going to lessons for mechancis, that is wonderful. I’d say you should probably stick to a 4-seam, 2-seam, a curve, and a 3-finger change up, and/or a circle change up. Maybe a cutter if you can develope one.

#4

Click on the Articles link at the top of the page and then on the Pitches link on the next page.

#5

Isom15, that’s exactly what I’ve been saying—for a pitch like the slider, you really HAVE to have a pitcher with professional experience teach you how to throw it. I was very lucky in this regard; I learned it from an active major-league pitcher who threw a very good one. 8)