Throwing With a Purpose

At our January youth pitching clinic, Cy Young Award winner Jack McDowell discusses the importance of working on mechanics when throwing with a partner. This should be considered an essential part of the warm-up process during team practices. Developing proper throwing mechanics are a must for young players.

MLK Day Pitching Clinic a Success

We had a big turnout and some very positive feedback at the free MLK Day Pitching Clinic at Myers Park Trinity. Dozens of young players and several eager coaches attended to talk mechanics and arm care.

Thanks so much to the great coaches who volunteered their time to join me in our efforts to teach some fundamentals to the kids. This is a special group of guys with a clear passion for the game: Jack McDowell, our headliner, who was outstanding; Mike Hennessey, varsity coach at Country Day; Josh Thomas, our strength and conditioning coach; Greg Wilcox, MP coach and former pro pitcher; and my usual crew of loyal and outstanding fellow coaches and alumni - Rich Fennell, Allen Sherman, Nick Harding, Maxwell Purdy and Gregory Purdy. Here are some pictures from a great day:

Jack McDowell discusses throwing mechanics with all age groups.
 

Jack McDowell works with a young pitcher in the bullpen.
 

Mike Hennessey talks pitching with a group of 12-year-olds.
 

It was a great experience to learn from one of the best.
 

MLK Day Pitching Clinic

*** This clinic is now full. In order to have an effective session, we feel that we need to limit the number of registrations. Very sorry to anyone still looking for a spot. We hope to do more in the future.***


I'm excited to announce my first clinic of 2014 - a preseason youth pitching clinic for MPTLL baseball players with a Little League age of 9-12. The event will take place on Wade Field at Randolph Park on Martin Luther King Day - this Monday, January 20th from 12:00-2:00 pm.

The overall topic will be Pitching, but will include three important parts:

1. Throwing Mechanics - hand separation, ball positioning, glove tuck.
2. Pitching Mechanics - balance, stride, release point, follow through.
3. Strength and Conditioning - preseason throwing, band work, dumbbells, core strength.

The clinic is FREE, although it is requested that families consider using this time to donate any gently used baseball or softball equipment they may no longer have a use for, to be distributed by the league to children who cannot afford new equipment. Such items may include bats, gloves, gear bags, cleats, catcher equipment, batting helmets, or other equipment. We would also like to collect new baseballs to distribute. Any kid would love to be given a brand new, crisp, white baseball.

Lead instructors will include....

Brandon Merchant:
Youth Pitching and Hitting Instructor, MPTLL All-Star Pitching Coach.

Mike Hennessey
Pitching, Hitting and Fielding Instructor, CCDS Varsity Head Coach.

Josh Thomas:
Private Strength and Conditioning Coach, CCDS Middle School Head Coach.

Rich Fennell:
MPTLL All-Star Pitching Coach.

And last, but certainly not least, we are thrilled to have....

Jack McDowell:
Former MLB Pitcher, 1993 American League Cy Young Award Winner.

If your aspiring pitcher plans to attend, please let me know as soon as possible by email. Make sure to include your name and contact number, your son's name and Little League age (as of April 30, 2014). This clinic is for Myers Park Trinity baseball players with LL ages of 9 through 12. If the numbers get too large, we will have to cut it off and plan an additional clinic in the future. If you are interested in private instruction, please visit my Lessons page.

On the day of the clinic, players should bring their own water, a baseball glove and warm clothing if necessary. We encourage parents to attend and listen in from the bleachers if they are able to.

See you at the fields.

Brandon

If This Looks Familiar...

.... sign your kid up for a lesson.

Teach Your Player to Coach Himself

I had a great hitting session today with a young player who has improved his swing each week that we've worked together. This was only his third lesson with me, but he has quickly learned the swing well enough to just about coach himself. He knows what a correct swing should look and feel like, and he knows his own tendencies so well that he can usually tell me what he did wrong any time he doesn't drive the ball. If he pulls a ground ball, he may say "rolled." Or if he pops it up, he might say "chopped." We both know what he means, and he's usually right. Knowing what happened allows him to make an adjustment on his next swing.

The best thing I can do for a player is give him the knowledge necessary to coach himself. As an instructor, I can't be with him for every practice, game or tryout. But if he can

Selected Reading Material 11-16-12

Don't Let Your Son Grow Up To Be Like Pedro Cerrano by Kevin at SportsDadHub  -  Superstitions can be fun and boost confidence, but they can also distract young players from what really leads to success. Yo bartender, Jobu needs a refill.

The 3 Biggest Mistakes Kids Make While Playing Catch... by Chad Rodgers at Show-Me Strength  -  Just to beat the horse some more - kids would improve their mechanics more quickly if they would always throw with a purpose. I especially like #1 and #2 here.

Off Season Best Time For Youth Baseball Coaches to Cement Philosophy by Dan Clemens  -  Plan ahead and hold yourself to making the right decisions when you get into the heat of the moment. This is why we have rules - you can't trust coaches to always do the right thing when competitive fires starts burning.

How a Real Boy Throws

Quick revisit to the Washington Post article previously mentioned about the differences in the average throwing motions of boys and girls. The article was fine, but the graphic of how a boy throws was pretty comical:

Sorry - couldn't just let that go. Here is how a real boy that has any success in baseball actually throws. His shoulders are level as he takes the ball back. The elbows bend. The hips rotate. There is a follow through. I could go on....

Selected Reading Material 9-18-12

How To Brag About Your Kids by Clay Nichols, Dad Labs  -  I thought I was better than this. But I'm guilty of most of these bragging techniques. Pretty shameful, and funny.

Throw Like a Girl? You Can Do Better by Tamar Haspel, Washington Post  -  Analysis of the mechanical differences in the average throwing motions of boys and girls. Unfortunately the graphic at the top depicts a boy that clearly never made it past tee ball. More on that later...

MLB Diamond Demo: Pitching Flaws by Rick Peterson, Baltimore Orioles Pitching Director  -  Nothing to actually read here, but a great video demonstration on some of the absolute most important aspects of proper pitching mechanics. Must see tv for coaches and parents of pitchers.

Selected Reading Material 8-8-12

Tips On How To Handle Setbacks by Mike Jacobs, Evansville Courier & Press  -  How yo move on and plan for future success.

Long Term Baseball Development: Attention to Detail Matters by Eric Cressey, Cressey Performance  -  Focus and get something out of your warm-up throwing and flexibility exercises.

Dan Duquette On the Young Pitchers and Their Struggles by Steve Melewski, MASN Sports  -  Some insights on how one Major League organization places a priority on biomechanical analysis and developing a repeatable correct delivery.

Good & Bad Baseball Mechanics on Display at the Olympics

Baseball is unfortunately not an Olympic sport anymore. They had to make room for trampoline and women's wrestling, I guess. But that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of good examples of some of the most important mechanics that go into a good baseball swing or pitching motion.

I use a various Olympic sports on a regular basis as a way to teach how a baseball player's body should or should not move in order to gain more power, quickness and consistency. Here are some examples that are currently being broadcast from London:

Diving.  A baseball player's core is his main source of power. How quickly and powerfully he is able to rotate his core has a direct effect on how much energy is transferred to the baseball. Hitters are able to rotate quicker by pulling the bat through the zone with their hands and elbows close to the body. A compact swing is a quick swing. Similarly, pitchers are able to rotate quicker by tucking the lead arm back into their body. This is like a Olympic diver controlling the rate at which his or her body turns during a mid air twist. When the arms are in, the body twists quickly with little resistance. When the arms are extended away from the body, the additional weight outside the diver's center of gravity slows the rate of rotation. This type of twisting can also be seen in gymnastics or the aforementioned trampoline. If this were the Winter Olympics, the best example would be figure skating.

Tennis / Table Tennis.  A good tennis stroke is an example of how not to swing a baseball bat. A topspin forehand where the wrist rolls over through contact creates a shot where the ball dives back to the playing surface before reaching the base line. This is somewhat like a pulled ground ball in baseball - if the top hand rolls over as contact is being made, the barrel is raised up and around to the upper outside corner of the baseball, likely resulting in a grounder to the shortstop. A backspin drop shot in tennis is achieved by chopping down through the bottom of the ball with an abbreviated finish - the equivalent of an infield pop-up. In order for a hitter to get maximum carry on the baseball, he must avoid the early rolling of the wrists. Keeping the top hand under the handle at the point of contact as he pulls the knob of the bat forward and up through the ball into a high finish will result in backspin line drives with some distance. If the batter continues down through contact into a low finish, he will end up with that drop shot he does not want.

Shot Put.  Unlike the shot put, a pitcher's delivery is more of a pull than a push. As he separates his hands and strides toward home, the ball should be turned away from his body. He then uses his front side - hip, elbow and shoulder - to pull the ball forward with power and velocity. If the pitcher separates his hands into a position where the ball is shown toward third base, he will end up pushing the ball more like the shot putter, with much less velocity.

Javelin.  There are several similarities among the mechanics of pitching and javelin. Most noticeable is the firm front leg, which sends the energy created by the stride up into the core rotation, and ultimately the javelin/baseball. With hitting, we call it "putting on the brake," like in a car, and the stride leg is completely braced like the javelin thrower. Another mechanical similarity on display is the lead arm. As the javelin is being released, the lead elbow is pulled into the body for efficient rotation and more power from the front side. This is nearly identical to a top level pitcher.

Selected Reading Material 5-30-12

How Efficient Pitching Mechanics Can Produce More Velocity With Less Stress To the Arm by Dick Mills  -  Great analysis about keeping your mechanics simple and eliminating unnecessary movements.

10 Reasons Dad May Not Want to Coach a Youth Baseball Team  -  Not just the obvious reasons.

How To Deal With the Sports Parents Social Pecking Order by Bob Cook, Forbes  -  You don't have to be friends with the other parents on the sidelines.

Local Man Brings 'Hoosiers' Back to Life by Kyle Neddenriep, Indianapolis Star  -  Because this is the best sports movie ever and there can't be a real sequel.

Selected Reading Material 5-14-12

How Much Training Is Too Much for Young Athletes?  by Jill Barker, Montreal Gazette  -  More on specialization, overuse and mental burnout.

Game's Top Two Pitching Prospects May Be Igniting a Revolution  by Albert Chen, Sports Illustrated  -  Dylan Bundy and Trevor Bauer will be prominent test cases for or against extreme long-toss, depending on whether or not they have healthy careers.

Rocket Science Alert: Strength Training for Pitchers STILL Improves Throwing Velocity  by Eric Cressey, Cressey Performance  -  A new study shows that any type of strength training is beneficial to pitchers.

Selected Reading Material 5-3-12

The 8 Most Annoying Sports Parents by Kevin at Sports Dad Hub  -  Some familiar characters to watch out for here.

Roundtable: Is 155 Pitches Too Many? at ESPN Boston  -  A lengthy discussion about when to say when, in response to a recent high school game with very high pitch counts. I attended a game this season where a high schooler threw 120 pitches in a meaningless game, and it was uncomfortable to watch.

Youth Sports Are Expensive? by Rick Wolff  -  Yes, we all know youth sports cost money.

Top 10 Youth Pitching Flaws

My last top ten list dealt with youth swing flaws. Today I will tackle a more important topic - pitching flaws. A mechanical problem on the mound can lead to a lot of walks or hits, or even worse, an arm injury. Here are the most common flaws that I have seen in working with youth pitchers over the last several years. The older the player, the harder these are to fix.

1. Striding Too Short.  A short stride can mess up a lot of things:  front side stability, velocity, release point, follow through... Stride length should be 85-100% of a pitcher's height. That can be a tall order for a young pitcher that may not have the strength and athleticism yet to support such a stride. But if his stride is too short, he won't be able to support himself anyway. This very important mechanical aspect can be obtained through practice.

2. Incorrect Hand Separation.  Many young players begin their throwing motion incorrectly by taking the ball up and out of the glove with their fingers behind the ball and their thumb up. This leads to pushing the baseball with less energy and more stress on the arm. Pitchers should separate with fingers on top of the ball and thumbs down, raising the ball up facing away from the target before pulling the ball forward.

3. Not Getting the Arm Up.  When the front foot lands, it's time to throw. At that most important moment a pitcher's elbows should be shoulder high. The throwing arm should be bent (not past 90 degrees) with the ball up behind the head. If his ball positioning is too low, the pitcher will likely lead with the elbow forward and upward, causing high pitches. This problem is often a result of getting the front foot down too early - either because of rushing the motion or striding too short.

Selected Reading Material 4-18-12

Why President Obama Throws Like a Girl by Eric Cressey  -  An oldie but goodie. Breaking down the medical science behind presidential pitching mechanics, shoe throwing, etc.

Mike Matheny Letter to Parents posted by Kevin Seitzer  -  Before he was manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, Mike Matheny coached a youth team. He lays it all out there for the parents here.

Wanted: Creative Athletes... Needed: To Save the World  by Meagan Frank  -  On the importance of building creative play into organized youth sports practices.

More On Strasburg and Fixing Poor Mechanics Early

A couple of people have sent me a set of great articles from ESPN the Magazine that I don't want to be buried in the comments section of the post below. First, Lindsay Berra has written a long article about Stephen Strasburg, what leads to UCL injuries, and MLB's reluctance to fix the mechanical problems in question.

This makes me think more than ever that it's important for youth coaches to ensure proper mechanics at a young age. You can't just count pitches - you have to teach them how to pitch the ball first. As Dr. Andrews says in the article,"The No. 1 risk factor for UCL injuries is poor mechanics. The No. 2 factor is overuse. And if you overuse with poor mechanics, you're doomed."  

The place to start teaching correct mechanics may be the wall drill that Al Leiter demonstrates below. And for an example of a pitcher that did it the right way, check out this comparison of Greg Maddux and Strasburg.

Strasburg Back from Injury With the Same Mechanics

Stephen Strasburg will start for the Washington Nationals on Opening Day. It's great to see the young pitching phenom back from injury and Tommy John surgery. But will he be able to last an entire season? The Nats have said they will limit his innings to help protect his arm and try to make that happen. One might hope that his mechanics - which have been analyzed before in great detail because of his "inverted W" and the stress it can put on his arm - would have been adjusted some during his rehab period.

But check out this follow-up MLB Network Diamond Demo where Al Leiter shows us how Strasburg's mechanics are unchanged. As a youth coach, the phrase that jumps out at me is: "It's not easy - he's been throwing like that since he was 10 years old." And he's right - the older they get, the harder it is to change a player's mechanics. The muscle memory is more ingrained and less willing to adjust. That's why it's important to teach correct mechanics at a young age. Don't save the instruction for later. By the time that special player gets through high school, the damage may already be done and it will be harder to fix.

Selected Reading Material 3-12-12

Young Arms and Curveballs: A Scientific Twist by Bill Pennington, NY Times - Not exactly new information, but a timely look at the latest in the debate.

Challenge Sports Really Test Parents by Tracy Curtis, Charlotte Observer - A local take on what that additional team means for the parents.

More Youth Play Isn't a Winner for Everybody by Dr. Richard Hinton, Baltimore Sun - Using lacrosse as an example, explores the effects of specialization.

Selected Reading Material 2-22-12

Dr. James Andrews Talks Tommy John by Matthew Muench, ESPN  -  Important read for any baseball coach or parent of a pitcher.

What Makes a Nightmare Sports Parent - And What Makes a Great One by Steve Henson, Yahoo! Sports  -  Not just the obvious stuff.

MLB Network Remembers Gary Carter  -  I want my kids to play the game like this guy did.

Hanson Adjusts Mechanics to Protect His Shoulder

Braves' pitcher Tommy Hanson informed the media that he has worked in the offseason to change his pitching delivery in order to take some stress off his shoulder and quicken his motion to the plate. He ended 2011 on the DL, a season in which the Braves collapsed down the stretch and failed to reach the postseason.

Hanson says he is now separating his hands later. This gives his throwing arm less time to come full circle and deliver the pitch, which means it can't get into the awkward cocked position that he demonstrated before. Hanson acknowledged that with his old mechanics he felt like he was throwing entirely with his arm. I'll say - his old delivery was a little painful to watch, so one can understand the stress that his shoulder (and likely elbow) was under. With the new timing of his later hand separation and therefore quicker delivery, his arm won't be ready to throw quite so soon. He'll end up using the energy generated by his hips to pull that arm forward and thus take stress off the arm itself. 

Here is a great video analysis of Hanson's mechanics by Dick Mills from several months ago. Mills contrasts Hanson's old delivery with that of Daniel Bard of the Red Sox, and recommends to Hanson that he make an adjustment. I remember seeing Bard pitch in high school for Charlotte Christian - I was struck by how effortlessly the ball seemed to jump out of his hand. That's what whole body mechanics and perfect timing can do for a pitcher.

Pain or injury from improper mechanics may not be felt at at the youth level. But the damage can be done there. Get it fixed before that happens.