Balance, Direction, and Extension
There are a number of ways to explain pitching mechanics as well as a number of things to work on. The idea is how do we simplify mechanics? I believe the answer lies with three words; Balance, Direction, Extension.
Take A Breath
Learning how to breathe is important to having success on the mound. The pitcher’s mound can feel like the loneliest place in the world at times.
Velocity
The most common phrase I hear from players and parents is, “I want more velocity.” Who doesn’t it? If it was easy to throw 90mph+, then everyone would pitch.
Effort and Work Ethic
I find it almost funny sometimes that athletes think they can put in work 1-2 days a week and be great. Sure, there are some natural athletes with God given talent that were born to throw 98mph. But that is a rarity. If you’re not willing to put the time in, you can’t expect to achieve the results you desire. Not all days are easy and it’s the days that are tough, the ones you have to grind through, that reveal what type of athlete you are.
Mental Strength and Resilience
We all know baseball is a very mental game. There have been many talented athletes that failed to meet expectations not because they don’t have the talent
Maddux And Clemens
Baseball traveling teams, or “Travel Ball” as it is commonly referred to, has a lot of positives and negatives. I often get a lot of questions from parents who have athletes anywhere from 9 years old to 18 years old. The most common question is: Should I sign my child up for Travel Ball?
Travel Baseball
Baseball traveling teams, or “Travel Ball” as it is commonly referred to, has a lot of positives and negatives. I often get a lot of questions from parents who have athletes anywhere from 9 years old to 18 years old. The most common question is: Should I sign my child up for Travel Ball?
Play Catch With A Purpose
Playing catch is more than just warming your arm up. It is a time to work on the little things you know you need to get better at. To put things in perspective, if you make 100 throws while playing catch before practice, that’s 100 times you can be working on things such as your front side, location, grips, balance, etc. The time you spend playing catch is the most time you’ll have to work on something to make you better.
Mechanics Vs. Mentality
We’ll start by talking about mechanics. You may or may not be familiar with Malcolm Gladwell and his 10,000 hours theory. In short, his theory is that you master a skill by putting in a minimum of 10,000 hours directed to that particular skill. So in this case, if you wanted to master your mechanics, you would have to put in 10,000 hours towards solely working on your mechanics.
Concentration Grid
In the baseball world, there is a common phrase: control what you can control. But what does that really mean? You may think there are multiple things you can control but it all comes back to one simple yet complex thing, your mind.