1st Inning Problems

Have you tried putting a batter in place toward the end of his pre-game BP? And don't forget to move the batter over to the LH side for a few pitches as well. This helps some P's get the full game effect and eliminates one of the variables when he takes the game mound.
Another is to make sure that his thought process and focus is exactly the same during warm-ups as in games. A good catcher can help with this. A lot of P's take those warm-ups too casually from a mental standpoint.

You can tell a lot sometimes by what happens in the first inning they pitch. Over the years I have noted that it is mostly the mental approach because that can and does effect what is happening with the pitches he is throwing. In general, if nothing is changing from the first to the next then it stands to reason that on average he will be just as good in the first as he is in the second. The other thing one has to consider is that the first 3 batters in any game are usually the best at getting on base and the edge automatically goes to them to start a game. Getting the first batter out sends a mental message to the opposing team that you mean business. Make that your first goal to achieve- get the lead-off batter out to start the game. That can be broken down into several other mental steps and goals such as make the first pitch you throw a strike. Force the umpire to call it your way by showing control on the first batter. The second goal is to attack the first batter- go after him with the mental approach of "I am better than you, prove to me that you can hit my stuff!"

If you can master those first three goals- 1.start the game with a strike. 2.Establish control with the first couple of pitches and force the umpire to favor you, and 3.Make the batter swing his bat by challenging him to hit your stuff then you are well on your way to accomplishing greatness.

I would also track unearned runs for both the 1st inning and the lead-off batters of each inning, it is amazing how often your defense can let your pitcher down with one or more errors.

Make a list of stats that pertain to what is happening. You can track about everything and it may be surprising to find out that maybe the first inning the pitches are left up 2-4 inches higher than in the next few innings. Perhaps the catcher is working up to much. Perhaps the umpire is still adjusting his zone. All kinds of things to track and be aware of. Some things though you just can't control very much- like the umpires. Do what you can control. Is he getting 1st pitch strikes? Is the lead-off batter getting walked or getting on base? Does he have the same stuff from the stretch?

Get your pitcher to make his weakness his strength- make the first inning your goliath to defeat and work on those things one step at a time.

I think if you have your brother imagine each batter in their underwear when they are at bat he will be loosey goosey enough to relax.

Either that or he will be laughing so hard he can't throw strikes.

quote:

Originally posted by tradosaurus:
I think if you have your brother imagine each batter in their underwear when they are at bat he will be loosey goosey enough to relax.

Either that or he will be laughing so hard he can't throw strikes.

. . . or totally revolted when the chubby 5 hitter comet to the plate. . .

MakingMemories- First off welcome to the HSBBWeb. You've picked a great place to ask questions and hopefully gain some advice.

I've had similar issues in the past. I've altered my pregame stretching routine and altered the amount of pitches I've thrown in my bullpen. I've altered the time in between my pregame bullpen and when I step on the mound, and I've altered the order in which I go about my stretching. I've even gone as far as altering my daily or nightly routine prior to the start, thinking that perhaps that preparation was the necessary remedy to my first inning struggles.

As is the case with your brother, my velocity and control were not issues. I threw strikes and had consistent velocity. My stuff was sharp and repeatable. But I kept getting into more trouble in the first inning than in the innings beyond that.

One day at practice I picked up the binder which held the charts from each of my appearances throughout the year. What I found was interesting to me...my approach and the way I used my repertoire was the same in every single first inning I'd thrown. I started wondering why this may be...why I sensed a pattern in my at-bats and why from then on, in the latter innings, that pattern turned more random and thus garnered me more success.

It hit me like a ton of bricks. I'd been preparing my body so much, but I hadn't been preparing my mind. When the time came to step on the mound and actually throw my pregame bullpen, I went through the ropes in a rather monotonous way, worrying more about the consistent of the movement and location rather than the presumed result of the pitch. If you go about a bullpen in a nonchalant, non-game like manner, then you will not approach the game appropriately in a game like manner.

My next start I decided that in my pregame bullpen I'd envision a batter standing in and go through at-bats in order to prepare myself to pitch in a game. Rather than just throwing the ball to warm up my arm, I threw the ball to warm up my mind. Come gametime out on the mound, I'd already become comfortable with having an approach against a hitter and just continued on with what I was working on in the bullpen. This resulted in much more success than I had ever had previously in my first inning and continued to stay that way using that approach.

Hope this helps.

Welcome!

As you can see by the above, it is not an uncommon problem.
My son also suffered from tough first innings. He spent so much time analyzing why, it drove him crazy. I think that he thought too much about it as well, that dreaded first inning.
You did not mention your brother's velocity but this began to happen when son's velocity jumped HS to college, than from college to proball, each time having an adjustment period.
In son's case, he was so amped when he began he was throwing so hard (not realizing it) that his stuff was more about being wild. He had to learn to dial it down and this took a while. He also changed his approach, he began to pitch more to contact, and learned to trust those behind him to make the plays, once he got more comfortable he could have an inning with less than 10 pitches.
I find one of the hardest things for a starting pitcher is to learn how to manage his innings, especially for flame throwers. There also is a maturity factor involved. JMO.
There is no magic cure, just something the pitcher has to learn to control himself.

Best of luck to your brother.

3 pitches to contact.that should take the stress out.

There is usually a big difference from the top of the lineup to the bottom. He is guaranteed every first inning to face the best hitters.

Many lineups in high school baseball have almost no hitting at the middle to bottom. Many mistakes by a pitcher won't show up in the second to third inning.

quote:

Originally posted by baseballpapa:
There is usually a big difference from the top of the lineup to the bottom. He is guaranteed every first inning to face the best hitters.

Many lineups in high school baseball have almost no hitting at the middle to bottom. Many mistakes by a pitcher won't show up in the second to third inning.

that's a great point!

What exactly does he do before a start? In all honesty nobody on here is going to give you that definitive answer because it would be one thing or a whole bunch of things. We're not in the situation so we don't know exactly what's going on.

I think the worst thing you can do is get on here and read 5 or 6 people solutions then try them. Now you're compounding / contributing to even more problems because you're trying the shotgun method and if there isn't immediate improvement then it gets scrapped. Basically don't panic a not good situation into an even worse.

Reason I ask is what his routine is exactly is we get a better picture of what might be wrong or could be wrong. Still not a definitive solution but better than trying out a whole bunch of things that probably won't have anything to do with the actual problem. Plus it might just throw an idea into your head once you see it written down.

3 pitces to contact..his objective is to have the batter put the ball in contact by pitch 3.keeps the pitch count down,,keeps the pitchers brain out of the equation..let the hitter hit the ball.

quote:

Originally posted by wogdoggy:
3 pitces to contact..his objective is to have the batter put the ball in contact by pitch 3.keeps the pitch count down,,keeps the pitchers brain out of the equation..let the hitter hit the ball.

This is worth a shot, JMO!

Every pitcher has experienced first inning problems.

Reminds me of a story. A few years ago at the All American Game the starting pitcher was a kid that threw in the upper 90s, up to 99. The game was Nationally televised but had only a three hour time limit. The pitcher, who later became a first round pick, was a bit wild and then when he would throw a strike they were hitting line drives off the wall. You never want to take a pitcher out in the first inning of an All American Game. Yet, we were in the 1st half inning and it was nearing a half hour. Luckily he got the 3rd out on what we determined would be the last hitter he would face.

Most bad innings are caused by pitchers getting behind in the count. First pitch strikes are a very good thing.

I agree that first pitch strikes are important as is staying ahead in the count in any inning.
However, the issue repeated may end up a problem, that the being that the pitcher begins to think too much. Pitching to contact sometimes eliminates that problem.

Some discussion on this problem in another thread in the mental forum from a pitcher I know....use to drive me nuts.

http://hsbaseballweb.com/eve/f...=660107815#660107815

Wow, thanks a lot for all the replies guys.

Yeah the mental approach is for sure something we have not dug too much into, but he is for a lover of the game and is always pumped to play. I think maybe we just need to harness it better with his preparation prior to a start.

In terms of his routine...
He does foam roller stretches, donnelys, walks on toes/heels/outside feet/inside feet, skip and shakes, skip and out, lunge and rotate, sumo squats, high knee march, frankensteins, jump w leg tuck followed by four high knees, x crosses followed by lateral jump.
Then he does band work, followed by long toss and then the bullpen.

We don't really have a mental preparation routine on game day or night prior, but I guess maybe it is time to start.

Thanks for the help guys.

PS TPM he was struggling with his control in previous starts because of his recent velocity jump (13 and hitting his growth spurt), but I feel like he is focusing more on tempo in his bullpens in order to be more effective...however, I do feel like that approach has made him throw a few mph's slower.

It sure is a common problem...
Here are some other resources that might help as well:
http://baseballbytheyard.blogs...ower-of-routine.html
http://baseballbytheyard.blogs...-routine-part-1.html
http://baseballbytheyard.blogs...-routine-part-2.html

BaseballByTheYard

meachrm
Great stuff coach.
I'm going to have my son start working on this routine and using the pen chart.
Thanks