Does your team work with pitchers?

Local high school here works with ML pitching coach until he leaves for spring training, then with volunteers for pitching. Not sure where you are, but it should be pretty easy to find pitching instruction in most parts sof the country.

quote:

Originally posted by playball2011:
We have 6 "pitchers" on team, 4 decent ones, 2 ok ones. We have never had a pitching practice, nor do they get any real instruction since we started playing. Is that the norm on HS team? 3 starters will pitch a game a week, but do not get on mound to "practice" on off days, nor do they do any type of pitching drills at practice, they practice IN/or OF positions instead. How do coaches expect them to improve if they are not being "instructed" on what they are doing wrong/right? Do you guys having "pitching" coaches or anyone that works with your pitchers? thanks

With well over 16,000 HSs fielding baseball teams, including all the FR, JV, and V teams out there, we’re looking at some 30,000-40,000 teams. Do you think there are enough qualified people out there to actually do a whole lot to develop HS pitchers in the 3-4 month window they have to do it?

There are many programs that do have great pitching instruction and development, but there are a lot more who depend on the pitchers themselves to seek out private coaching where its much easier to get time devoted to one player to work on unique problems, rather than pretty much a one-size-fits-all approach.

Playball- sounds like a poorly coached team. Pitchers need to work on their craft just like hitters or fielders. A mid week bullpen for a once a week starter at 70% effort to work on mechnics, location, etc...is essential as is a good long toss program and lots of running. Running is another area that is overlooked by lots of HS coaches for pitchers. The problem that the HS teams have is lots of (most?) the HS pitchers also have to be everyday position players so time is short to get the work in. The well coached teams make it a priority. They throw bullpens after games, run poles or sprints and make the time to get the work in.

Have to work on pitching as others have said. Even if the pitcher plays another position. To protect their arms a player who pitches and plays a position has to get bullpen work in and they can take groundballs without making the throw across the IF.

I am in agreement with a lot of what JohnJ said. All of it actually. My 2013's school is in the largest class in Missouri so we have a big pool of talent to draw from. My son could be the starting left fielder when he doesnt pitch, but he chose to be a pitcher only for his school. So while position players are working on hitting or infield/outfield drills, my son and the other POs are working on their pitching fielding drills, pickoffs, running, long toss, and other stuff for pitching, including their side bullpens. Of the top 4 pitchers on his team, two are POs and two are position players also. All juniors. I have noticed that when the boys were freshmen, the two that play posisitons also were far better pitchers. Now it is interesting to see that the two POs not only have caught them as far as pitchers, but may be better now.

As far as actual intstruction on pitching, he gets that in the offseason from his summer team and their pitching coordinator. He lets the high school staff know what was taught and they go from there.

Very little. I think as stated earlier it is a numbers game. Their are simply not enough high quality pitching coaches to cover all high school teams. Our pitchers rely on their summer program pitching coaches. Very little one on one work is done with them during the high school season. They do some pitcher specific fielding and covering drills

quote:

Originally posted by seattlestars16:
Their are simply not enough high quality pitching coaches to cover all high school teams. Our pitchers rely on their summer program pitching coaches.

So there are enough high quality pitching coaches to cover all the summer teams?

Doesn't quite make sense. Unless the fact that your paying raises your perception of quality.

Thanks.We have no post pitching routine,ex. long toss day 1 after, bullpen mound work, day 2 etc. we have oe local pitching instructor I've hard about, but like you said he's gone during the season coaching minor league players. We don't even seem to have a dad who was a former college pitcher who can help out. Where should I look online for a good post game throwing schedule for the boys who are interested in working on their own?

quote:

Originally posted by johnj314:
The well coached teams make it a priority. They throw bullpens after games, run poles or sprints and make the time to get the work in.

Agree whole-heartedly. Well-coached teams work with pitchers. If they neglect their pitching staff they aren't well-coached. Period.

quote:

Originally posted by playball2011:
Thanks.We have no post pitching routine,ex. long toss day 1 after, bullpen mound work, day 2 etc. we have oe local pitching instructor I've hard about, but like you said he's gone during the season coaching minor league players. We don't even seem to have a dad who was a former college pitcher who can help out. Where should I look online for a good post game throwing schedule for the boys who are interested in working on their own?

I would put the onus on you and your kid to develop a routine if he's not getting it from the school. Since most of our pitchers are position players as well we work with them to develop a routine, but it's up to them to adhere to most of it since it's done outside of practice time. Bullpens being the major exception.

I would just search the internet. Alan Jaeger probably has something good. Ron Wolforth, too. Leo Mazzone's "Pitch Like a Pro" has all the Braves guys routines from the 90's. There's a lot of resources out there. Just decide what's right for y'all.

I would suggest including:
Long toss
Flat-ground work
Running (Sprints and some distance)
Bullpen work (have a plan for a short pen - 25-30 pitches and a long pen - 45-60 pitches)
Band work
And whatever the heck else you may be comfortable with

quote:

Originally posted by ironhorse:
So there are enough high quality pitching coaches to cover all the summer teams?

Doesn't quite make sense. Unless the fact that your paying raises your perception of quality.

What happens is, there aren’t as many teams with as many players playing. We have over 150 HSs in our section. That’s about 600 to 1,200 games a week. There are lots of summer teams made up of those same kids, but no way are they made up from as many players or do they play as many games.

Also, nothing says ALL summer teams are coached well. Just like the HS teams, a lot depends on the program. But no matter what, by far the best way for pitchers to develop, is private coaching. Most team coaches just don’t have the luxury of a lot of private time with the pitchers.

If HS coaches are just throwing the bats and balls on the field they should not be in that position and/or the HS should quit wasting money fielding a team because they aren't doing anyone any favors.

I would hope HS AD's have better sense but it is obviously not the case.

Guess I need to look into that for my son's future HS, because if they don't have the experience or ability to teach all aspects of the game to improve skills I'll have him focus on travel ball not HS.

Just wondering where you are at in the Midwest Playball2011. We are in the Midwest and make developing healthy arms, and keeping them healthy, through the winter and spring, and summer, a priority. Pitchers, catchers, infielders and outfielders alike. We pay particular attention to pitchers. All the players are in specific throwing programs, especially the pitchers, and all of the pitchers are working with private instructors and or members of the HS staff.

My son's high school coach has his positives. He turned around a dormant program. But pitching is not part of the knowledge base. He knew pitchers should run and do bullpens. There was no pitching advice. There were never adjustments. My son said the only things he said at the mound were, settle down, amp it up and cut off his **** shove them down his throat and we'll get out of here.

The only pitching limits imposed on pitchers were when the other team was onloading on them. No pitch counts. No getting lifted when getting in trouble. Only when getting torched. Under this coach's tenure the team has lost an incredible number of one and two run games.

My son was once asked to come from a position in the 7th/last inning on an in the 20's wind chill day with no warmup. Normally he would come from his position after warming up between innings. This was a day he was told he would not pitch.

A lot of high public high schools in the NE don't have qualified head coaches, let alone pitching coaches. Like RJM said they know about running and bullpens but not much else. Even hitting instruction is limited. At least at my son's former school. None of the coaches there, then and now, are qualified to properly instruct hitting.

The most I hoped for was that he just put the best 9 hitters in the lineup and he knew when to throw what pitcher. Most of the players got any instructions elsewhere.

quote:

Originally posted by ironhorse:

quote:

Originally posted by seattlestars16:
Their are simply not enough high quality pitching coaches to cover all high school teams. Our pitchers rely on their summer program pitching coaches.

So there are enough high quality pitching coaches to cover all the summer teams?

Doesn't quite make sense. Unless the fact that your paying raises your perception of quality.

the number of 17-18u club teams is lower than the number of varsity high school teams, at least it is in my area by far. yes pay can usually atract better coaching IMO. you get what you pay for.

There was a thread a while back that asked something like "what is the single most important thing to have for a winning HS program?"

I was thinking about this question the other day. My answer today would be to have plenty of pitchers groomed. The coach needs to figure out who they are early on, preferably before they even walk thru the doors at HS. If the HS plays three games/week, he needs to have at least five polished pitchers (at the V level) plus a couple more who can throw strikes, can pitch some and can battle. If the HS plays two games a week, he needs at least four polished, plus a couple.
The coach needs to make sure that these pitchers continue to develop, continue to get good instruction for mechanics (whether it be from him or from a knowledgeable instructor), get regular bullpens that are properly spread out and have focused purpose, get regular PFP's with teammates as well as other defensive responsibility drills, and get guidance with the mental aspect of pitching as well as proper conditioning instruction for pre-, post- and in-season.
Incorporating pens, PFP's, etc. into the structure of team practices can be difficult, but is absolutely critical.

Fielding, hitting and all the other stuff are very important but building a solid HS program in a competitive league starts with grooming a polished pitching staff.

We are fortunate to have two ex-college pitchers on staff. I have also seen it work with schools who's pitchers get private mechanics instruction but then get sufficient defensive drills with the team to tie everything together.

There is a big difference between finding a great pitching coach and letting your pitchers throw bullpens in between appearances. While you may not have the resources to get someone to teach throwing mechanics, etc. a coach MUST have his pitchers on some sort of throwing program, even if it as a simple as playing catch and throwing a bullpen.

Throwing bullpens will have benefits regardless of instruction.

quote:

Originally posted by Coach Bob:
If HS coaches are just throwing the bats and balls on the field they should not be in that position and/or the HS should quit wasting money fielding a team because they aren't doing anyone any favors.

I would hope HS AD's have better sense but it is obviously not the case.

Guess I need to look into that for my son's future HS, because if they don't have the experience or ability to teach all aspects of the game to improve skills I'll have him focus on travel ball not HS.

I don’t think it’s a matter of “just throwing the bats and balls on the field’. It’s a matter of there not being the kind of practice time and coach availability as a lot of people think there is. A typical HS program here in the Sacramento area isn’t even allowed to work with the players until the season begins in Feb. Then at best, after a week or so of “tryouts”, the “real” practicing can begin.

But they can’t just start having the pitchers throwing as though the season has been in full tilt for a couple months. There are a few boy who will be in pretty good pitching shape, but most will have to be slowly brought up to full speed or risk a lot of injuries. While that’s going on, there’s very little “development” going on. For the most part its just trying to get 3 healthy arms ready for opening day.

Once the season gets underway, there’s really not much individual practice time available, and everything gets switched into the maintenance mode, so when is all this “development” supposed to take place? So much depends on the location, the amount of $$$ available, the schedule, and the available talent, its really impossible to make a blanket statement that covers everyone, everywhere. But the bottom line is, we’re not talking about the pro system where there’s lots of everything, including time.