I have a 13 year old son who likes to pitch but doesn't seem to throw with the velocity that I know he has in him.
He tends to play SS and 3B when he isn't pitching and I have seen him whip some throws that have the opposing coaches oohing and ahhing. He can put velocity on a ball (when he needs to) that I just don't see in most kids his age.
The thing is, when he pitches he doesn't seem to have the same velocity with his four seam that he does when he is playing the field. He can get the ball up there ok but he seems to be afraid to 'let it fly'. I have had him work with several instructors over the years and all of them say his mechanics are top notch.
I suspect that this is somewhat mental with him. He is not aggressive by nature and I wonder if pitching is even the right thing for him. He loves it but he also is so afraid to throw a bad pitch that he tends to let off on his throws so he can get that 'perfect' pitch over.
Any ideas on how to get past this mental block that tells him he can't throw hard? I know he can, if he can backhand pick a ball, plant and zip one on a rope to first base without making the 1B's glove move I know he can hit the catcher's mitt while still putting something on it.
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