Lessons for 11 year old Pitcher

Don't do drills just for the sake of doing drills. Why did you do the towel drill? You need to identify a purpose - something the pitcher needs to work on - and then find drills that support that purpose. In this sense, it's hard to suggest particular drills without knowing anything about your pitcher.

However, young kids usually need to work on the more basic fundamentals such as stabilizing posture through the delivery and managing the glove side. Drills like the NPA's knee drill and rocker drill allow focus to be put on these aspects by taking the lower half out of the equation.

Roger-

I agree that drills need to have a purpose. I am not really huge on the towel drill either.

My purpose would be to just give him some simple drills that he can use to help develop a proper delivery throughout the week. He is kind of awkward right now. I might need to look into what NPA has. Does their website have an easy place to find some drills?

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The only thing I wish I would have done with my son earlier would be to get him a mirror to work on his mechanics and see what he should be doing in front of it. Best training device in the world IMO for hitters and pitchers. 11 is pretty young so basic balance and follow through, foot stike location (not open or closed) and making sure his glove hand is in the right place is all I would do at this point. Make sure he is playing catch a lot, and not pitching too much.

quote:

Originally posted by OnWabana:
Roger-

I agree that drills need to have a purpose. I am not really huge on the towel drill either.

The towel drill has its place if you understand its purpose.

quote:

My purpose would be to just give him some simple drills that he can use to help develop a proper delivery throughout the week. He is kind of awkward right now. I might need to look into what NPA has. Does their website have an easy place to find some drills?

Their drills are described in their books and videos. You can get The Art and Science of Pitching for under $20.

Balance. Have him stand in a starting position with his knee up while he is watching TV for as long as he can hold that position. I also found that having my son push me away with his stride leg was effective for getting him to drive. Also make a "T" with tape on your carpet (obviously not in the LR) and have him do his full wind up, and make sure his front foot is landing stragiht on the line (as in going toward a catcher).

Good advice guys. Thank you.

Anyone have anything else to add?

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quote:

Originally posted by Pat H:
Balance. Have him stand in a starting position with his knee up while he is watching TV for as long as he can hold that position.

Please explain how this helps a pitcher.

Pitching is all about balance. If a child can't come to a good balanced position prior to movement toward home plate he will never land in the same place and he will never be able to consistantly throw a pitch for a strike. He will constantly be throwing either coming forward uncontrollably or slipping backwards. I haven't seen a pitcher yet that can do that and be successful.

Think of the five step approach (or the 3 step if you are from the stretch) and look at step three. As that knee comes up and the pitcher is raising his left arm (rhp) to 'aim' and the right arm is coming back the pitcher has to be in a position of balance.

Most 11 year olds aren't. Mine wasn't initially. His pitching coach had him practice the knee up, elbow (or glove) pointed at the target and arm back drill for several times a week. Now he can keep that knee up, on the mound, for 35 seconds if he needs to. It is also no suprise that he can plant that left foot in the same exact spot on the mound every single time.

If you see a wild kid throwing the ball all over the place it is either because he isn't throwing from the same arm slot or it is because he has lousy footwork. Fixing the footwork is one of the easier things to correct.

Sultan,
It's a simple balance exercise. Similar to yoga. When i see kids pitch from the wind up, a lot of times they can't control their bodies once that knee comes up. They start leaning back or rocking. Balance is something that, while is a nautral occurence in some kids, has to be worked on...like everything else.

It's about posture more than balance (I prefer the term dynamic balance). Finding ways to have the player move out & down the mound athletically will go a lot farther in the long term than any static drill or positioning.

It may have some benefit to do some positioning work in the beginning to use merely as "check points", but only if the are used as check points when combined with the entire delivery.

IMO any time you start using static positioning too much, or truncate body movements during the throw you limit a kids throwing potential and make him a "little league strike thrower" rather than a kid who can really throw the ball well in the future.

Every young player should be forced to warm up properly so that they get sound throwing mechanics ingrained to where throwing correctly comes as second nature.

While you cannot pitch every day, you can play catch every day or nearly every day. A young pitcher who did the basic throwing drills every day would help himself immensely.

Flip drill, kneeling drill (arm action + flip), standing drill (same with added torso rotation), then throwing with all proper mechanics. Work on balance, trunk rotation, "down, back & up" arm action, vertical 4-seam backspin release, proper follow through to target/on balance.

I cannot tell you how many teenagers I see now who spend hours on their hitting but cannot through worth spit. No arm strength, no accuracy, weird mechanics, sore arms, you name it. These drills should start whenever the kid starts organized baseball. By the time he's 11 if his mechanics are off he needs to get on the right track. If he's on the right track he needs to stay on it, because "rust never sleeps."

P.S.

1-2 times each week you can add long tossing to build strength as well.

quote:

Originally posted by Wklink:
Pitching is all about balance. If a child can't come to a good balanced position prior to movement toward home plate he will never land in the same place and he will never be able to consistantly throw a pitch for a strike. He will constantly be throwing either coming forward uncontrollably or slipping backwards. I haven't seen a pitcher yet that can do that and be successful.

Why would you "balance" prior to movement? Aren't you trying to gain momentum toward the plate? Most of the best pitchers go forward immediately.