Pacing for a pitcher

BOF, I was listening to Bum, Jr. on internet radio and couldn't believe what I was hearing.. his average time between pitches was 8-10 seconds. By the end of the game, he had a shutout and 15k's. I think the game ended in 1 hour, 20 minutes.

A quick pace is not for everyone, but if a kid is in the zone, it is a good thing. It puts the hitters on the defensive, with no time to think about what pitch they're going to get.

I would tend to agree with Bum. Not necessarily a bad thing. However, if the pitcher tends to get out of rhythm, from time to time, he should just step back and take a deep breath to gather himself. I don't like to say much to my son either, but from time to time, I will just say "Take a breath 10". He knows what I mean and it will help him gather himself.

I love it when my pitchers work fast and really push that they do. BUT if it leads to them getting out of rythem or rushing then I do want them to slow down and refocus. Pitching fast isn't about speeding mechanics up but get the ball back, get the sign and start. Once you speed the mechanics up to pitch fast then you get out of rythem.

That's the thing a coach needs to watch for even if he's never seen your son before. When I watch a pitcher for the first time I watch how fast they go through their mechanics and if I see balance problems or things not working in order they should be then I talk to them. I suggest to slow things down and work from there. The flip side is to just get the ball, get on the mound, get the sign and go in a controlled, flowing mechanic.

He has always been a fast worker which is great as coach & BUM said. When he is in a grove this is fine. Sometimes, particularly in the first inning, he might be a little wild and it is better for him to slow it down a tad focus a little more. This was his first scout game with lots of college scouts there so I am sure he was a little nervous.

We can talk about it in advance and I could go off to the side and yell his number like bballman said, but I think we will discuss it and make sure he is aware in advance, and give him a couple of triggers to work with as there are lots of scouts around and I don't want to appear to be the overbearing dad.

Sounds like he's got too much adrenaline going on. He starts the game out and is pumped and leads to his wildness. Then it wears off and he gets a little sweat going then he's able to focus. He needs to find a way to handle the adrenaline stage. The older he gets and farther he goes that should happen but he can start learning how to manage it right now.

BOF, it is great to talk about it before hand, but the problem is, the pitcher does not always realize that he is rushing. He is just up there on the mound doing his thing and does not see what we see from behind the fence. Maybe you can come up with something that sounds more like an encouragement (nothing wrong with that), but you two know what it really means. I certainly understand not wanting to sound like a medling parent to the scouts, but I think coming up with something that is kind of a code between the two of you may work.

BOF, I think there is a fine line between working quickly and rushing.

First, the mental aspect. Bum, Jr. doesn't get onto that mound until he knows he's going to beat you. If his focus is not 100% he'll step off, regroup, and wait until the focus and warrior attitude are there. Sometimes this happens on autopilot, sometimes it's harder.. but the point is, don't step on that mound until you know you're going to win.

Second, the physical aspect. I think calming yourself, by staying relaxed and at the same time wanting to win--that's a tough balance--is the goal.
Also, right before the windup, a good healthy breath and exhale to release any tension helps.

One good piece of advise I heard at a college camp once: Whenever you feel tense, focus on doing things at half speed. For example, a hitter in a slump can breath slower, put on his batting gloves slower, put on the helmet slower.. basic yoga techniques applied to baseball. Then, once you've reached that inner calm, get that focus, that warrior attitude, and the pace becomes naturally quick. Does that make sense?

Thanks BUM he has been to a number of Jaeger camps where they do lots of mental work....of course he is 16....and probably forgets this stuff season to season.

I believe the real difference here is that the games really don't mean anything, competition wise since they are scout ball games. Pitchers come in and pitch 2 innings and leave. I think we will discuss taking a "game" approach to the outings so he prepares himself the same way he would for a regular season start.

Lots of good stuff here - too bad I am 2 years late on this one! I like to use Pre pitch and Post pitch for terms when it comes to time between pitches. Pre pitch is just a few seconds long. It is when you get the sign, focus and throw... all the other time is post pitch. It is post pitch that screws everything up! All that time makes guys crazy sometimes. They go to slow, they go to fast.. they self talk too negative, etc. For this particular case I would have your son count. Yes count. Granted when he is jacked up he will count faster, but that is ok. Have a routine for how many seconds you want between pitches and count - you will thus be on que for the most part. Also, there are studies that show if you count rhythmically you improve your timing (it's an internal thing with part of your brain). So it would be like this..." 1,2,3,4 - 1.. 1,2,3,4 -2 1,2,3,4 -3.. etc. in a cadence - a 4-count. Hope that makes sense.. shoot even 1 mississippi, 2 mississippi would work great for this! All his focus would go to the act of timing and away from the stressor in the first place.

For more on the mental game - check out my website
www.baseball-cap.net
Good luck
Rick

BOF-

A pitcher worried about timing can cause more problems than it solves when it comes to showcase situations. IMO, they really need to not think and just do. A more important area for pitchers at showcases is their warm up routine, especially those who are normally starters. They're only getting an inning or two to show their stuff, and getting stronger as the game goes on is not an option. He needs to remember to warm up a little longer, more like a closer, and be ready to go out hot and throw max effort to show the scouts what he's got. This can be a difficult concept when the pitcher is use to a starter role and keeping reserves to be able to go deep into the game. It's different in a showcase setting. This was advice we received early in son's showcase experience that really paid off. Hope it does for BOF jr too. Good Luck.

I think all in all there has to be a game plan on each and every pitch regardless of how quickly your son grabs the ball and gets to his next pitch. Once that ball is delivered the result from that pitch should trigger a resulted game plan for the next. Pitchers go through many different thoughts throughout the game. Try and find out what your son was thinking when he was pitching to say #14 and then to #18. At first pick 2 totally different kids so he has a memory of them and ask his gameplan. Then as he gets further down the line he should be comparing at bat to at bat. Hitters stances, bat position, and reaction to pitches should all come into play.