Unintentional Cutters?

Since it has been awhile it is likely you are opening up early causing the cutting action. Make sure your working with a coach who has some experience with post TJ workouts. 

The best advice for anyone coming off an arm injury is to attend a camp at Ron wolforth's Baseball ranch in the Houston area.  Well worth the money.

Not sure anyone can give you real advice without seeing you throw. Do you have any video?  I'm curious why you don't want movement on your pitches. If you are mechanically sound and your elbow isn't bothering you, movement on your fastballs is a good thing, I would think. 

This is more or less the first real throwing since surgery, had to cut last season short due to a non injury related surgery. Threw again tonight and seemed to have better movement (straighter 4 seam and run on 2 seam) before reading your suggestions, so I think it is a combination of thumb placement and rust.

as for why I do not want unintended cutter action, that is partly what put the stress on my elbow that required TJ, in addition to correctable mechanics which I am currently addressing.

NW, I don't think it was the action of the ball that puts the stress on your elbow.  You may be doing something wrong with your delivery that causes the cutting action on your fastball and putting the stress on your elbow.  Bottom line is, it' not the cutting action of the ball that's causing it, it's mechanics.  If I were you, I would get in to see a good pitching instructor and let him know that you are concerned about the stress on your elbow because you see the same ball movement as before.  He should be able to either ease your mind letting you know things look good or give you some help with changing something with your mechanics.  As I said earlier, I don't think this can be done over the internet, especially without seeing you throw.  

NW Knights07 : I am having a hard time equating your TJ to the cutting action on the FB...other than the amount of time you have been off, has resulted in a slight change in your release angle of your hand / wrist on these pitches.  The thumb has very little effect on pitch movement....the last finger to touch the baseball at release (middle finger) has the majority of influence on making a pitch move, especially on pitches that break away from the throwing arm (cutter, curve, slider)....the spin makes the ball move, and pitches that move opposite your throwing arm are spinning because of the position of the middle finger...that is the ONLY finger that can create spin in that direction. 

 

Not sure why TJ would change how you are releasing the pitch, but if you want to eliminate the spin (movement), make sure your middle finger is behind the ball at release...any movement of the middle finger to the side of the ball will create the cutting action you are describing.

 

FYI -- good to know you are addressing mechanics after your TJ...most don't, and only bought time before problems arise again, or hope the replacement ligament will be stronger than the previous....  General rule is the various pitches themselves don't create the elbow injury, however the mechanics of throwing off speed, or any pitch for that matter is the culprit the majority of time. 

I do have a very experienced pitching coach that has extensive experience rehabbing TJ, however I am a couple hundred miles away ay college. As for mechanics on the mound, I am not concerned with that until I correct flaws on flat ground, or even just playing catch. The biggest issue I have is that I lose ground with my lead shoulder- instead of pulling my chest to the glove, I bring the glove to my chest which will lead to some early rotation. Also along those lines is that my stride has been to far to the first base side (RHP) but in fixing that in the past I over compensated which resulted in a stride towards the third base side.

Regardless, I have always been able to throw strikes, but more importantly, get outs.

I didn't put in all this work to quit and shut it down, so any way I can improve and prolong my career, I will do it.

For everyone suggesting footage, I could provide some possibly next week, but I am limited in what I am allowed to do with my lower half (new scar around the tailbone/butt that I need to protect from tearing) so mound work, and even flat grounds will have to wait for maybe a month or so. What would be the best camera angle to analyze a throwing motion?