Angel Borrelli Pitching Mechanics

1. While you’re deciding what to do for your son, consider getting him some training to develop his overall athletic skills. A pitcher’s performance and mechanics are usually only limited by his strength and physical capabilities.

2. When you’re out in the yard playing catch with your son, make sure he takes it seriously. Don’t let him be sloppy in any aspect - on his warm-ups, his tosses, throws, or pitching.

3. Bribe him with food, money, whatever, or threaten him with video-game cut-off, but make him do a tubing warm-up every time he pitches.

4. I know you want to help, but refrain from correcting him on every pitch. Once he receives a correction, it takes about 3 to 5 trials before his insides (which hear you) and his outsides (which do it) actually make the adjustment. Hold your next moment of feedback until his mind and his body have had a chance to process the last one.

5. If you’re coaching his team, don’t yell-out mechanical corrections to him when he’s pitching. Think about it. Do you like when that happens? Remember, he’s really just a smaller version of you!

Click here to learn more about Angel's
book on pitching mechanics

6. Don’t wait for your son to admit that he’s in pain if you get a sense that something is wrong. Particularly between the ages of 11 and 13, boys will not admit that something hurts. But if you suspect that something is wrong (elbow or shoulder pain), trust yourself and get it checked out!

7. Respect the pitcher, no matter his age. After all, anyone who is willing to take the hill and have everything focus and depend on him is someone special.

8. Familiarize yourself with the ABA guidelines for pitch count and recovery. There is a direct relationship between pitch count and innings pitched as a predictor of arm injuries. Don’t leave this responsibility up to the coach, who may not be familiar with these guidelines.

9. Make sure your son takes an off-season. Plan this at the beginning of each year. Pitcher’s develop and improve their skills during the months when they’re not concerned with winning.

10. Watch your son carefully when he pitches so you can help him understand his patterns. When does he start to fatigue? How does he show signs of fatigue? Does he shorten his stride? Does he drop his throwing arm? Does he start missing his spots? Is there a pattern to his misses? These answers and others like them can provide you with important insights on conditioning issues as well as mechanical issues that may need some attention.

Click here to learn more about Angel's
book on pitching mechanics

This article is re-published here with permission from the author. Angel Borrelli has helped many pitchers from Little League through the major leagues. Go to www.GymScience.com to learn more about her and what she can do for you as a pitcher or coach.