Hello! I’ve been pitching over 10 years in slow pitch,after converting from fast pitch. Quite an adjustment,to say the least.However,I’m learning every batter,inning game.Practicing your drills,watching your videos! Thank you for your knowledge,techniques,videos!! Keep up the great work!
Thank you for your information. You are helping Coaches such as myself serve our team better. You are a true master of the skill of pitching and an excellent teacher!
Austin, I played USSSA for 2 decades. I will assure you I could hit middle on almost every pitch. You have to learn to field your position. That's what stops them from going there.
Man... My softball career came to an end 10 years too early. I became a pitcher for the team I managed, only because nobody else wanted to after my regular pitcher began having scheduling conflicts and missed more and more games. I tinkered around with grips and spins which had some albeit inconsistent success, but after seeing your videos I now understand where I was failing to take my pitching to the next level. Wish I would have found you in the twilight of my softball days.... your tutorials would have made me a more effective pitcher. Thanks for posting.
You have no idea what you have created. You are my master. Just finished my second ever season. We needed a pitcher and I saw you so I decided to try it out this year. And I'm pretty good. Got 6 strikeouts and a total of 15 outs due to them hitting right to me one game this season. In same. In slow pitch!!! Thanks for everything. I owe you.
i want to thanku very much...i have been pitching about 15 years now and really never pitched with a backspin.. i played a double header the other day and used your nuckle ball and backspin pithes and excelled at it...i had batters of balance...thaanku
My league plays a double header every week. We do have two pitchers and we both pitch one game each. My teammates era is noticeably lower than mine, but then again he has been at it a lot longer than I have. With the new backspin delivery my era has risen compared to what it was before I switched pitching styles. I love a challenge and when I can deliver a proper backspin with good location there is no doubt in my mind this is far more effective that my previous style. I was just fearful that because my pitches did not have enough arch that I was serving everyone lollipops to hit when I pitched. I now understand it will take time but if I concentrate on proper backspin and LOCATION that in time it will out work out for me. Once again thanks for the work you put into your videos I can't express how helpful they are to me.
Just watched the video. Thank you for your response to my question. I will take what u said and use it. You are probably right about it being a mental thing, when they crowd the plate.
Hi how are you? I new pitcher in low league in UK your videos help me a lot, I would like to see more video about any updates of your pitches ( sorry for my English)
First off I want to thank you for your videos I really admire the way you can make the ball dance with all that backspin. I've just started developing power pitching and I make it a habit to throw 150 pitches a day working on my control. My problem is they seem to love everything I throw up there and I suspect it's due to not only my control but my lack of getting enough height on the pitch to allow for any break. How important is it maximize height on every pitch and is it something you recommend?
Hi Mike, glad to hear you're dedicating so much time to your workouts. When you say "they love everything you throw up there", do you mean they they are hitting all your pitches hard?
@@utah32804 Absolutely, granted I get more ground balls than I have in the past and that is a plus. It just seems to me that when I don't hit a corner of the plate and they see me put it over the plate with minimal arch they really tee off on it. Is height the answer to keep them off balance?
You make a good point Mike, balls over the plate, not on the corners are going to be tough no matter the arc. That being said, stay on the corners when you have to pitch a strike and off the corners with breaking pitches when you're ahead. Also, I am not a big fan of high-arc pitches with few exceptions. Any high-arc pitch hitting more than a couple of inches behind the plate will rarely get called for a strike so your margin of error on the depth is very small. If you can get the depth dialed in on it, I would definitely use it as long as you can put monster spin on it, otherwise, the pitch is either a ball or yard bait. Low pitches are better over all with one important stipulation, they have to hit the ground just behind the plate, no more than about three inches, otherwise, they're right in the sweet spot crossing the front of the plate. Before getting too focused on the specifics of your pitching, I'd like to know how your team ranks in your league for runs given up since you've changed your pitching style compared to runs given up before. It's important to know your overall performance, over several games in order to assess how you're really doing. I pay close attention to my teams ERA over the course of a season and the season before to be sure I don't get too distracted by a great game, or bad game here and there.
Greetings Mr. Ace, Thank you for this channel. 1- Safety after the pitch has left...any tips? In the future do you have experience with certain masks? Recommendations? I like to shade pull side a step to get more grounders & be a 5th man infielder yet with 4 OFers. I generally like to keep my glove in the throat area with, knees bent for grounders, to protect throat/chest/face, and glove palm open to home plate for hot shots...seems to work well for me. 2- I have not pitched palm down before, it is a lost cause to try to throw breaking balls palm up? 3- Arc variation - do you just try to keep it barely over 6’, or do you intentionally vary it? My lines are pretty pretty accurate within a couple inches with varying arc, and I like to really scrape the ceiling of what’s legal on inside pitches but mix in both inside & outside borderline illegal Flat. Example Sequence might be high arc inside deep barely a strike, if they lay off I’m ahead, if they swing it’s often a foul. 2nd pitch flat outside short for a strike back corner (opposite corner of the strike zone, and opposite arc). Weak contact consistently.... 3rd pitch if I’m ahead do high and inside, they have to protect, it’s often a foul out. Anyway, I have not seen all your videos yet, for me anyway arc variation is key. I’ll start to practice to your techniques palm down and bring to the game when I’m ready! Really excited to start to try them out!! Using seems would be a new thing, palm up I grip avoiding all seams for better repeatability. Excellent videos, thank you!!
Hi Curt, I like the approach you describe for your "set" position after the pitch. That is precisely the way I set up after a pitch. I prioritize the protection of my head/face with an open glove toward the plate and set my feet in an "athletic" position to move quickly. I wear a batting helmet for protection from the batter and sometimes an infielder (had a couple of close calls there). I'm sure a full mask would be better, but so far I've been able to keep hard-hit balls off of my face; I'd recommend a face mask if you can use one. I know some guys who can throw excellent, forward spin (palm-up) breaking pitches, so If you're more comfortable with the palm-up approach, I'll put a link below to willy dial. He doesn't have many videos, but I'm sure he'd be glad to give you some pointers if you send him a note. I prefer pitching with a single rotation, back-spin on all my pitches except for the knuckle-ball. I do this for three primary reasons; 1.) The straight back-spin pitch is harder to hit consistently than the forward spin pitch (see link below on the back-spin power pitch) and, 2.) This advantage over the forward spin pitch also applies to breaking pitches. Also, for me, back-spin breaking pitches move more than forward-spin pitches. And finally, reason three is accuracy. There are fewer mechanical differences between pitches when all pitches can be thrown with the same essential release. Consistent mechanics between different pitches promotes greater accuracy. Arc variation is essential, and your approach sounds very good. Up and down, inside and out. Many pitchers have trouble with location and struggle to get the batter into the "box," so to speak and end up having to throw over the middle to avoid the walk. This is why I believe "command" is the essential element of pitching. Mastering location is key to effective pitching regardless of pitching style. Once you add a good breaking pitch to your toolbox, I think you'll find that your inside-outside game will become significantly more effective. If you can ad both breaking pitches, the slider, and the screw-ball, you'll really start having fun. Good luck! Forward spin breaking pitch: th-cam.com/channels/MFwASNj3SWtdBsVpNmvX7g.html Back Spin Power Pitch: th-cam.com/video/EgzYL5K1cYs/w-d-xo.html
WeekNight Ace , Thank you for stating a single rotation; it’s helpful confirming spin rate is not as critical as keeping the flat side true. I’ll be striping balls as soon as the snow melts! Thanks again!
Thank you for posting all of these videos. They are a great resource. I recently began pitching for my team and have been having success so far. Luckily I am able to located it around the mat to help get more swings. I wish to continue helping my team and know I need to add pitches to my arsenal. I throw a fairly flat ball with really no wrist rotation and one that I rotate out to in (right hand turning from palm up to palm down). What are some of the important pitches I need to continue getting weak swings? And how do I grip them and release them? Thanks. Tim
Hi Tim, It sounds like you're new to pitching so I would recommend that you master one pitch first, and that is the backspin pitch with the palm down. If I had to pitch with only one pitch, this would be it. If you haven't watched my series on Slow Pitch Power PItching, you should watch it as it explains the benefits of this pitch and how to throw it. See playlist here: th-cam.com/play/PLri-4u3S_FU149e3xYoowoBP_DACt19Af.html The next pitch I would learn to throw is the screwball, breaking in to a right-handed batter. I illustrate this pitch in my first video here: th-cam.com/video/teDXCFz_Il8/w-d-xo.html. Don't be in a rush to add new pitches until after you've mastered your present pitch. Also, don't just add pitches for the sake of adding them, each pitch you add should have a purpose. Let me know how it goes and good luck!
It does matter where to pitch based on where they stand in the box. Most hitters are standing and waiting on their pitch. I try to make them swing on a different plane in hopes of keeping them from hitting as well as they could if they got the pitch they wanted. If they crowd the plate and up front, if they are tall and regardless where they are standing, I want the pitch as low and short and inside as possible and get them to hit to my 3B and SS playing the pull. If they are medium height, I pay attention to where they are standing front of the box or deep. If they are crowding and playing up, I want to pitch as high and as deep as I could on the inside. If they are deep in the box, I want the ball as low and short and inside as possible to get them to roll over to 3B or outside so they roll over to 2B. If they are playing away from the box, I want the outside of the zone. If they are playing short, I want the high, deep outside corner so they fly out to RF. If they are playing deep, I want as short and low as possible to the outside of the zone so they hit to 2B or Middle if you are having your MI play that side. Hitters are gonna hit, but my goal is to get them to not hit as hard as they could and set my defense up to make plays for me. Always communicate with your infield where to end up so they dont get caught outta position. I hope this helps. It works for me.
I had a problem last year where my control completely left...I used to be able to know where I was throwing a pitch and then all of a sudden it all went away...I was erratic and couldn't throw a strike if my life depended on it....went to a high ball knuckleball and it helped but I couldn't throw it a whole game as batters adjusted to it....got any suggestions?
Another great video. In order to address the issue of hitters going up the middle, I would like to see how you set up while the pitch is in the air to defend with mobility. Any advice?
Hey Chris, thanks for the props, I cover the stance after the pitch in this video: th-cam.com/video/2gBq-kjQNVQ/w-d-xo.html at about the 6:30 mark. If you haven't watched the video, I suggest watching it all, lot of good info in there. Also, with my style of pitching, staying mostly inside I don't get too many comebackers. When I do get hit back up the middle it's usually because I missed over the plate or I've gone outside on a batter. The good thing about focusing so much on location, as a pitcher, is that you're almost never surprised by a comebacker. You see the pitch going into the zone and can tell if it has a chance to come back to you. Always be ready!
Yup, great advice weeknight ace.. most of the time, if u lose your command on a pitch, like missing over the middle or outside. U can protect yourself. Always be ready no matter what..
Morning, this is my second season pitching for my league, its been a struggle as a team to progress as our pitching(myself) is lackluster and I struggle with control of arching the pitch. So what ends up happening is that I'll pitch a lower arch down the middle and the other team is wailing deep balls. After this similar to your video, the other teams will just start crowding the plate and being patient as we are a younger team in the league so they know Mistakes/Walks are likely to happen. I love the videos you post, but When I try to throw backhand it feels weird on my shoulder so I'm just throwing regular underhand, I'm not sure if you recommend just sticking to a regular underhand toss or just constantly practicing the backhand until I get it.
Juan. My shoulder used to bother me when I started throwing back-spin, but it slowly became normal over time with no discomfort. I don't give medical advice, so I don't know if you have an underlying condition causing your trouble. If you're healthy, stay with it. It may take you a few thousand reps to really groove the back-spin, but it's worth it. I would recommend first mastering the straight back-spin and then the screwball. These two are easiest on the shoulder. The screw-ball is very effective against right-handed batters, especially when they crowd the plate as it breaks in and jams them up. The pitch that bothered my shoulder the most was the slider, but over time, my shoulder became a custom to the slider as well. Good luck, and don't give up!
Hello sir. I have a serious question. In my men's league everything you are talking about is great. However I have a beer league Co Ed league there is a rule where if the guy walks before a girl then the girl gets an automatic walk How do i pitch to a guy looking for a walk?
Hey Justus, Here's what I would do. If I knew the guy wasn't going to swing the bat. I'd throw two strikes in a row. Batter out! Well, that's the obvious answer but I think I know what you mean. The batter is probably taking the first strike and will then hit. I'd throw the first strike for sure and then depending on the batter and where I threw the first strike go after him with something off the plate. If he's really intent on not swinging the bat then I'd just throw two strikes until he proved he will actually hit.
It happens all the time. I mean we play softball to swing the bat. Guys who look for walks are probably not that great of a hitter anyway. Throw him outside and hit the corners to batter who is looking for a walk.. Change the eye level and hit your spots..
I've noticed guys that try to walk in coed typically do so because the girl behind them isn't strong. Toss 2 cookies and force him to swing to get to the girl.
@@utah32804 Agreeance. Step 1 - Get that first strike. Step 2 - I see two options here. Option A If your control is good, throw the same pitch but just off the plate. Most umpires will call "rivers" if they think the batter has no intention of swinging. Option B is go to your secondary pitch, especially a breaking ball. I throw my curveball inside to RH batters in this situation and let the ball break back in to the plate. This is opposite of what I'd Normally do as it can set you up to give up a long ball. However, in this instance the batter wants to take the pitch and seeing one that starts off inside and locks him into to taking but then the break comes and its called strike three or he swings too late and fouls it off, strike three unless your league allows a courtesy foul.
Hello I am a lefty pitcher. Im trying to throw a backspin pitch but the break happens early....about half way to the plate. How can i delay it so it breaks more closer to the plate?? Enjoy your videos im learning a lot. Thank you
Hi Ralph, are you throwing a slider, breaking away from your left side and in on a right handed batter or a screwball, breaking toward your throwing arm side, in on a left handed batter?
You're correct Ralph, If it's breaking to your throwing side it's a screwball. You need to look closely at the rotation axis angle of the ball. If it's level with the ground, your pitch will tend to break earlier. If the axis is tilted down on the side of the ball break direction, the ball will break later. Experiment with your wrist angle on release to get the angle right. This is really hard to see unless your practice balls are marked with a stripe around the two seam direction. If you haven't seen my video on striping balls you can watch it here: th-cam.com/video/vMk5Do1LGsk/w-d-xo.html Let me know how it goes. Good Luck!
Matt, I'll give you the same advice I just gave Eric. Hard shots up the middle are the result of where the ball passes through the hitting zone. If you're getting hit up the middle, you're pitching middle or middle-away. I get the best results when I pitch inside or a pitch outside, breaking away like the slider to a righty. One strategy I use with success is to pitch inside and have my defense shift to the 3b side to reduce the field size. Good Luck!
Hi Wendall, sorry for the late response, been out of town. I don't do one-on-one instruction, video only. I may offer workshops at some time in the future. Thanks for asking!
Well this is coming from a hitter you were adressing the batters box i have played in 100 of tourament and thousands of league games i have never found one batters box the correct size so unit they are correct you cant have this conversation ..... And you said you lost the low strike but gained the deep one you pitcher need to lighten
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Hello! I’ve been pitching over 10 years in slow pitch,after converting from fast pitch. Quite an adjustment,to say the least.However,I’m learning every batter,inning game.Practicing your drills,watching your videos! Thank you for your knowledge,techniques,videos!! Keep up the great work!
Thank you for your information. You
are helping Coaches such as myself serve our team better. You are a true master of the skill of pitching and an excellent teacher!
Can you please keep doing videos!
Learned a lot from you.
Austin, I played USSSA for 2 decades. I will assure you I could hit middle on almost every pitch. You have to learn to field your position. That's what stops them from going there.
Man... My softball career came to an end 10 years too early. I became a pitcher for the team I managed, only because nobody else wanted to after my regular pitcher began having scheduling conflicts and missed more and more games. I tinkered around with grips and spins which had some albeit inconsistent success, but after seeing your videos I now understand where I was failing to take my pitching to the next level.
Wish I would have found you in the twilight of my softball days.... your tutorials would have made me a more effective pitcher. Thanks for posting.
You have no idea what you have created. You are my master. Just finished my second ever season. We needed a pitcher and I saw you so I decided to try it out this year. And I'm pretty good. Got 6 strikeouts and a total of 15 outs due to them hitting right to me one game this season. In same. In slow pitch!!! Thanks for everything. I owe you.
Wow! Donnie. I'm not worthy. Thanks for the props!
i want to thanku very much...i have been pitching about 15 years now and really never pitched with a backspin.. i played a double header the other day and used your nuckle ball and backspin pithes and excelled at it...i had batters of balance...thaanku
@Mordechai Sage yup, have been watching on Flixzone} for months myself =)
@Mordechai Sage Definitely, been using flixzone} for years myself :D
@Mordechai Sage Yup, been watching on flixzone} for since december myself =)
My league plays a double header every week. We do have two pitchers and we both pitch one game each. My teammates era is noticeably lower than mine, but then again he has been at it a lot longer than I have. With the new backspin delivery my era has risen compared to what it was before I switched pitching styles. I love a challenge and when I can deliver a proper backspin with good location there is no doubt in my mind this is far more effective that my previous style. I was just fearful that because my pitches did not have enough arch that I was serving everyone lollipops to hit when I pitched. I now understand it will take time but if I concentrate on proper backspin and LOCATION that in time it will out work out for me. Once again thanks for the work you put into your videos I can't express how helpful they are to me.
Thanks Mike!
Just watched the video. Thank you for your response to my question. I will take what u said and use it. You are probably right about it being a mental thing, when they crowd the plate.
Sure Austin, hope it helps!
Hi how are you? I new pitcher in low league in UK your videos help me a lot, I would like to see more video about any updates of your pitches ( sorry for my English)
First off I want to thank you for your videos I really admire the way you can make the ball dance with all that backspin. I've just started developing power pitching and I make it a habit to throw 150 pitches a day working on my control. My problem is they seem to love everything I throw up there and I suspect it's due to not only my control but my lack of getting enough height on the pitch to allow for any break. How important is it maximize height on every pitch and is it something you recommend?
Hi Mike, glad to hear you're dedicating so much time to your workouts. When you say "they love everything you throw up there", do you mean they they are hitting all your pitches hard?
@@utah32804 Absolutely, granted I get more ground balls than I have in the past and that is a plus. It just seems to me that when I don't hit a corner of the plate and they see me put it over the plate with minimal arch they really tee off on it. Is height the answer to keep them off balance?
You make a good point Mike, balls over the plate, not on the corners are going to be tough no matter the arc. That being said, stay on the corners when you have to pitch a strike and off the corners with breaking pitches when you're ahead. Also, I am not a big fan of high-arc pitches with few exceptions. Any high-arc pitch hitting more than a couple of inches behind the plate will rarely get called for a strike so your margin of error on the depth is very small. If you can get the depth dialed in on it, I would definitely use it as long as you can put monster spin on it, otherwise, the pitch is either a ball or yard bait. Low pitches are better over all with one important stipulation, they have to hit the ground just behind the plate, no more than about three inches, otherwise, they're right in the sweet spot crossing the front of the plate. Before getting too focused on the specifics of your pitching, I'd like to know how your team ranks in your league for runs given up since you've changed your pitching style compared to runs given up before. It's important to know your overall performance, over several games in order to assess how you're really doing. I pay close attention to my teams ERA over the course of a season and the season before to be sure I don't get too distracted by a great game, or bad game here and there.
Greetings Mr. Ace, Thank you for this channel.
1- Safety after the pitch has left...any tips? In the future do you have experience with certain masks? Recommendations? I like to shade pull side a step to get more grounders & be a 5th man infielder yet with 4 OFers. I generally like to keep my glove in the throat area with, knees bent for grounders, to protect throat/chest/face, and glove palm open to home plate for hot shots...seems to work well for me.
2- I have not pitched palm down before, it is a lost cause to try to throw breaking balls palm up?
3- Arc variation - do you just try to keep it barely over 6’, or do you intentionally vary it? My lines are pretty pretty accurate within a couple inches with varying arc, and I like to really scrape the ceiling of what’s legal on inside pitches but mix in both inside & outside borderline illegal Flat. Example Sequence might be high arc inside deep barely a strike, if they lay off I’m ahead, if they swing it’s often a foul. 2nd pitch flat outside short for a strike back corner (opposite corner of the strike zone, and opposite arc). Weak contact consistently.... 3rd pitch if I’m ahead do high and inside, they have to protect, it’s often a foul out. Anyway, I have not seen all your videos yet, for me anyway arc variation is key. I’ll start to practice to your techniques palm down and bring to the game when I’m ready! Really excited to start to try them out!! Using seems would be a new thing, palm up I grip avoiding all seams for better repeatability.
Excellent videos, thank you!!
Hi Curt, I like the approach you describe for your "set" position after the pitch. That is precisely the way I set up after a pitch. I prioritize the protection of my head/face with an open glove toward the plate and set my feet in an "athletic" position to move quickly. I wear a batting helmet for protection from the batter and sometimes an infielder (had a couple of close calls there). I'm sure a full mask would be better, but so far I've been able to keep hard-hit balls off of my face; I'd recommend a face mask if you can use one.
I know some guys who can throw excellent, forward spin (palm-up) breaking pitches, so If you're more comfortable with the palm-up approach, I'll put a link below to willy dial. He doesn't have many videos, but I'm sure he'd be glad to give you some pointers if you send him a note. I prefer pitching with a single rotation, back-spin on all my pitches except for the knuckle-ball. I do this for three primary reasons; 1.) The straight back-spin pitch is harder to hit consistently than the forward spin pitch (see link below on the back-spin power pitch) and, 2.) This advantage over the forward spin pitch also applies to breaking pitches. Also, for me, back-spin breaking pitches move more than forward-spin pitches. And finally, reason three is accuracy. There are fewer mechanical differences between pitches when all pitches can be thrown with the same essential release. Consistent mechanics between different pitches promotes greater accuracy.
Arc variation is essential, and your approach sounds very good. Up and down, inside and out. Many pitchers have trouble with location and struggle to get the batter into the "box," so to speak and end up having to throw over the middle to avoid the walk. This is why I believe "command" is the essential element of pitching. Mastering location is key to effective pitching regardless of pitching style.
Once you add a good breaking pitch to your toolbox, I think you'll find that your inside-outside game will become significantly more effective. If you can ad both breaking pitches, the slider, and the screw-ball, you'll really start having fun. Good luck!
Forward spin breaking pitch: th-cam.com/channels/MFwASNj3SWtdBsVpNmvX7g.html
Back Spin Power Pitch: th-cam.com/video/EgzYL5K1cYs/w-d-xo.html
WeekNight Ace , Thank you for stating a single rotation; it’s helpful confirming spin rate is not as critical as keeping the flat side true. I’ll be striping balls as soon as the snow melts! Thanks again!
Thank you for posting all of these videos. They are a great resource.
I recently began pitching for my team and have been having success so far. Luckily I am able to located it around the mat to help get more swings. I wish to continue helping my team and know I need to add pitches to my arsenal. I throw a fairly flat ball with really no wrist rotation and one that I rotate out to in (right hand turning from palm up to palm down). What are some of the important pitches I need to continue getting weak swings? And how do I grip them and release them?
Thanks.
Tim
Hi Tim, It sounds like you're new to pitching so I would recommend that you master one pitch first, and that is the backspin pitch with the palm down. If I had to pitch with only one pitch, this would be it. If you haven't watched my series on Slow Pitch Power PItching, you should watch it as it explains the benefits of this pitch and how to throw it. See playlist here: th-cam.com/play/PLri-4u3S_FU149e3xYoowoBP_DACt19Af.html The next pitch I would learn to throw is the screwball, breaking in to a right-handed batter. I illustrate this pitch in my first video here: th-cam.com/video/teDXCFz_Il8/w-d-xo.html. Don't be in a rush to add new pitches until after you've mastered your present pitch. Also, don't just add pitches for the sake of adding them, each pitch you add should have a purpose. Let me know how it goes and good luck!
It does matter where to pitch based on where they stand in the box. Most hitters are standing and waiting on their pitch. I try to make them swing on a different plane in hopes of keeping them from hitting as well as they could if they got the pitch they wanted. If they crowd the plate and up front, if they are tall and regardless where they are standing, I want the pitch as low and short and inside as possible and get them to hit to my 3B and SS playing the pull. If they are medium height, I pay attention to where they are standing front of the box or deep. If they are crowding and playing up, I want to pitch as high and as deep as I could on the inside. If they are deep in the box, I want the ball as low and short and inside as possible to get them to roll over to 3B or outside so they roll over to 2B. If they are playing away from the box, I want the outside of the zone. If they are playing short, I want the high, deep outside corner so they fly out to RF. If they are playing deep, I want as short and low as possible to the outside of the zone so they hit to 2B or Middle if you are having your MI play that side. Hitters are gonna hit, but my goal is to get them to not hit as hard as they could and set my defense up to make plays for me. Always communicate with your infield where to end up so they dont get caught outta position. I hope this helps. It works for me.
I had a problem last year where my control completely left...I used to be able to know where I was throwing a pitch and then all of a sudden it all went away...I was erratic and couldn't throw a strike if my life depended on it....went to a high ball knuckleball and it helped but I couldn't throw it a whole game as batters adjusted to it....got any suggestions?
Another great video. In order to address the issue of hitters going up the middle, I would like to see how you set up while the pitch is in the air to defend with mobility. Any advice?
Hey Chris, thanks for the props, I cover the stance after the pitch in this video: th-cam.com/video/2gBq-kjQNVQ/w-d-xo.html at about the 6:30 mark. If you haven't watched the video, I suggest watching it all, lot of good info in there. Also, with my style of pitching, staying mostly inside I don't get too many comebackers. When I do get hit back up the middle it's usually because I missed over the plate or I've gone outside on a batter. The good thing about focusing so much on location, as a pitcher, is that you're almost never surprised by a comebacker. You see the pitch going into the zone and can tell if it has a chance to come back to you. Always be ready!
Yup, great advice weeknight ace.. most of the time, if u lose your command on a pitch, like missing over the middle or outside. U can protect yourself. Always be ready no matter what..
@@utah32804 I asked two questions, and later found answers in other videos you posted. Great teaching job, thanks!
Morning, this is my second season pitching for my league, its been a struggle as a team to progress as our pitching(myself) is lackluster and I struggle with control of arching the pitch. So what ends up happening is that I'll pitch a lower arch down the middle and the other team is wailing deep balls. After this similar to your video, the other teams will just start crowding the plate and being patient as we are a younger team in the league so they know Mistakes/Walks are likely to happen. I love the videos you post, but When I try to throw backhand it feels weird on my shoulder so I'm just throwing regular underhand, I'm not sure if you recommend just sticking to a regular underhand toss or just constantly practicing the backhand until I get it.
Juan. My shoulder used to bother me when I started throwing back-spin, but it slowly became normal over time with no discomfort. I don't give medical advice, so I don't know if you have an underlying condition causing your trouble. If you're healthy, stay with it. It may take you a few thousand reps to really groove the back-spin, but it's worth it.
I would recommend first mastering the straight back-spin and then the screwball. These two are easiest on the shoulder. The screw-ball is very effective against right-handed batters, especially when they crowd the plate as it breaks in and jams them up. The pitch that bothered my shoulder the most was the slider, but over time, my shoulder became a custom to the slider as well. Good luck, and don't give up!
Hello sir. I have a serious question. In my men's league everything you are talking about is great. However I have a beer league Co Ed league there is a rule where if the guy walks before a girl then the girl gets an automatic walk How do i pitch to a guy looking for a walk?
Hey Justus, Here's what I would do. If I knew the guy wasn't going to swing the bat. I'd throw two strikes in a row. Batter out! Well, that's the obvious answer but I think I know what you mean. The batter is probably taking the first strike and will then hit. I'd throw the first strike for sure and then depending on the batter and where I threw the first strike go after him with something off the plate. If he's really intent on not swinging the bat then I'd just throw two strikes until he proved he will actually hit.
It happens all the time. I mean we play softball to swing the bat. Guys who look for walks are probably not that great of a hitter anyway. Throw him outside and hit the corners to batter who is looking for a walk.. Change the eye level and hit your spots..
I've noticed guys that try to walk in coed typically do so because the girl behind them isn't strong. Toss 2 cookies and force him to swing to get to the girl.
@@utah32804 Agreeance. Step 1 - Get that first strike. Step 2 - I see two options here. Option A If your control is good, throw the same pitch but just off the plate. Most umpires will call "rivers" if they think the batter has no intention of swinging. Option B is go to your secondary pitch, especially a breaking ball. I throw my curveball inside to RH batters in this situation and let the ball break back in to the plate. This is opposite of what I'd Normally do as it can set you up to give up a long ball. However, in this instance the batter wants to take the pitch and seeing one that starts off inside and locks him into to taking but then the break comes and its called strike three or he swings too late and fouls it off, strike three unless your league allows a courtesy foul.
Hello I am a lefty pitcher. Im trying to throw a backspin pitch but the break happens early....about half way to the plate. How can i delay it so it breaks more closer to the plate?? Enjoy your videos im learning a lot. Thank you
Hi Ralph, are you throwing a slider, breaking away from your left side and in on a right handed batter or a screwball, breaking toward your throwing arm side, in on a left handed batter?
Hi there! Its a screwball i believe because on a right handed batter it starts off inside the breaks to the outside?
You're correct Ralph, If it's breaking to your throwing side it's a screwball. You need to look closely at the rotation axis angle of the ball. If it's level with the ground, your pitch will tend to break earlier. If the axis is tilted down on the side of the ball break direction, the ball will break later. Experiment with your wrist angle on release to get the angle right. This is really hard to see unless your practice balls are marked with a stripe around the two seam direction. If you haven't seen my video on striping balls you can watch it here: th-cam.com/video/vMk5Do1LGsk/w-d-xo.html Let me know how it goes. Good Luck!
Hello
I am a senior pitcher who plays in a modified slow pitch league (not hi arc)
Can you offer coaching tips for my situation?
Thank you
Steve F
What can l do to reduce shots or line drives straight up the middle back at my head?
Matt, I'll give you the same advice I just gave Eric. Hard shots up the middle are the result of where the ball passes through the hitting zone. If you're getting hit up the middle, you're pitching middle or middle-away. I get the best results when I pitch inside or a pitch outside, breaking away like the slider to a righty. One strategy I use with success is to pitch inside and have my defense shift to the 3b side to reduce the field size. Good Luck!
Do you teach pitching? If so, where you located
Hi Wendall, sorry for the late response, been out of town. I don't do one-on-one instruction, video only. I may offer workshops at some time in the future. Thanks for asking!
WeekNight Ace, if you change your mind I live in Orlando and play with seniors there.
I’m wondering do u pitch from 46 feet??
In our league we pitch from 50 feet.
Check out Ken Van Bogaert for hitting drills. He has about 400 videos on TH-cam. Do you still play FHC tournaments?
Well this is coming from a hitter you were adressing the batters box i have played in 100 of tourament and thousands of league games i have never found one batters box the correct size so unit they are correct you cant have this conversation .....
And you said you lost the low strike but gained the deep one you pitcher need to lighten
Hi Joe, got the first part of your comment but not sure I get the part about Low vs Deep.
Play a 5 man infield. They won’t come up the middle anymore