Throwing Harder

I am sometimes frustrated by how concerned all of my pitchers are about how hard they throw. I know I know.... stop yelling... I know scouts care about how hard you throw. That doesn't mean it is the most important thing with which they are concerned. On the forum I post on, there are current threads about how a pitcher can throw 90 - genetics or hard work and all of the different ways to generate velocity. I think my biggest concern is that young pitchers will loose sight of the thing that scouts are really concerned about. Can you get hitters out. I am sure it has been said before but I will say now... "If you could stand on your head and throw underhand and consistently get hitters out... a professional team would give you a job." I truly believe this. Certainly, throwing harder gives hitters less chance to react to certain pitches. Still, a lot of hitters love to hit pitchers that throw above 90. It is the pitchers that have a lot of movement and great off speed stuff that give hitters fits.

Again, I know throwing hard helps. I also know it would be awesome from a bragging rights stand point. But I also know that there are far more important things to work on. Developing secondary pitches, repeating your delivery, and throwing better first pitch strikes would all be much better ways to spend your time. The good news is if you work long and hard enough on your throwing mechanics and other pitches, the consistent throwing and extra work, just may parlay into better velocity on your fastball. Just make sure it isn't the only thing you are concerned about as you work off the mound.

Until Next Time

Big Leaguer Breakdown: Tim Lincecum

As we head closer to the first game of Spring Training 2010, I am excited to continue studying the mechanics of the many great pitchers in the game today. This week, we look at one of the most unlikely success stories of recent memory. Unheralded and undersized from an mediocre baseball school, his funk mechanics completely contradicted the velocity that exploded out of his skaterboish frame. When I pitched against Tim Lincecum in the Cape Cod Summer League, scouts were unsure if his diminutive stature could hold up to the wear and tear of a big league season. To prove them wrong, he would start on his usual start date and then during his mid-week recovery, he would close games out with identical velocity. Fast forward to 2010 and any scout of wrote him off as too risky are kicking themselves after one of the finest seasons from any starter on any team, any where. Posting a record of 15 -7 with a 2.43 ERA, "The Freak" as he is now called, was awarded his second Cy Young Award in as many years. So now we have a look at his unorthodox motion and break him down: Big Leaguer style.

Check out this video of slo motion Tim Lincecum in action to get an idea of how he generates his velocity.

I guess technically, the video isn't in slow motion, but it gives enough repetitions to get an idea of what we are looking at. Hopefully, you can see by the first still frame that Tim's body posture and angle are different from "typical" mechanics. The video talks about full body throwing and I tend to agree that Lincecum does exemplify how to use ones full body very well to generate velocity.

If we stop the video at the 8 second mark, we see one of my favorite stopping places in a delivery, the leg lift. Here, Tim's upper half has completely rotated inward, showing his back to the hitter. His hands are slightly up and back, but he stands very tall on his back leg. I've said many times, that upper half rotation is very dangerous, because, as the pitcher's body moves forward and uncoils to release the ball, its very difficult to repeat any type of release point. Contrary to this, Tim's body stays on line all the way through...albeit, a rather indirect line.

At the 9 second mark, we see a couple huge "errors" in his delivery. He collapses terribly on his back leg, his front side closes off, his shoulders are tilted WAY back, his throwing arm is down, front arm is high, and he isn't stepping anywhere near the target. That being said.....he might be one of the most "athletic" pitchers in the game. Because, despite all of these perceived flaws, he manages to allow his front hip to lead down the mound and utilizes a fantastic lower half (read, hip turn) to get back on top of the baseball and throw in the mid 90s. Let's fast forward to the side view to see what I mean. Starting at the 0:35 mark, we see how well he rides that front hip and, despite leaning back on his heals most of the delivery, explodes over that front foot and exaggerating his front shoulder over the top side.

Taking it a step further, the 0:38 mark shows just how quickly Tim is able to get his elbows up to shoulder height. Although his upper half is leaning back (outside of his heels), the front foot is getting down in good timing and his momentum will allow him to get his upper half over that front foot despite the poor angel of his body. Much of his ability to generate velocity does indeed come from the momentum derived from the high leg kick driving down and out toward the plate. You may remember from a while back a commercial showing a home video of Tim's dad showing a young Tim how to use the glove side to get the chest square and finish down over that leg. As we see in the video, the glove drive down definitely plays a huge role in allow for him to create that last extra turn to square to the target and finish his pitch. Check out the 44 second mark to see, much to the surprise of anyone who teaches pitching, Tim is able to get completely squared to the target and get fantastic finish on his pitch.

I wouldn't be able to teach how to pitch like Tim Lincecum. Still, much can be learned about developing a momentum filled, athletic delivery from "The Freak." Of course, in quality Major League fashion, he is able to repeat his delivery impeccably. I would go so far as to say there are only a few people in the game who can replicate these mechanics. There is another great youtube video that shows some similarities between him and Yovani Gallardo.

Either way, make sure to study how well he generates velocity through a momentum filled delivery. Be sure to note that it will be very difficult to mimic everything he does. Even so, take not the uniqueness of his delivery.

Until Next Time!!!

How to Have Successful Tryout

With high school baseball tryouts underway, I wanted to take a second to think about the best way for a young pitcher to impress his JV or Varsity coach. A no, throwing hard is not the only way to do this. There are many things that are important to high school coaches when they look at their young pitchers. The following are the 5 most important things that I feel a high school coach will be looking for.


1. Throw Strikes - It doesn't matter if you throw 64 mphs. It does no one any good, no matter how are you throw, if you cannot locate your pitches. Nothing is more frustrating than a pitcher who continually walks batters. While you are throwing a bullpen in front of your coaches, focus on making pitches in the zone with all of your pitches. Even more impressive would be if you could purposefully throw off-speed pitches for a strike on purpose and then also for a ball on purpose. This would not only show your ability to command the zone, but also your knowledge of pitching.

2. Run Far and Fast - What does running have to do with pitching? Well, it is common knowledge that all pitchers have to run. Whether they are training their leg strength, their endurance, or helping their arm recover from a long outing, running is part of a pitcher's job description. If you are in good shape when you come into tryouts, a high school coach will be even more impressed with your apparent dedication to the finer details of the complete pitcher...or "Intelligent Pitcher."

3. Look the Part - Presentation is everything in the real world. Even for a high school pitcher, it is important that you look like a pitcher. Invest in a good pair of Rawlings, Wilson, or Mizuno baseball pants. A long sleeve dry-fit shirt to go underneath a t-shirt or short sleeve athletic shirt. Always where a proper baseball hat with brim properly formed. (By the way, properly formed is not flat brimmed...that looks terrible and needs to be banned from baseball) Also, please do not forget your cleats, turfs, or glove. You want to be prepared for all situations.

4. Show Respect - Coaches have a very difficult time with young athletes who feel they don't have anything to learn. If you are in a tough competition for the last starter spot on a team, a coach will be much more likely to select a pitcher who is very "coachable" even if his skills are slightly less than a pitcher who doesn't do what a coach says. Whenever you are being instructed by a coach, make sure to look him in the eye and address him with "yes or no coach." Be willing to try just about anything they are telling you to do. Even if you don't feel comfortable with some of the mechanical changes they may be asking you to make, they will respect you more for being willing to try different things.

5. Throw Hard - I know I know, I said it doesn't matter...and it really doesn't, most of the time. However, if you do happen to have an above average arm, that is, in high school, above 85 mphs, a coach may possibly give you a spot on the team with the hopes that they can harness some of your "power" and get you throwing strikes, running fast, looking the part, and showing respect. I put this at the bottom of the list, because it truly is the least important. Plus, its too late to do anything about your velocity now. But, if you got it....use it.

So good luck with all your tryouts guys...Keep me updated.

Until Next Time!!

Controlling the Uncontrollables

I apologize for the misleading nature of the title of this blog. Uncontrollables are by their very definition incapable of being manipulated. Whether it is the weather, the umpires, your teammates, your coaches, the way the mound is shaped, the one thing that all of these have in common is the fact that there is nothing you, as a pitcher, can do to control them. "Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes...it rains" as Kevin Costner (as Crash Davis in Bull Durham) said. The point being that you must be mentally tougher than all of your outside influences.

As we consider all of these outside influences, we must look introspectively to consider how we would feel if presented with these kinds of situations. So many times I hear ball players complain about how the weather affected their ability to throw strikes or how their coach was getting on them too much in between innings. The thing that both of these scenarios have in common is that neither has any bearing on the actual playing of the game. The weather is exactly the same for both teams and your coach isn't out there throwing the pitches foryou during the game. Therefore, an "Intelligent Pitcher" must not allow himself to be affected by the weather or the less than uplifting words of his coach.

Let's say the game you are starting gets moved back an hour and they've used too much field crew used too much turface on the mound to get it ready. You may try to argue that pushing a game time back throw off the routine that you are used to and that the turface may affect the rhythm of your mechanics. To that I say, shenanigans. Sometimes your routine has to be adjusted. Other times you have to pitch off a less than perfect mound. As a pitcher, you still have one job to do. That is to get hitters out. No matter what happens, you are the leader of your team while on defense and they rely on you to overcome these obstacles.

As we take this a step further, we must realize that all of the previously mentioned scenarios are completely, 100% out of your control (hence the phrase uncontrollables). So by definition, it is a complete waste of time to worry about changing them. Instead, the best advice I've ever received came from my lo A Southbend Silverhawks manager, Mark Haley. He said "You cannon control all of the things that are out of your control. What you can control, however, is you handle yourself in these situations." In a nutshell, the only thing that truly have any mastery of is the way you deal with all of the games ins and outs, ups and downs. And when you think about it, how true this really is. You can't control your coach getting upset with you, but you can control how you respond to him. Do you fold up and mope? Do you make excuses and deflect blame? Or do you accept responsibility, make and adjustment and get better? You can't control the fact the mound is soggy and the game time got moved back half way through your warm up routine (this actually happend to me at William and Mary). But you can control how you respond. Do you convince yourself that you can't pitch on such a crappy mound? Do you have an immediate excuse ready if you give up a run after the game time is changed? Or do you look at the mound as just another mound and the game time as just another game to win?

I hope you catch my drift here. Baseball is such a mentally active game. Half of the game truly is 90% mental (Yogi Berra). If you convince your mind of a certain way to react, than your body will respond. As all of your seasons get ready to kick off, take a second to analyze your goals for the season. Think about how you plan on achieving the goals. Consider what some of the issues that may prevent you from reaching those goals. If any of these things are directly related to your work ethic (like stay up too late, or partying, or not doing your conditioning or lifting) than make an effort right now to adjust them to achieve your goals. And if they are beyond your control, mental prepare to deal with these things in way that only makes you tougher and more determined to dominate the competition no matter what the game itself throws your way.

Never underestimate the power of mental game...

Until Next Time!!

Big Leaguer Breakdown: Cliff Lee

With Felix Hernandez's BLB already in the books, the other half of the newest nasty starting pitching duo in the Major Leagues seemed a good fit for analysis. He went from mediocrity in 2006 in Cleveland to ace of the Indians' staff in just a year. His Cy Young award winning year in 2008 where he posted a 22-2 record with a 2.54 ERA put him at the top of the list when it comes to best lefties in the league. All of this hoopla got him sent to Philadelphia to become the ace of their staff mid way through 2009. After taking the Phils all the way to the World Series, despite a less dazzling win/loss record, he again established himself as the most reliable starter on the staff. However, this was not enough to keep him in the city to brotherly love. Now, the trade winds have landed him in rainy Seattle as the yin to King Felix's right handed yang. We'll see in this clip some of Cliff Lee's funky left handed mechanics.

Check out this slightly grainy clip of Cliff Lee rocking and firing.

After a much belabored introduction by the commentator, we see one of the most unique attributes of Mr. Lee's mechanics. His large side step to start his delivery is defintley contrary to popular pitching mechanics' rule of thumb. I tend to be a proponent of minimizing movements that do not contribute anything to the delivery itself. By stepping this far to the side, it can be very difficult to bring the leg back up into the leg lift and maintain the posture and balance.

At the 56 second mark in the video, we see Cliff has lifted his his knee up well past horizontal and his hands have lifted in similar fashion to his back shoulder. Cliff Lee utilizes a bit of over-rotation in the shoulders as a means of deception and momentum as well. From my point of view, these mechanics work very well for Cliff Lee, because he is able to repeat them very well. However, I would not recommend such a high hand slot or over-rotation in the upper body.

At 1:20 mark, we see the hand break and beginning of the stride forward. Lee is not directional and does not stay very tall in this position. Generally, we want to keep the back leg loaded with most of the weight still over the rubber. Cliff does this very well, but loses quite a bit of height by collapsing so far on that back leg. Notice also the direction of his front leg is not directional to the target at all. Instead, he works out and around with the weight of the body forcing him to lean back to stay balanced. We see also a very low hand break which will require a lot of athleticism to get back on top of the baseball for release.

Just before foot strike, at the 1:36 mark, we see Lee's elbows have appropriately elevated but the hips are grossly closed as is the upper half. The hitter could literally read the name on the back of his jersey. The commentator draws a line here to show just how target is Cliff's stride. Again, this does a lot to create deception in a delivery. The hitter will have a difficult time tracking the angle of any of the pitches Cliff throws. However, throwing this far across your body makes reaching the inside corner very difficult and puts a lot of strain on the body itself. In fact, looking a few clicks forward, (1:50) we see Cliff's front shoulder has to clear very early and a bit violently to make room for the throwing arm to come through. He does close his stride a touch, but is still leaning back quite a bit as the arm prepares to accelerate forward.

By the time his front foot gets down and his hips fire through, we see a great use of the glove forcing the body to finish to the target. Check out the 2:08 mark to see a good example of posture at release point. Granted, he is still moving across his body some, he has efficiently gotten into a position to release toward the target (which is necessary with his other mechanics). It is no surprise here that he has to clear his head so far off to the side to back toward the target. This flaw is a product of his previous movements and body positioning.

The last portion of the delivery does a lot to showcase his ability to get up and over the front leg and extend to release. Again, I feel this is most likely necessary with such an awkward body positioning earlier on.

So, in conclusion, I would not every teach someone to pitch as Cliff Lee does. However, as I've said many times, if you can stand on your head and repeat your release point and be effective...do it. This delivery works for Cliff Lee and he has capitalized on the the nuances of a very deceptive motion.

Until Next Time!!

The Purpose of the Purpose Pitch

Many of you are probably familiar with the term "purpose pitch." But what exactly is a purpose pitch and how is it best utilized over the course of a game? Through my professional experience, the purpose pitch is used in two scenarios. First, it is used to set up a following pitch, usually designed to strike out a hitter. Secondly, it is used to put a hitter on his butt if he is crowding the plate or getting too comfortable at the dish. We'll look at both situations in this post.

From a general pitching stand point, I am a huge proponent of being on the attack at all times. As a general rule, we look for strike 1, strike 2, and strike 3 (or ball in play) in no more than four pitches. This technique leaves very little room for "toying" with the hitter. However, the idea behind the purpose pitch is to leave the hitter more vulnerable to a subsequent pitch that would ultimately put him away. Most purpose pitches are utilized when the pitcher is well ahead in the count (0-2, 1-2, or possibly if your command is really good that day, 2-2). For example, let's say the hitter is in a 1-2 hole and the last pitch you threw him was a good, hard fastball away that he fouled back. A pitcher's first instinct would usually be to go right for the punch out with an offspeed pitch down. However, many good hitters are looking for this and will be ready for it. Instead, you can do more to put yourself in the driver seat by purposefully elevating a fastball out of the zone. This serves two purposes. It changes the hitters eye level from low and away to up and possibly in. It also speeds up his timing as he takes a hard fastball that appears to be coming even faster because it is at eye level. With the count now at 2-2, we have more options than we did before to put the hitter away. Here, a good change-up that bounces on the plate (slightly away) or a breaking ball that starts at the hitter and breaks to the outside corner would leave the hitter helpless. Taking it a step further, a hard fastball away with good sinking action would likely entice the hitter to swing because he's been sped up and is looking hard, but won't be able to put good wood on a pitch that is well placed outside. The use of this type of purpose pitch is especially beneficial the second and third time through a team's lineup when it is beginning to feel as if you've gotten into a bit of routine. The hitter will sense this routine and the purpose pitch will undoubtedly throw him off.

Another great use of the purpose pitch is done in the reverse fashion of our first example. We are still ahead in the count (we'll say 0-2 here). If you are completely in the driver seat and want to go for the punch out. In this situation, we can go right for our best breaking ball that is only in the zone for a split second before darting down and away (usually into the dirt). At best, the hitter has expanded the zone so much that he flails at this pitch for an easy strike three. At worst, you've got him leaning on his front foot and very away that you will throw that breaking ball any where and any time. At his point (with the count 1-2) we can elevate a fastball, throw a better breaking ball, or paint a solid fastball on the inside corner for strike three. Again, the use of the other pitch was not to toy with the hitter. Instead, it was to leave him even more vulnerable to other pitchers later in the at bat and possibly later in the game.

Finally, hitters do tend to get a little territorial over that plate from time to time. As a pitcher, that plate (and both sides of it) is YOURS. Under no circumstances should you allow a hitter to dictate what side of the plate you want to throw to. If you see a hitter crowding the plate, scooting up in the box, looking at you the wrong way, looking at your girlfriend in the stands, showing up any of your teammates.....you let him know that you are running this game with a perfectly located fastball right beneath his chin. I am not saying to throw at him ... especially not at his head. Instead, a fastball about shoulder high and just inside of his body will have him spralling out of the way and dusting himself off. As the dust settles, give him nothing more than quick glance to make sure he knows you know what just happened. The purpose pitch here is designed to help dominate the game within the game. The mental game that is essential for a pitcher to dominate if he wants to be successful.

So we have our purpose pitches designed to put the hitter on the defensive in a variety of ways. Never be afraid to utilize them as you get more comfortable with the flow of each new game and the situations that call for them.

Until Next Time!!

Why Do Lefty's Have More Movement?

As a left-handed pitcher, I grew up hearing how lucky I was to be left-handed. "All lefties are so lucky" they would say. "Lefties have more movement and some throw natural curves" were a few of sayings the little league dads would remark. So what is it about us southpaws that seem to make us so unique?

For starters, only 13% of the world's population is left handed. So naturally, there are less of us out there. Let's face it, we live in a right handed world. Hitters are used to facing right handed pitchers from little league on up through the big leagues. When they see a guy throwing with the "wrong" arm, it takes some getting used to. This difficulty is compounded when a left handed hitter attempts to hit off a lefty pitcher. Not only are they not used to seeing a lefty, the ball is also coming out from behind the hitter. This just compounds the trouble.

Also, many left handed little leaguers do have a tendency to throw with their hand on the side of the ball, causing it to move or run away from a right handed hitter. Of course, righties can do this too, but many of them seem to have more trouble developing this movement. I don't have a sound explanation for this phenomena, but I do have my theory. I can't prove it, but it makes sense to me, so I will share it with you.

The theory is as follows: We know the Earth rotates West to East or counter-clockwise if looking down from the North Pole. This rotation, in conjunction with the orbit of the Earth around the sun creates magnetic fields that pull on the different polar regions. For righties, the pronation of their throwing arm (turning inwards) on release must create a type of spin that is in unison with the Earth's gravitational and rotational forces. On the contrary, I believe the left-handed pitcher creates a spin that is in direct contradiction to these forces. As a baseball thrown by a lefty travels through the air, these unique forces pulling on the baseball create the added movement that a hitter see's when facing the Tom Glavine of their respective league. Now as I said, I don't have the scientific equations to prove my theory, but it does appear to be true based on the extra movement that most lefties have.

If anyone out there has a better explanation, I'd love to hear about it. In the mean time, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Until Next Time!!

P.S. I am totally kidding about my theory (but not really).

Peyton Manning Would Be a Great Pitcher

Well, even the best pitchers need to take some time off to enjoy other sports. With today being Super Bowl Sunday and all, I've decided to forgo this week's Big Leaguer Breakdown in lieu a few reasons why Peyton Manning (of the Indianapolis Colts) would make a good pitcher.

First, we know he has a good arm. Throwing a football 75 yards is easily as difficult as throwing a baseball 90+ mphs. Of course, the necessary time to straighten out that funky football release would be required, but other than that, I am sure he'd get the job done.

Secondly, he looks like a regular guy. I hope this isn't a news flash to any of you but most baseball pitchers don't look like "superstar athletes." Take them out of a baseball uni and they look any regular old dad who would play golf on weekends and try and sell Honda's during the week. Peyton has that look. Put him in pinstripes and he'd look like David Cone (former Yankee).

Thirdly and most importantly, he is the best quarterback in the league at reading defenses, calling audibles, and executing split second decisions based on his knowledge of the defense. A pitcher must be equally able to study his opponents and make adjustments according to what each hitter is doing. The way Peyton is able to create havoc for defenses is the same way a pitcher can disrupt a hitters timing by setting him up and putting him away with different sequences of pitches and locations.

Now, I'm not suggesting Peyton should do his best Michael Jordan impression and switch sports. Still, we can all learn a lot from his uncanny ability to read defenses mind and expose their weaknesses. Let's hope all of you in Less Is More Land can do the same on the mound.

Until Next Time!!

Conditioning is NOT a Four Letter Word

Per the request of one my college coach friends, I will be discussing the importance of being the in the best possible shape during and in preparation for a baseball season. Yes, we're talking about conditioning. To many ball players, they are more interested in simply playing the game than putting in the extra work in the gym and running and training that in is necessary to maximize the full potential of your body.

Think of it this way. Let's say you're a pretty decent pitcher with a pretty decent arm, but you don't spend a lot of time in the weight room. You actually have no idea how good your body can be at full potential because you've never played at your bodies full potential. To make matters worse, there are 1000's of players out there who are working out right now, or running sprints or running distance to give themselves every possible advantage once the up yells PLAY BALL! That's the point isn't it. To put your body in position to play harder than your opponent longer than your opponent.

From a pitcher's stand point, your conditioning program is DIRECTLY correlated to how hard you throw, how good your arm feels, and how likely you are to get injured. Your conditioning program consists of a daily combination of the aforementioned sprints, distance running, agilities, band work, and long toss. During your preseason, you want to really build your arm strength with a dedicated long toss and bullpen program. After completing these throwing sessions, you always always always want to do some kind of running. As a good rule of thumb, after every bullpen, a nice long jog (30mins or more) is appropriate. After your long toss session, you should complete some kind of interval/sprint session.

Now, it is important that we utilize both kinds of running in conditioning program. Long runs serve a different purpose than their shorter more explosive counterparts. Longer jogs are great for pumping tons of blood through your system over a longer period of time. This blood flow helps your arm repair itself and flush out any lactic acid (the stuff that makes your arm more sore longer) build up. The runs also force the legs to strength in a long distance type of fashion which loosely mimics what is required of the body over a 2 hour pitching start. Essentially, the stronger you feel during runs, the stronger your body will feel later in the games you are pitching. On the other side, intervals and sprints are great for EXPLOSIVE leg strength. Some examples of these exercises are sprinting from the foul line to center field and walking back to the line, spring along the warning track from pole to pole (or variations of walking, jogging, and sprinting the warning track) and bow and arrows (jogging the warning track and sprinting straight across the outfield to center field). By doing these sprint workouts, we force the body to explode quickly (like the release of a baseball) and then come back to a calm state. Your heart rate will do the same thing. The elevated and the decreasing heart rate will build a different kind of endurance that will benefit a pitcher throughout each inning. Think about how your body reacts during an inning, and then the calm you experience as you wait in between innings. Ultimately, your goal is train your body to react to as many types of physical exertion as possible. If you can handle all of these types of runs, then you can handle the exertion of an outing on the mound longer and control your body better late into games.

In relation to this, you want to also conclude all of these workouts with some variation of core work. (By the way, when I say CORE WORK...I mean your full core, not just your front abs) This means planks, side planks, alligator walks, russian twists, prone cobras, ect ect. The core work is essential to controlling and stabilizing your body through these long starts we are talking about. The two main things that break down over the course of a start are your legs and your core strength. When the core breaks down, the legs will not be controlled as well and the upper half will suffer as well.

I could go on for days on this subject. Perhaps next week, we'll look even further in depth about a few specific exercises.

Until Then!!! Work hard guys, the season is almost here!!

Achieving Flow

I believe I've referenced before the importance of getting in a routine for your pitching delivery. It is also no secret that baseball players are notoriously superstitious. Heck, Wade Boggs ate the same chicken dinner (winner winner) before a game for his entire career. Still, I feel its important to address a pitcher's pregame rituals as we think about being able become mentally prepared for a game.

To pitch at any competitive level, one must achieve a state of focus that is both locked in and loose and free. Psychologists have addressed this as way of achieving "flow" or being "in the zone." There are actually "coaches" you can go see who claim that ( for $500 a session or more) they can help you achieve the zone mentality with a few mental exercises. While I've never attended these sessions, I am a little more than skeptical that its that simple. If it were, everyone would have done it by now. Zone coaches aside, I believe there is much that can be done to better give oneself a better chance to be "in the zone." And we've all been there before. Certain games just seem to happen where you feel like you are exerting almost no effort and throwing your hardest. You feel like you could literally close your eyes and still throw a pitch anywhere you want at anytime. Sometimes, this state of consciousness lasts a few pitches or innings and sometimes it last much longer.

Achieving this conscious state of "flow" is really at the heart of Less Is More Pitching. The idea that you can literally become so comfortable on the mound and know your delivery so well that you are routinely able to stay loose and calm and apply LESS force to your delivery which results in MORE velocity and movement is at the crux of my pitching philosophy. I realize these ideas seem contradictory, but trust me, they go hand in hand.

So...with all of that being said, as we prepare for a game, we want to give ourselves the best possible chance to achieve "zone" mentality. It is for this reason that baseball players are so darn superstitious. Starts with where you park your car in the parking lot and what gate you walk into the field through to which sock your put on and what music you listen to while getting dressed. Now, I'm not saying ever pitcher should worry about all of these details (although some do)I am saying you should pick one or two things that helps your brain recognize that it is time to get ready to pitch. Something simple like putting on your favorite song in the clubhouse can be exactly what you need to initiate flow. It can be even something a little more dramatic if need be as well. For example, there is a story that I've heard through some of my professional colleagues who played with Roger Clemens. They said he would purposefully put IcyHot on his jock strap as he got dressed. The reason behind this is that he felt if he was too comfortable than is mind would not be sharp enough to be on his game. By using the IcyHot, he was able to be uncomfortable in a good way.

Now, I'm not suggesting everyone go out and by IcyHot, but I AM suggesting that if you THINK it will help you...then it will! And that is ultimately what it boils down to. Finding what makes you lock into your "flow" state. Try different approaches and routines to find what works for you. A good way to figure this out is repeating what you did after a particularly good outing. Be diligent and leave no stones unturned.

Good luck and as always, keep me in the loop as you try these things out.

Until Next Time!

Top 5 Pitching Combos in the MLB

With those dang Yankees winning the World Series this year after spending boy-band money to acquire two of the best starters in the game. (CC Sabathia and AJ Burnette) I thought it would be fun to look at the League as a whole to see who else has two top dogs at the top of their rotation. It has become pretty much common knowledge that no matter how good your offense is (Texas...NY Mets) you have to have good pitching to even have at a shot at the ultimate crown. These days, it isn't enough to have 1 bona fide No.1 starter, but it seems atleast 2 are necessary to get where you need to go.

So here is my list....
1. Seattle Mariners (Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee) - One of the biggst offseason deals puts these sleepers at the top of this list. I am not convinced they will win the World Series because Seattle is just a tough place to play. However, Cliff Lee was the anchor of Phillies rotation this past year and King Felix is equally as electric in his own right. Two All-star Caliber, Cy-Young candidates in the same rotation...can't beat it)

2. New York Yankees (CC Sabathia and AJ Burnette) - I really don't like the Yankees for a multitued of reason, sometimes I even have trouble respecting them. However, there is no denying just how good they were this year. You cannot ignore the fact that they have largely the same lineup (including these two) coming back. Expect them to lead the way back to the playoffs at least. The only reason these two were not my number one pick is Burnette's tendency to be a bit erradic at some points of last season.
3. Arizona Diamondbacks (Brandon Webb and Dan Haren) - This pick may surprise some because of how poorly the Dbacks faired this past year. However, we cannot ignore the fact that former Cy-Younger Webb only started 1 game last year. In the previous year, he was the most devastating pitcher in baseball. With Haren anchoring an otherwise mediocre staff, he lead the team and most of the MLB in ERA. Expect a healthy Webb this year to regain form and pair with Haren just as well as anyone else on this list.
4. Philadelphia Phillies (Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels) - Had this list come out last year and this two guys were on the same team, they may have grabbed the number one slot. My only reservations this year are will Cole Hamels having such a mediocre season. There is no denying Halladay's Cy Young award winning talent. He might be one of the best ever. If Hamels returns to 2008 World Champion status, then the Phillies will be unbeatable in the playoffs. However, if he melts again like this year, then these guys fall off my list entirely.
5. Josh Beckett and Jon Lester (Boston Red Sox) - I happen to love Josh Beckett from a mechanical pitching stand point. Most of the season this year, the results are there. If you look at Lester, he is, in many ways, the left handed version of Beckett. Both power pitchers with power breaking pitches. Unfortunately, both hit patches of irregularity this past year. If they can avoid these stretches when it matters this year, then they are both capable of dominating all who cross their paths...even those Yankees.


So there is my top 5. Let me hear who else needs to be on the list...Its ripe for a debate.

The Art of the Slide-Step

Aside from throwing strikes and getting hitters out, another one of a pitcher's most important responsibilities is controlling the running game. The better job a pitcher does of preventing runners from stealing bases, the easier job he will have preventing runs from scoring that otherwise would not. There are three basic ways to do this. You can attempt a pick off move to the base the runner is occupying, you can vary your looks (checking the runner with your eyes) and timing (how long you hold the baseball before delivering it to the plate) and finally, you can be quicker than normal delivering the pitch. Most pitchers utilize some variation of a shortened leg lift called a slide-step to allow them to get to the plate without allowing the runner to get a good jump toward the base they would be stealing.

The slide-step is especially important for right handed pitchers, because they do not have the benefit of looking at the runner on first as lefties do. They must rely on changing how long they hold the ball and then being quick to the plate to give their catcher to a chance to throw the runner out. Runners steal bases by studying a pitcher's movements. Unfortunately, most pitchers are creatures of habit and have a tendency to hold the ball almost exactly the same amount of time before delivering a pitch. If they check the runner at all, they usually check the exact same time and number of times. A good base stealer will pick up on these patterns and wait until the exact moment before he lifts his leg to the plate to break for the bag.

So...the "intelligent pitcher" must be aware of these tendencies and purposefully mix up how we address the hitter. It requires repetition and practice like anything else in pitching does to be comfortable when attempting to utilize these tactics.

Mechanically speaking, to use the slide step a few things have to change. These adjustments are minor, but imperative to allow a pitcher to still remain "athletic" throughout the delivery and throw downhill without the benefit of a high leg kick that is generally used out of the wind-up. Instead of a high kick, you must bring the front knee slightly up and back towards the back leg. The hands will mimic the minor movement of the front knee, moving slightly up and back. From this position, the pitcher must be especially quick when driving the front foot down and straight toward the target. At the same, the elbows must get to the loaded and parallel position that we see out of the wind up. Usually, the arm swing must be quicker and shorter than out of the wind up, because there is less time until the front foot hits ground. The pitcher must also make sure to allow the hip turn to provide the power in the delivery, once the elbows are at their highest point.

If the pitcher is able to execute these minor adjustments, then his velocity should not suffer at all while making his delivery to the plate about 1.2 to 1.5 seconds. If the catcher is able to throw down to seconds in or around 2.0 seconds, that gives the runner only 3.5 seconds to cover 80 feet (considering he's leading off). Most runners will not be able to do this and promptly be thrown out.

So there are the basics of controlling the running game. Let me know if you have any other questions about specific scenarios!!

Until Next Time!!

Big Leaguer Breakdown: Yovani Gallardo

One of the Major League's newest aces is Yovani Gallardo of the Milwaukee Brewers. In what was essentially his second big league season, Yovani emerged as the ace of the Brewers' staff, posting a 13-12 record and a 3.70 ERA with over 200 K's is just 185 ips. Hailed as one of the key components for the future of Milwaukee baseball, Gallardo is this weeks' Big Leaguer Breakdown.

Check out this video of his warm-up to study how he delivers the baseball.

Yovani's delivery is characterized by a high leg kick and an explosive drive to the plate. You can notice from the beginning of the video that he starts almost out of a stretch position and simply steps to the side before swing the front leg around upward into the leg lift. I am not a huge fan of this technique because it is essentially wasted movement, however many big leaguers prefer this movement because it minimizes effort and difference out of the wind-up as compared to the stretch. For this reason, I see why guys like Cliff Lee and Gallardo utilize this starting positon.

If we stop the video at the 5 second mark, we see the leg lift is up beyond parallel and the hand position follows suit. You should also notice a slight upper half is slightly rotated inward, but the hips and lower half are still on line. I am a fan of this technique as long as the upper half is able to finish back over the midline of the body. The concern would be if the upper half over rotates along with the hips, preventing a repeatable release point.

A few clicks further on the video shows Yovani utlizing an extremely wide and high hand break and arm swing. His front arm extends high above his head and forward, the shoulders are tilted down and back and the throwing arm is extended in the opposite direction and down toward the ground. Also important to notice is how the front foot extends out and forward (similar in direction as the front glove side) but the weight is still loaded on the back leg. This posture is something very important to me when I teach my young pitchers how to stay loaded on the back side before turning the hips. It is a tricky concept to think about extending forward with the front arm and front leg without the rest of the body weight going forward. You can also see from this position (pictured below), that the shoulders are about to level back and finish back over the front side.

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At exactly the 6 second mark, we see the hips begin to rotate and the scapula contract before firing the baseball. Many pitching coaches are big proponents of "firing" the shoulder blade muscles after the elbows get to shoulder height. Gallardo, in this video, does a great job of allowing the hip turn to "fire" his upper half and explode to the target. He does pull a bit violently with the glove after the 6 second mark, but does a good job of finishing over the front leg and planting the foot firmly without straightening out the plant leg. You see outstanding upper half core flexibility as he extends over that front side on release.

So study this video and others of Yovani as much as you can to see a more "violent" delivery that translates into very explosive pitches.

Make sure to post any questions you may have with his delivery.

Until Next Time!!!

How Many Different Breaking Balls Are There?

Greetings to all out there in Less Is More land. Today we'll be discussing some basic knowledge stuff that might be able to help some people identify exactly what kind of pitch they throw and what they want to throw. This post will discuss the many types of breaking pitches, namely the cutter, slider, slurve, and curve. We are discussing these pitches in this order because of the amount of perceived break or movement in each pitch.

1. Cutter - This pitch made famous by Mariano Rivera is the most similar to a fastball. Generally, it is thrown only a few mphs slower than the fastball. The pitch normally has no downward movement. Instead, it "cuts" glove side (depending on which hand you throw with). The movement is linear (left to right) and is great for "hand-cuffing" hitters who think they are swing at a fastball. Mariano is notorious for starting this pitch off the outside corner and bring it back for strike 3 or starting it on the inside corner and sawing off the hitter.

2. Slider - This pitch is the first of our family that introduces any kind of downward movement. The slider must still come out of the pitcher's hand flat as a fastball. However, when that pitch gets to the plate, its movement is short and quick, down and in. If we think about its movement according the face of a clock, the slider will move from 2 o clock to 7 o clock. I usually think of John Smoltz or CC Sabathia when I think of pitchers who have fantastic sliders. As a left handed pitcher, I happen to think the left on left slider is one of the hardest pitches to hit in the game. (Think of Randy Johnson versus...any left ever). The reason this pitch is so effective is, like a cutter, it comes out of the hand looking so much like a fastball. The difference, however, is that its sharp downard movement contributes to a high amount of swinging strikes. It is my favorite of the four.

3. Slurve - This bigger breaking ball is a type of "hybrid" pitch that has more lateral movement than a slider but is thrown harder and with more sweeping across action than a curve ball. Genreally, this pitch is "turned" earlier in the release point to allow for more perceived movement to the hitter. It is tricky because it can somes look like a fastball and produce swinging strikes or be slightly "loopier" and freeze the hitter who thinks the pitch is out of the zone until it is too late. Less pitchers in the MLB throw this particular pitch, however, many different breaking pitches can be described as a slurve because of its differing movement patterns.

4. Curve - The curve is ultimately the most easily recognizable pitch of the four. The movement is the "biggest" of them all and generall moves straight up and down toward the hitter. This is where the terminology " 12 to 6 curve ball comes from. Big Leaguers such has Josh Beckett and Barry Zito utilize the traditional curve ball to make a living. The curve is tricky because of the size of the pitch's movement. The pitch is usually atleast 10 mphs slower than a fastball and the large amount of downward movement makes it difficult to time up and make solid contact.

So I hope this clears up any confusion there may have been over the four main types of breaking balls out there.

Also, if there are any questions you would like answered, please comment here and I'll be happy to get them up on the blog.

Until Next Time!!

Big Leaguer Breakdown: Zack Greinke

One of the greatest stories of the 2009 season was that of Zack Greinke's ability to recover from a multitude of mental and mechanical problems early in his career to become one of the most dominant pitchers in the game. After beginning the season with 38 straight scoreless innings, Zack finished his season with the AL Cy Young award; boasting a record of 16-8 on a mediocre Royals team and a 2.16 league leading ERA and 242 k's in 229 innings, Greinke is without a doubt one of the best young pitchers in the game.

We'll look at this video of multiple pitches to see how he does it.

As you can see, the video is of great quality since the clips are from ESPN highlight footage. Unfortunately, some of the footage doesn't show much of his mechanics because of the timing. We'll start at the 27 second mark. Notice as he lifts his leg, there is slight inward rotation in both his front shoulder and front hip. I have no problem with this as long as the pitcher is able to get that front side back toward the targer without over-rotating on the way to release point. Zack utilizes a high hand position for his hand break. Notice how smoothly the hands separate as the back leg bends slightly and the front leg extends forward. (29 seconds into the video) When working with my pitching students, I describe this as "getting into an athletic position." There is a slight bend in the back leg as the elbows work up to that position. At the release point of this clip, you see how well he gets his upper half parallel to the ground and finishes to the target. The best aspect of Greinke's mechanics is the over all fluidity of the movements. There is no herky-jerky movements and the entire body works together to stay tall and powerful at the same time.

At the 48 second, we see a strikeout by Greinke where he gets a guy swinging on a high fastball. I want you to the clip and study his finish. To purposefully elevate a pitch, it is less imperative to finish downhill and bend on that front leg. Instead, you can see how Greinke almost stands up on release. Keep in mind it requires absolute mastery to be able to does this ON PURPOSE and still maintain a quality release point on subsequent pitches.

So as you can see, Zack repeats that fluid delivery quite effectively on ALL of his pitches. Splitter, slider, fastball, all are almost indistiguishable from each other to the viewer and, obviously, the batter.

Go through these clips and others on utube of Mr. Greinke to really see how well he times his body up for release.

Until Next Time!!

Pitching Health Tip #1

We'll keep it short and sweet today. Sometimes when I think about the information I've accumulated over the years about pitching, I start to delve into some pretty technical and complicated aspects of the art of pitching. I forget sometimes, that not everyone has had the experience and benefit of dedicated pitching coaches and personal trainers to give you some of the seemingly obvious advice that I take for granted.

So in light of that revelation, I've decided to provide, on a semi-routine basis, health tips that can help the Intelligent Pitcher compete at his highest ability level at all times. For our first installment of Pitching Health Tips, I'd like to encourage any and all pitchers to begin taking a multi-vitamin every day. In a perfect world, all athletes would receive all the vitamins and nutrients in their daily routine diets. However, depending on your living situation and budget, eating perfectly isn't always an option. For example, when I would get finished with a game in South Bend, Indiana at 11pm, the only thing open was usually Stake N Shake. Not exactly healthy. So, to make up for the holes in an daily diet, a multi-vitamin is extremely important. It is important to understand, however, that multi-vitamins cannot make up for complete deficiencies in a diet. If you get not Vitamin C for example, a pill will not make up for that completely .

So what kind of vitamin should you take? In my experience, the best to take is a liquid multi-vitamin such as Vit-acell by Max Muscle Nutrition. Liquid vitamins generally generate more completely than their pill counterparts and this particular mix has a great vitamin and mineral profile that is both balanced and effective. If you must go to a pill form, I would recommend a chewable variety for the same reason. The compacting techniques of the basic swallowed pill makes it extremely difficult for your stomach to digest. In fact, many times the pill isn't digest at all and its passes straight through. I currently utilize Centrum Chewable multi-vitamin and have had positive results. On the contrary, the non-chewable counterparts are less effective.

There are many varieties out there and the most important thing is to check the nutritin label to ensure there is the correct mixture of both minerals and vitamins.

Feel free to comment with any questions or comments you may have.

Until Next Time!!!

Big Leaguer Breakdown: John Smoltz

Today we examine one of the most versatile, durable, and explosive pitchers of the modern baseball era. After 21 big league seasons, the majority of which with the Atlanta Braves, Smoltz has become one of the only pitchers to accumulate 200+ wins and 150+ saves. Even this year, after struggling to recover from arm surgery with the Boston Red Sox, he was picked up by the St. Louis Cardinals and returned to form as one of the anchors of the Cards rotation. His mechanics have been largely the same since his rookie since ('88) and are one of the main reasons he's been so electric and effective for so long. I personally believe his mid 90's fastball and slider combo is one of the best in the history of the game. That is why John Smoltz is this week's Big Leaguer Breakdown.

Check out this unique video analyzing his mechanics during a bullpen where he is simultaneously videoed throwing a fastball and a change-up.

The point of this video is show how Smoltz keeps his delivery the same throughout both of his pitches. As an Intelligent Pitcher, its important to understand that the delivery must remain the same through each pitch, so the hitter is not tipped off as to what pitch is coming. At the seven second mark, you see how both legs lifts and hand slots are identically and properly loaded over the back leg. Notice how his chin is tucked down and level over the center of his body. Click the video one second forward and you can see the smoothness of his handbreak as he simultaneously loads the back leg. You can notice a slight bend on the back knee as the front hip rids down the mound. This works well for keeping the weight on the back side for the hip turn fires. Smoltz is also very smooth with his hand break but be sure to see how his hands stay timed up with front foot. Basically, as the foot goes forward, his hands work up and out.

We'll look at the 24 second mark of the video (the second pitch) to again watch how quickly and easily Smoltz gets his elbows up and into the power position. Notice how his front foot hasn't quite hit the ground yet and his hips are still on target. As we know, this is essential for allowing the lower half to "power" the upper half to release. As the end of the 24 second mark, Smoltz has turned his glove down and his throwing elbow is leading the hand to release. Here, his chest is completel square to the target with the hips completely turned. The chins is perfectly level on target and ready for the finish over a slightly bent front leg.

The last half of the video does a good job of breaking down some of his movements as well. You can see how symmetrical his body his throughout many parts of his delivery. Make sure to study these pieces as well as the the entire video.

I'm always available for any comments or questions.

Until Next Time!

Pitching Backward?

Hitter's are born to hit the fastball. They are bread from the first day of Coach pitch to hit the straight ball. Generally, hitting the breaking ball is a skill that is acquired by some of the better hitters at every level. Weather its high school, college, or the pros, hitting the off speed pitch is an acquired skill that takes years of dedication. Of course there are other types of hitters who attempt to get by just waiting and working the count to get the straight one. In scouting reports, these guys are typically described as "dead red" or "first pitch fastball" hitters. Also, many scouting reports ON pitchers will show a pitcher's tendency to throw a lot of off-speed stuff or that he possibly throws fastballs early and soft stuff late. Any of these scenarios would represent good situations to "pitch backward."

So, what does pitching backward mean? Essentially, it is a pitching strategy that entails throwing fastballs in breaking ball counts and breaking ball counts. For example, most first pitches of an at bat are expected to be fastballs, so a hitter would be ready and looking for the fastball. Here's a perfect opportunity to spin a breaking ball in for a strike. Most hitters will be on their front foot and just take the pitch...looking for the holy grail (fastball). On the flip side, if you have a hitter who works the count to a 1-2 or 2-2 situation after a variety off-speed stuff, this would be another perfect opportunity to ring him up with an fastball. I am personally a huge fan of an inside fastball here that can "freeze" the hitter for strike three. Middle counts don't lend themselves as much to pitching backward. Basically, you can do what you want to get to the '2-strike' count. Of course, you don't want to fall into a pattern when setting up hitters. But that's a post for another day. Just be aware of counts where you think a hitter might be looking for a fastball and throw a breaking ball and vice versa.

So there we have it. Not the longest post ever...but the point is essential to get the better of the more advanced hitters you may face. A good pitcher must know his hitters and be able to read hitters he doesn't know. This is definitely an advanced topic, but its one that all pitchers must address.

Always comment if you have any questions.

Until Next Time!!

Big Leaguer Breakdown: Billy Wagner

For this week's Big Leaguer Breakdown, I've decided to look at one of the best relievers in recent history. With 385 career saves and one of the most electric fastballs from a left handed pitcher, Billy Wagner and his intro song (Enter Sandman by Metallica) have been terrorizing hitters in the 9th inning for over a decade. Wagner is also unique from a mechanical standpoint because despite his smaller stature (he's 5'10") his electric arm speed and powerful lower half allows him to generate serious velo.

Check out this video of him warming up to study those mechanics.

Starting at the 3 second mark of the video we should look at two specific things. First off, his leg kick is extremely high...well beyond the parallel mark of his hips. As a reliever, he doesn't need to use the wind up and doesn't really need to be overly concerned with being quick to the plate with runners on. Therefore, he utilizes a very exaggerated leg kick to help generate his velocity. Also notice how high his hands are at this point; raising in unison with his leg to an equally exaggerated height. This placement is key to showing the extremely rare elasticity that Billy uses to help generate so much arm action.

As we watch the video forward from this point, we notice how well Wagner keeps his weight back as the hands break and he begins moving toward the target. After the leg lift, the front leg works down first before working forward with only a slight bend on the back leg. This is still at the 3 second mark. What is important to see here is that his hands have not yet broken. Typically you would want your hands to break as the knee works down and forward. This is what makes Billy so unique. His hands, elbows and arm speed so fast, he can afford to break his hands later and still remain on time with his hip turn. Let's watch further in the video.

At the 4 second mark, Wagner's hands have broken and already elevated to an awesome power position. He again utilizes his excellent hand speed and also a very very short arm swing to get to that power position. His elbows are up and loaded BEFORE the foot hits the ground...as you can see from this point of the video.


From here, its explosion time. The hip turn is quick and direct and he tucks his glove under his chest. The glove turn is a bit on the rotational side but he is able to keep his chest and chin direct over the target as he explodes to the target. His front knee does lock out on release, but his flexible waist and core allows for a proper finish.

So there we have Billy Wagners mechanics broken down in ultimate Less is More fashion.

Make sure to post any questions or comments.

Until Next Time!!

Pitching in 2010

With 2010 less than a day old, I figured it was high time to look forward to getting ready for the new baseball season ahead. Pitcher's report to big league camp in mid-February and high school tryouts are just a short week or two behind. So what does this mean for all of you in Less Is More Pitching land? Its time to start preparing for the up coming season to allow yourself the best chance to be the best pitcher you can be.

We know the off-season is for getting stronger and hopefully gaining some muscle and core strength. If you've spent the off-season dedicated to a weight program to achieve this goal, then it is time to switch that program to a lower weight/higher rep explosive lifting program. You no longer need to be gaining muscle mass, but instead, training those muscles to be as explosive as possible with some Olympic style lifting mixed with stability exercises and agilities. It is also time to ramp up your cardio program. Running more frequently and staggering how you run is important. For example, interval training, sprints, and long distance should all be utilized to create the proper mix of cardio work.

As for throwing, now is a good time to begin your long toss program if you haven't already. Start slow and shorter, gradually increasing the distance you throw and how often you throw. Maybe three times a week the first week and then add to that in the following weeks. You want to be up to a good arm strength by the beginning of February, because it is at that time, that you would want to begin throwing you bullpens in preparation for tryouts and the season ahead. I hope you don't need convincing to begin your long toss program...but in case you do...here's a quote from Greg Maddux in a 1999 issue of Collegiate Baseball Magazine.

"I'll start playing long toss in January. If I can throw it 200 feet, I try to throw it 300 feet. I don't stop at 120 feet, I throw it as far as I can."

...he continues by saying...

"I think long toss is a great way to build your arm up, to get in shape to throw off the mound."


Also, if you haven't already begun doing jobe exercises or band work before and/or after you throw, this is the time begin doing that as well. There are plenty of indoor facilities in most areas, like the WISC in Williamsburg, VA where I train (shameless plug) to allow you begin your season preparations regardless of what the temperature is out side.

If you have any specific questions or comments about how to get ready for the season, please post them here and I'll respond in as much detail as you can handle...I tend to over do it with these types of things because the most important thing you can control right now is how hard you work...and there better not be anyone who works harder than you do...right now!!

Until Next Time!!