Understanding Pitching Grips and Knowing What to Throw

Understanding Pitching Grips and Knowing What to Throw
By Dave Rosene

In youth baseball all grips are straight ball grips. I hesitate to say fastball because the pitches don't travel that fast. Let's just say the grips are preliminarily fastball. The standard way to grip the ball to throw is with the index and middle fingers on top of the ball with the thumb underneath the ball and the ring and little finger bent and supporting the ball on the side. It is allowable if you have players with small hands to let them throw with the ring finger on top. To pitch you can throw the ball with the seam (2-seam) or against the seam (4-seam), and you can hold the ball in a variety of ways depending on the accuracy and velocity of your pitches. With the 2-seam grip you can hold the ball in the neck at the seam's narrowest point, at the horseshoe on the top of the 2-seam, or you can place your fingers across both seams which could cause the ball to sink. With the 4-seam grip you can hold the ball in the middle of the 4-seams, with the horseshoe closest to the middle finger, or with the horseshoe closest to the index finger. Again the grip which you get the best action on the ball is the grip you should use. You can also put your ring and little fingers on top of the ball for a natural changeup. Never on the youth level teach any advanced pitches like the circle changeup, palmball, fork ball, split-finger fast ball, or cut fast ball. Concentrate on having your players master the eventual fast ball and natural changeup grips, the two best pitches in baseball.

Practicing what pitches to throw in different counts is imperative in the growth of young pitchers. The areas of concentration should be pitches to use when pitchers are behind or ahead in the count. Pitchers must work to develop and master a 'go-to' pitch, a pitch you can throw anytime for a strike. When you get behind in the count 2-0, 2-1 or 3-1, you must have that type of pitch to prevent big innings and give your team a chance to win. The hitters will know that you have a strike pitch and will be ready to hit, but if you include great location you will give yourself and the 8 players behind you an opportunity to make a play. When pitchers are ahead in the count 0-2 or 1-2, they should have developed a pitch or control a location that more often than not will put hitters away. You practice that pitch by experimenting with grips, arm angles, spin and hand speed to come up with an 'out' pitch that will control hitters' bat speed, making them more likely to strike out or hit the ball weakly.

Dave Rosene - Co-Founder, DNA Sports

DNA Sports specializes in personalized baseball and softball skill programs, college recruiting education and preparation, and coaching clinics. Learn more: http://www.dnasportsonline.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Rosene

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Baseball Pitching and Warming-Up Properly

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By Nate Barnett

Many baseball players warm-up the wrong way before they start playing catch. They tend to throw to warm-up and not to warm-up before they throw. Warming up the wrong way can cause injury to your throwing arm or any part of your body. Many injuries occur during spring training games or just before big super league tournaments when multiple consecutive games are played. Players often think they already warmed up enough from a previous game earlier in the day and they aren't as loose as they think.

Before a pitcher or any position player begins to play catch they need to warm up their entire body. Why? Players with good mechanics understand that you don't just throw with you arm, you throw with your entire body. Warm up the entire body to throw not just your arm.

What I like to do is start warming up my legs, hips, core, shoulders, arms and then fingers; yes fingers. I am not about to share with you all warm up exercises you should do because there are many. I just want to share some with you so you can get a fairly good idea how you should be warming up to play catch.

I will start with a light jog around the field followed by high knees forward and backward for about 30 yards each way. This gets the blood flowing. I will continue warming up much like football players do. Karaoke forward and back, jumping jacks, high knee skips, form running etc.

Warming up your core is also important before you play catch. I won't do old school sit ups anymore like I used to throughout High School and College. Prone holds serve the purpose, side prone holds with one leg in the air and so on. There are literally hundreds of core warm ups you could do, but I prefer the prone holds to simply activate the core and get it warm.

To get your shoulders and arm simply do arm circles forward and back; thumbs up for a set, thumbs down for another and then palms down. This ensures you warm up each of the three shoulder muscles. Front and forward claps are great and then fence shakes palms out, palms in and palms down.

When you feel loose you can start playing catch with your teammates. Again it is imperative that you warm up to throw and not throw to warm-up. Don't just start playing catch right away, you will increase the risk of injury.

Nate Barnett is co-owner of The Pitching Academy.

You can find The Pitching Academy's articles, blog, and videos on baseball pitching, and hitting mechanics when you visit the website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nate_Barnett

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Tips to Become an Effective Pitcher

Tips to Become an Effective Pitcher
By Nate Barnett

We have always consistently emphasized the dramatic increase of arm injuries with youth pitchers. Many of these injuries can be avoided with proper education and healthy, yet competitive environments. I constructed a brief list on missed opportunities coaches and parents have to train their youth to be better all around athletes and pitchers.

Pitching Mechanics: Of course this would be first on the list. I travel a lot to different youth baseball games to watch some of the pitchers I work with. I also observe pitchers on opposing teams and I am very aware of the lack of education youth pitchers have about pitching mechanics. It is concerning that so many pitchers throw to throw and don't know how to throw correctly. Their arm takes the beating and this can all be avoided with proper education about pitching mechanics. Parents and Coaches need to show their pitchers where to go for that education.

Pitching Workouts: I have also written a lot lately about the importance of strength and flexibility. It is imperative that all pitchers have enough strength to support the pitching workloads pitching requires. If not, they are prone to injury. If you have been receiving our training newsletters regularly you will also know how important of a role core strength training plays in becoming a complete pitcher.

Mental Game of Baseball: Many of life's lessons can be learned by playing Baseball. Parents and Coaches, I believe, have the obligation to teach the youth these valuable lessons during practice and games. We all know Baseball is a game of failure; hall of fame hitters success only 30% of the time. The best pitchers at that level succeed half of the time. Youth baseball players can learn just as much from losing as they can from winning. Of course, there is much more to the mental game of baseball than just that; we will review more of that later.

Nutrition: Nutrition is more important than most athletes, parents and coaches understand. There are so many missed opportunities to teach nutrition. The best way to teach proper nutrition is through example. If you are a soda drinker, your kids and athletes will be as well.

Nate Barnett is co-owner of The Pitching Academy.

After finishing a professional career in the Seattle Mariners Organization, Nate pursued his coaching and motivational training career. You can find The Pitching Academy's videos, blog, and more articles when you visit the website.

The Pitching Academy's pitching mechanics DVD.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nate_Barnett

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