Help for Brave Parents Who Catch

In lessons, I'll sometimes ask a parent who's catching for her daughter if she can see the spin on the ball. I'll ask if she saw a fundamental that could have been executed better. Most of the time, I get these answers to the question:

"It's hard to see if my daughter's follow-through is correct when the ball is flying at me at 50 miles an hour."

or

"It's hard to remember everything that you are teaching, Abby. How can I tell her if I don't even get it?"

I decided to give you a little help. Here is a cheat sheet for the pitching basics. This is the skeleton of what we learn in pitching school. Each week, we break down these fundamentals in great detail. Players become better and worse at one or the other, then we change our instruction based on that information as the athletes grow.

If you are more of a visual learner, watch my video on THESE. If your daughter wants to learn from someone closer to her age, check out THIS VIDEO one of my students made for a project at school. She really grasps the concepts. If your daughter can explain the fundamentals this well, you know she’ll be great at independent practice.

5 Pitching Fundamentals (explained for a right-handed pitcher).

Take-away - Do not bend at the waist when you drop your arms and rock back because it takes too much energy to do so. Bending at the waist should begin in the forward motion, not the backward. Both hands need to be even once swung backward, and shoulders should be square (facing the catcher) to promote a good arm circle and an initial push forward, not sideways. Use your takeaway for rhythm.

Bounce - Once hands have been dropped, the bounce is the first movement you make towards the plate with your legs and arms. This is when you push off the mound explosively forward with your right foot. Both of your arms swing in front of you quickly, and at the 3 o’clock position, both hands should be horizontally even with the ground.

Stride - While you are pushing explosively with your right foot off the mound, your left foot strides toward the plate. The stride should land an inch or less to the left of the power line, but not on it, forcing your entire body to turn sideways, also referred to as the "open" position. The stride should be low and fast, not so long that you land with a stiff left leg.

Arm Circle - The arm circle is the most important fundamental. It needs to be fast and loose. At 3 o’clock, your hand should look like it is shaking someone’s hand, or the thumb pointing inwards. At 12 o’clock, the thumb should be pointing away from you and the ball should be in line with the target, not over your head. At 9 o’clock, the ball should be visible to the catcher, and your hand position will differ depending on the pitch you are throwing. A great arm circle is like a whip, not a rigid stick.

Banana - The banana has to do with what your right leg and hips do as you drive towards the target during release. The shape your right foot makes in the dirt looks like a banana, not a cucumber, when you drive your foot properly. In other words, the line looks curved. At 9 o’clock, your body is in the open position; then as you release, you push with your back leg towards the target. Your hips close, or face the target quickly, and you end up facing the catcher. This movement helps protect the shoulder because your glutes "help" the arm through the release. It is similar to hip movement in hitting and throwing overhand.

Hope this helps!