Why do 99% of youth pitchers never pitch in college—or even high school?
They didn't learn proper pitching mechanics at an early age. Poor mechanics is the leading cause of sore arms, arm injuries and unrealized potential. And it's the main reason for not staying healthy, improving performance and making it to the next level in baseball.
YouthPitching.com is packed with pro baseball pitching instruction, tips and advice for parents and coaches of youth pitchers ages 7-14.
On this website, two-time MLB draft pick and former Chicago Cubs pitching pro Steven Ellis takes you inside the art and science of pitching so you can help your son or team pitch smarter, stay healthy, become more successful and have more fun on the pitcher's mound.
Get Coach Ellis' secrets on improving performance and teaching the fundamentals of pitching including:
- Pitching mechanics
- Pitch selection
- How to throw different pitches
- Arm care and conditioning
- How to increase pitching velocity
- Throwing recommendations
- Fielding the position
- Mental strategies for mental toughness and building confidence
It's simply the most comprehensive instructional resource available for parents and coaches of youth pitchers in USSSA, Super Series, AABC, Pony, Babe Ruth, NABF, AAU, Dixie, Cal Ripken, CABA, Youth Majors and Little League.
Successful pitchers learn at an early age the three most important skills that must be mastered before becoming a dominate pitcher:
1. Throw strikes
Pitchers need to get ahead in the count and put hitters away quickly and efficiently in order to keep pitch counts down and their teammates behind them on their feet. Your son can not walk batters; he must make them swing the bat.
2. Hit your spots
Your son must have good command and control of his pitches. This starts with developing great pitching mechanics and a repeatable delivery, so that no matter if he's throwing a fastball or change-up—it all looks the same.
3. Keep the ball down in the zone
Most successful pitchers are control pitchers that keep the ball down, in the bottom half of the strike zone. Even if your son is still working on improving his pitching velocity, keeping the ball down in the strike zone is a recipe for more ground balls, more swings and misses, and more success.
Over the course of a baseball season, a pitcher's arm is placed under a tremendous amount of stress. Here are six ways to help your son stay healthy this season so that he can keep making improvements without being sidelined with an injury:
- Make sure your son spends enough time and effort warming up and stretching out properly before pitching.
- Help him learn the fundamentals of throwing early and then remind him of them often as you evaluate his progress on the baseball field.
- Teach him to know his limitations and to be patient about working within them.
- Help him understand the difference between a sore pitching arm and a hurt pitching arm. Many different methods exist for recouping muscles after they have been broken down from practice or from an outing on the mound in a game. The most effective treatments for repairing your torn down muscles are:
- Get an arm massage.
- Treat it with alternating heat and ice.
- Go for a light jog.
- Perform lightweight shoulder exercises like TUFFCUFF, Jobes, Throwers 10 or Jaeger J-Bands.
- Utilize tubing exercises.
- Try vibration therapy.
The key is this: Just make sure you are doing one of those treatments to repair your throwing arm after a day at the ballpark. - Pitching arm injuries can come from a variety of causes, from throwing too much to throwing the wrong way, to throwing too little in preparation for the season. Let the arm dictate when it needs rest or adjustment. That big game for which your son is supposed to pitch six innings won't seem so big in a few years when he can't use his pitching arm without pain.
- If your son's arm needs rest, encourage him to talk to his baseball coach or pitching coach right away.
Learn more about pitch counts, guidelines and arm care.
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