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Home , Ferguson Jenkins

PITCHER INDEX

3 QUOTATIONS 17 PRE-PITCH ROUTINE 4 OVERALL GOALS 19 REDUCE ARM INJURIES 5 DAILY OBJECTIVES 21 MENTAL MASTERY 6 HAVE A TRADEMARK 23 CONTROL ADJUSTMENTS 7 THROWING MECHANICS 35 YOUTH ARMS

TITANS 2 QUOTES ON PITCHING

My pitching philosophy is simple – keep the ball away from the bat. ~

As soon as I got out there I felt a strange relationship with the ’s mound. It was as if I’d been born out there. Pitching just felt like the most natural thing in the world. Striking out batters was easy. ~

Nobody like to hear it, because it is dull, but the reason you win or lose is darn near always the same – pitching. ~

Hitting is timing. Pitching is upsetting timing. ~

That is how you win, pitching and defense. ~

Pitching is the art of instilling fear. ~

Mental attitude and concentration are the keys to pitching. ~Ferguson Jenkins

It helps if the hitter thinks you are a little crazy. ~ TITANS BASEBALL 3 OVERALL GOALS FOR

• Pitch with command. • Pitch on both sides of plate. • Be in control of your emotions. • Be focused. • One pitch at a time. Don’t think too far ahead. • Make adjustments during the game. • Be consistent with an off-speed pitch. • Be mechanically sound. • Practice between games.

TITANS BASEBALL 4 HAVE DAILY OBJECTIVES

• Use your bullpen sessions to focus on mechanics and command. • Focus on hitting your target. • Focus on one pitch at a time. • Go pitch by pitch. • Have a 1st inning plan. • Work on your mechanics consistently. • Make sure you continually work on your change-up. • Stay in good physical shape. • Battle hard even when you don’t have your best stuff. • Always do your best. TITANS BASEBALL 5 HAVE A TRADEMARK

• Be known as someone who doesn’t fear ANY hitter! • Let the opposing team know that you are in control! • Battle hard! • Be known as someone who is still good even when you don’t have your best stuff! • Let the other team see that nothing can affect you!

TITANS BASEBALL 6 PITCHER

PROPER THROWING MECHANICS

TITANS BASEBALL 7 LOAD BACKSIDE

Load Backside: • The pitcher must get his weight loaded over a firm posting leg before he moves away from the rubber. • Make sure the head is not moving forward before he gets loaded. • Back foot is parallel to the rubber. • Back leg does not collapse but is bent. • Hands high on chest.

TITANS BASEBALL 8 SHIFT WEIGHT AND LUNGE

Shift Weight and Lunge: • As the leg starts down, at the same instant move the front hip forward in a sideways lunge. • Hands come down and are ready to break. • Nose stays over belly button. • Head tracks the target. • Break hands after the front hip starts to move toward the plate. • So, break hands later rather than sooner. TITANS BASEBALL 9 HANDS BREAK APART

Hands Break Apart: • The hip leads front shoulder and the nose stays over bellybutton while pitcher uses lead elbow as a site. • Glove comes along for the ride. • Front foot stays sideways as the pitcher drives his front hip toward the target.

TITANS BASEBALL 10 STRETCH THE BODY OUT

Stretching the Body Out with Good Timing: • A long stride 90% to 100% of pitcher’s height allows the body to provide elastic energy like a rubber band. • Notice how the front foot is ready to turn to land as the throwing elbow reaches shoulder height. • Notice throwing elbow is still flexed. • Head over bellybutton. TITANS BASEBALL 11 LANDING AT POWER POSITION

Landing at Power Position: • Pitcher lands on a flexed front leg with head over bellybutton in the center of two feet. • Front knee braces up and back leg twists and extends to drive back hip forward. • Elbow is shoulder height and ball is cap high. • Chest is thrust out. • Arm and shoulder are still back.

TITANS BASEBALL 12 TRUNK TWISTS AND ROTATES

Trunk Twists and Rotates to Deliver the Arm: • The back foot peels away to extend leg which drives hip and pelvis forward then trunk turns before head comes forward. • Fast trunk rotation pulls arm through as pitcher squares his trunk to home plate. • Glove comes in.

TITANS BASEBALL 13 ARM WHIPPED THROUGH

Arm Whipped Through by Rotating Trunk: • The trunk squares to home plate pulling arm through into full external rotation just before elbow extends. • Trunk begins to flex forward. • Back foot is up on big toe still in contact with the mound.

TITANS BASEBALL 14 BALL RELEASE

Ball Release: • The arm goes into full extension out over the landing foot as head tracks on to the target.

TITANS BASEBALL 15 FINISH AND DECELERATION

Finish and Deceleration: • The pitcher finishes by flexing forward his trunk into a flat back finish showing the back of his shoulder to the hitter while his arm finishes outside of his landing leg

TITANS BASEBALL 16 PITCHER

PRE-PITCH ROUTINE

TITANS BASEBALL 17 PRE-PITCH ROUTINE

10 Steps to the Pre-Pitch Routine: 1.) Look and feel confident. 2.) Get the sign from the catcher. 3.) Focus on pitch location. 4.) Say to yourself where you are pitching the ball. 5.) Breath in and blow out. 6.) Trust that pitch. 7.) Commit to the pitch. 8.) Make the pitch hit the glove. 9.) Stay loose and relaxed. 10.) Focus on the routine and not the results.

TITANS BASEBALL 18 PITCHER

REDUCE THE RISK OF ARM INJURY

TITANS BASEBALL 19 REDUCE ARM INJURIES

10 Steps to : 1.) Warm-up the entire body before throwing. 2.) Use flexible tubing to stay loose. 3.) Begin throwing short before going regular distance. 4.) Don’t throw breaking balls until 14 or 15! 5.) Parents get a “pitch count clicker” and count pitches. 6.) Continue to work on proper throwing mechanics. 7.) Cover the arm between innings and after the bullpen. 8.) Allow proper recovery times between games. 9.) If the arm hurts...STOP throwing. 10.) Build up the arm before the season begins.

TITANS BASEBALL 20 PITCHER

MENTAL MASTERY REMINDERS

TITANS BASEBALL 21 MENTAL MASTERY

7 Steps to Stay Focused : 1.) Use your pre-pitch routine in the bullpen and in the game. 2.) Have a goal for each pitch. i.e. fastball low and away. 3.) If you make a bad pitch ask why and then clear it away. 4.) In the dugout between innings evaluate your performance and then clear away any problems. 5.) Make your goal for each game to have a good performance. 6.) Have fun and just pitch to the best of your ability. 7.) Monitor your self-talk…DON’T be self defeating.

TITANS BASEBALL 22 PITCHER

CONTROL ADJUSTMENTS

TITANS BASEBALL 23 WILD “HIGH”

Wild “HIGH”: • Due to the body being ahead of the arm. • Caused by poor weight transfer and early rotation.

Solution -> Lead with front hip and keep nose over the belly button until landing.

TITANS BASEBALL 24 WILD “LOW”

Wild “LOW”: • Under-striding or arm circle is too short.

Solution -> Lengthen the stride by leading with hip. or You can swing the throwing arm more down and back.

TITANS BASEBALL 25 WILD “INSIDE”

Wild “INSIDE”to same arm hitter: • Due to throwing across the body. • The landing is too closed or opening front shoulder too early.

Solution -> Lead with hip at catcher’s glove and lead with elbow using it as a “site”.

TITANS BASEBALL 26 WILD “OUTSIDE”

Wild “OUTSIDE” to same arm hitter: • Due to poor balance – the trunk is leaning. • The ball is cutting due to fingers getting on the side of the ball. Solution -> Get thumb directly underneath splitting both fingers on top. Proper lead foot position. Balanced.

TITANS BASEBALL 27 RUSHING THE MOTION

Rushing the motion: • The front shoulder moves out first which gets the body ahead of the arm.

Solution -> Lead with the front hip.

TITANS BASEBALL 28 BACK LEG COLLAPSES

Back leg collapses: • The back knee starts to turn down and in toward the ground before the pitcher moves off the back leg. Solution -> Once weight is loaded over back leg, pitcher gets off back leg by leading with his hip going “sideways” toward target.

TITANS BASEBALL 29 FRONT FOOT TURNS TOO QUICK

Front foot starts to turn too soon: • The front foot turns toward the plate just as the pitcher starts the stride.

Solution -> Pitcher is not moving sideways like doing a lunge off the back leg. The hip is opening too soon.

TITANS BASEBALL 30 HANDS BREAK TOO HIGH

Hands break too high: • The hands move straight back instead of swinging down, back and up in a circle.

Solution -> Break the hands in center of the body at bellybutton and swing down like a pendulum.

TITANS BASEBALL 31 LANDS ON A STIFF FRONT LEG

Lands on a stiff front leg: • The front leg starts to straighten as pitcher is rotating.

Solution -> Stride is too short. Make stride at least 90% of your body length. Lengthen the stride by moving off back leg by leading with the front hip.

TITANS BASEBALL 32 RUSHING THE MOTION

Rushing the motion: • The front shoulder moves out first which gets the body ahead of the arm.

Solution -> Lead with the front hip.

TITANS BASEBALL 33 RUSHING THE MOTION

Rushing the motion: • The front shoulder moves out first which gets the body ahead of the arm.

Solution -> Lead with the front hip.

TITANS BASEBALL 34 YOUTH ARMS

FINAL THOUGHTS ON RECOGNIZING AND PREVENTING YOUTH ARM INJURY

TITANS BASEBALL 35 RECOGNIZING AND PREVENTING INJURY

Arm injuries are normally due to the following: - Overuse throwing which means too many pitches in a game and/or not enough recovery time in between - Poor throwing mechanics - Lack of overall total body throwing strength - Not warming up before throwing but throwing to warm up

Parents and coaches must be aware of pitch counts. USA Baseball and the American Sports Medicine Institute recommends that pitchers up to 14 years of age not throw more than 70-80 pitches in a game and not more than 100 pitches in a week.

TITANS BASEBALL 36 RECOGNIZING AND PREVENTING INJURY

Signs of arm injury can included but are not limited to: - The pitcher rubs his arm at the shoulder or elbow. - Poor control. - Reduced overall performance. - Noticeable change in mechanics. - The arm position drops from where is normally is. - Loss of velocity. - Continued soreness.

It is our job as coaches and parents to monitor each player. Arm injuries can be avoided.

TITANS BASEBALL 37