TESTIMONIALS “Dan Keller’s blend of baseball knowledge, training techniques, communication skill and love of teaching kids is captured in this well-designed book. T is book teaches the art of pitching from fundamentals to complexities in a manner that coaches, novice to expert, can grasp and use ef ectively.” ~ Abe Key, President & CEO, PONY Baseball & Sof ball Inc. “I’m very impressed with Dan’s ability to break down and orga- nize pitching instruction. Arm care and pitcher development are hot-button topics taken very seriously at Babe Ruth League. Our organization believes that Coaching the Beginning Pitcher provides a solid training plan to follow.” ~ Steven Tellefsen, President & CEO, Babe Ruth League, Inc. “Keller has a great baseball mind, a terrif c understanding of the pitching motion, and an un- matched ability to communicate clearly. If you are trying to learn how to coach pitching, this book can provide the foundation you need.” ~ James Keller, Special Assistant to the GM, Toronto Blue Jays “Dan’s ability to break down pitching is unbelievable. With the detail involved in major league pitching, it’s refreshing to break the information down into common language. Keller’s expe- rience and guidance were a huge asset during the long MLB season.” ~ Troy Glaus, 4-time MLB All-Star “T is book embodies positive youth coaching and the develop- ment of today’s athletes. Dan’s understanding of the mechanics of pitching is impressive, and he communicates in a fashion that is understandable for all. Coaching takes a plan, and Dan helps to provide that plan.” ~ Gary Adams, Retired UCLA Baseball & Hall of Fame Head Coach “As I move further in my career, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the mechanics of pitching.. Dan has helped me to turn that around, develop a true understanding of my motion, and use it as a tool towards success. I’m able to make adjustments and build conf dence through the knowledge of ‘how’ and ‘why’!” ~ Chris Tillman, MLB Pitcher, Baltimore Orioles “As a volunteer coach, there is nothing more frustrating than knowing that your kids are athletically capable of doing any- thing you can teach, but not knowing exactly how to recognize and communicate what they need. Dan Keller’s Coaching the Beginning Pitcher has a unique structure that explains the what and the why of pitching mechanics and then breaks down Dan’s teaching techniques into simple steps. T e book has given me a concise method not only to understand pitching mechanics but, more importantly, to observe and communicate with my kids. Now, my kids and I have a familiar language and routine that allows me to recognize why they are missing their target and tell them exactly what to change to f x it. T anks, Dan— your book has earned some of that very limited real-estate on my nightstand.” ~ John Macchiaroli, Parent/coach/board member, Trabuco Canyon Little League COACHING THE BEGINNING PITCHER THIRD EDITION TEACH PITCHING SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY b y Dan Keller COACHING THE BEGINNING PITCHER (T ird Edition) Teach Pitching Safely and Ef ectively Coachingthebeginningpitcher.com Copyright © 2003 through 2016 by Dan Keller All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. First Edition 2003 Second Edition: 2008 T ird Edition: First Printing 2016 Edition ISBNs Sof cover 978-0-9818895-9-7 PDF/Ebook 978-0-9818895-8-0 Library of Congress Control Number: 2016906268 Editing by Kathy Berger Typesetting & Layout by Andrea Reider Cover art by Kris Brown Unattributed quotations are by Dan Keller Printed in the United States of America ii Contents About the Author ix Acknowledgments xi Preface – Note To T e Reader xiii Chapter 1. Pitch Types and Theory 1 Fastball 1 Fastball, 4-Seam 2 Fastball, 2-Seam 3 Change Up 5 Knuckleball 14 Curveball 17 Slider 27 Chapter 2. Fundamentals of Proper Pitching Mechanics 31 Wind-Up Stance 33 Balance Point 37 iii CONTENTS Breaking From the Balance Point - Load 41 Landing 47 Release Point 53 Finish 60 Chapter 3. Coaching Beginning Pitchers 65 Dan Keller’s 7-Step Plan to Teaching Pitching 66 Step 1 - Catch Play 66 Step 2 - Teach Positions - Stance (#0), Balance (#1), Power (#2), & Finish (#3) 69 Step 3 - Add Rules - Break Down Each Position (1-3-2) 74 Step 4 - Distance & Direction 83 Step 5 - Implement Specif c Fixes 88 Step 6 - Add the Wind Up 89 Step 7 - Teach the Change Up 91 Helpful Keys 91 Sample Pitching Lesson Plans 94 Chapter 4. Training and Taking Care of the Arm 113 Ultimate Pitching Goals 113 Training Arm Action 115 iv CONTENTS Preseason T rowing, Plans 122 In-Season T rowing, Plans 127 Of -Season T rowing 134 Rest 135 Guidelines 137 Chapter 5. Fundamental Drills 139 T rowing Drills 139 Homework, Mirror Work 142 Freeze Drills 144 Chair Drill 157 Slow Motion 159 Eyes Closed 159 Chapter 6. Common Mistakes and Remedies 161 Drif ing 161 Hands Breaking Late 165 Pie T rowing 166 Natural Slider 168 Over Rotation 171 Leaning Back 173 Floppy Wrist 176 Incorrect Grip 177 Flying Open - Lead Leg 178 Flying Open - Front Shoulder 181 Slowing Down the Change Up 184 Short-Arming 187 Load 190 v CONTENTS Chapter 7. Mound Presence 195 Progression 195 Coaching Progression 200 Slide Step 206 Delivery Times 209 Chapter 8. Picks 211 First Base Pick (RHP) 212 First Base Pick (LHP) 219 Step Of Pick (LHP) 223 Second Base Picks 226 T ird-to-First Move 236 Chapter 9. Stretching, Warm Up and Long Toss 243 Dynamic Stretching 244 Youth Warm Up Routine 245 Playing Catch / Long Toss 250 Chapter 10. Conditioning 253 Sprint Work 254 Agility Drills 261 Leads & Breaks 268 Baserunning 269 vi CONTENTS Chapter 11. Coaching the Pitching Mind 271 Perspective 271 Coaching For Conf dence 276 Building Athlete Equity 279 Handling Adversity 280 Attitude Molding 282 Modeling Behavior – Act As If 286 T e Mental Game 288 Characteristics of a Champion 290 Chapter 12. Charts - Pitch Counts and Rest Times 293 Learning Ages 293 Recommended Pitch Counts 294 Rest Times 295 Mound Distances 296 vii ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dan Keller is President and owner of Dugout Captain Sports, based in Huntington Beach, California. A lifelong student of the game of baseball, and pitching in particular, Keller started Dugout Captain in 2015 in an ef ort to broaden his reach to the youth baseball community. Dugout Captain provides coaching tools, instructional content and a proprietary virtual practice planning tool that is revolutionizing the volunteer coach role. Prior to Dugout Captain, Keller built, ran, and sold Lifeletics Baseball. Lifeletics provides world-class fundamental baseball training with an important emphasis on positive character development and the life lessons learned through athletics. T e company name Lifeletics—where LIFE meets ATHLETICS— represents the powerful life lessons that can be learned through competition and sports in general. Keller experienced athletic success from youth baseball through the collegiate ranks and was draf ed in 1995 by the Baltimore Orioles. Af er several years in business and technol- ogy, Keller started Lifeletics Baseball in 2001. Af er 15 years of coaching and operating Lifeletics, Keller returned to sports technology by starting Dugout Captain Incorporated. Dan grew up in Fountain Valley, California, and played on many championship teams. He was part of a national title team as a 14-year-old (Pony League), a World Series title team as a 16-year-old (Pony League, Colt Division), and two Califor- nia Interscholastic Federation (CIF) championship teams as a junior and senior in high school. He was draf ed in 1995 by the Baltimore Orioles, but chose instead to accept a full scholarship ix ABOUT THE AUTHOR to pitch for UCLA. Af er earning Freshman All-American hon- ors in 1996, he reached the College World Series as a sopho- more in 1997. Keller was twice voted all-star alternate in the prestigious Cape Cod Summer League (1996, 1997). A weight room injury ended his playing career in 1999. T ese experiences provided Keller the opportunity to study the art of pitching from the f eld of play, the dugout, and the stands. Professionally, Keller has built upon that foundation to develop successful teaching methods and instructional road- maps for learning and understanding pitching mechanics as well as the responsibilities of the pitcher position. Dan Keller has worked since 2000 as a private pitching instructor for youth league and professional athletes alike. His team-coach- ing resume includes work with competitive youth teams, high school teams at all levels, and community college teams, and one summer he coached the nation’s f nest Division I pitchers in the Cape Cod Baseball League. Keller’s Dugout Captain product of ering includes a devel- opment curriculum to guide coaches from start to f nish, tem- plate-based practice plans, and a proprietary online clipboard to easily create, save, and share practice plans. Keller is author of another baseball book (Survival Guide to Coaching Youth Baseball - Human Kinetics), and he has written numerous arti- cles published in newspapers, magazines, and online media. He is a frequent guest speaker at baseball functions and holds a Master’s Degree in Physical Education from Azusa Pacif c Uni- versity. Living in Huntington Beach, California, Keller is mar- ried to his wife, Erin, and has two kids—a son named Kobe and a daughter named Mackenzie.