A little more fun at the batter's expense

Here is a simple tactic to deceive a batter when you throw a slow change up or an off-speed pitch.

OK. Imagine you are a traffic cop at an intersection. You hold your hand up, fingers together and pointing up, palm facing the cars you want to stop. That is exactly what we are going to do instantly after ball release.

This does not mess with mechanics at all.

Whatever slow or off speed pitch you throw, instantly and as quickly as you possibly can, bring your throwing hand up like a cop stopping traffic. Bring it up in frontof you and just to the side. Bring it up with a sdlight bend in the elbow. Bring it up where you hand is level with your forehead, just like a traffic cop would do.

Again you MUST do this very quiickly and do not bring your hand any higher than that.

Releasing the slow or off speed delivery and quickly bringing the hand up higher gives the appearance of a very fast delivered pitch.

Now, before my critics try to roast me on this one, I will tell you who I learned this from. I learned this one by watching a couple of older pitchers that had pitched many years in the Major division. They were on my team and that was my competition for pitching time.


Let the criticism begin, I dont care. Your young and older pitchers will learn this quickly and have a blast with it.

Do it several times during the game with your fast pitches as well. That also helps sell it for the slower ones.

Wow........Yet another "invention" already patented...........How do people survive without you..........

"Now, before my critics try to roast me on this one, I will tell you who I learned this from. I learned this one by watching a couple of older pitchers that had pitched many years in the Major division".

Where did you get the idea I invented that?

The video you posted appears to be a pitcher following through atr the same arm spped as her wind up. Thats not what I described. Maybe it is to you but you're speciasl right?

BoardMember said:

Wow........Yet another "invention" already patented...........How do people survive without you..........

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While I don't always agree with Hal, I'm with him on this one. Where did you come up with him 'inventing' this? Perhaps you should read and comprehend the whole post before you rush into trying to slam him.

smddad said:

Perhaps you should read and comprehend the whole post before you rush into trying to slam him.

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What fun would that be?

halskinner said:

"Now, before my critics try to roast me on this one, I will tell you who I learned this from. I learned this one by watching a couple of older pitchers that had pitched many years in the Major division".

Where did you get the idea I invented that?

The video you posted appears to be a pitcher following through atr the same arm spped as her wind up. Thats not what I described. Maybe it is to you but you're speciasl right?

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The video looks to me like a pitcher throwing a backhand flip change up with the hand wave you've described. Shouldn't the arm speed be the same on a change up as it is for any other pitch?

Not really looking to pick a dog in this fight, just wondering how you think this video differs from what you've described. This forum is beginning to remind me of those Simpson's episodes with BM filling the role of Superintendent Chalmers who always announces his presence by yelling "SKINNER!" at the top of his lungs as he walks into principal Skinner's office.

Trying to change speeds or fool hitter by changing arm speeds is a far cry from your last post where you were coming up with ways to
distract the hitter with verbal commands or movement of players.

"Trying to change speeds or fool hitter by changing arm speeds is a far cry from your last post where you were coming up with ways to
distract the hitter with verbal commands or movement of players. "

I didnt say change arm speeds during the pitch for this tactic. Bribg the hand up faster than what would be normal to give the batter the appearance of a ball released faster than it actually is. Also, I do not condone yelling at the pitcher, someone else mentioned that as an example, infield movement was also used as an example of what unscrupulous coaches / teams do.

In the video, the pitchers follow through appears to be the exact same speed as her wind up before release, and it is not real fast. Now picture the same video wind up speed but the follow through AFTER release being much faster than the video shows. That is what I was describing. The slow follow through from the video is EXACTLY what a batter EXPPECTS to see with a slow pitch. A faster follow through is what a batter expects to see with a fast pitch. It makes them hesitate because it just doesnt look right. It's that 'hesitation', that moment of indecision, that is what you want to happen.

Dusty said:

This forum is beginning to remind me of those Simpson's episodes with BM filling the role of Superintendent Chalmers who always announces his presence by yelling "SKINNER!" at the top of his lungs as he walks into principal Skinner's office.

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Someone FINALLY GETS IT........

BoardMember said:

What fun would that be?

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liked this response....we need the yin and the yang.....the Shiva and the Khali....it is this universal life force of opposites that is the basis of creation.....I learned this from PBS presentation of Joseph Campbell's "the power of myth"...BM is rational thought...Hal is the dark arts and intuition....one uses gifs to break down our DDs the other sees balls fly in reverse....logic and intuition, black and white....day and night....ommmmmmmmm...yes I live in California.