Advice for pitchers just starting out

[Lsjames]

If you're the parent of a pitcher who is just starting out and you have found this website, congratulations. This is the best resource for a pitcher on the Internet. The expertise you will find here is awesome.

The point of this thread is to answer the common question, 'where do I begin?'

There is a sticky thread at the top of the pitching forum, I/R in the classroom. It's a step by step progression to learn how to pitch. This resource isn't used enough. Great stuff there. Wish I found it earlier on in the pitching process ...
Like day 1.

 

[xygent1]

mechanics, mechanics, mechanics is all I got to say for beginner pitchers.

 

[riseball]

As Boardmember has said, you need to learn to throw underhand before you learn to pitch. It amazes me that we would never consider putting a boy on the mound and teaching him to pitch without first teaching him to throw overhand. Yet we have no problem doing this with a young girl. I start with a glove snap and once that looks good we throw into a tarp from about 4ft away. Throw hard and "pop" the tarp. Then gradually move back a few feet at a time. If things break down we throw into the glove and move closer to the tarp. The idea is to get them to throw hard and NOT to think about mechanics. Once throwing underhand is mastered we can talk about learning to pitch.

 

[Lsjames]

Absolutely. My girl and I have started warming up throwing ... Not over hand but underhand. It has helped. We do this if she is pitching or not.
It would be cool to see her throw someone out from shortstop underhanded.

 

[BT3100]

She needs to know that the first 12 months will be tough. A real learning experience and that some days will be very tough and she may want to hang it up. However if she battles through that first year and works hard she will achieve excellence and lead her team from within the circle.
To the parent: "This is not about you, it's never been and never will be." Allow her to fail... let her. She will need to learn from her mistakes and they will make her better. No amount of hand holding, yelling or private lessons take the place for the experience she will gain from those hard outings.


A great quote that I printed and placed in DD's room last year:

Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.

Samuel Beckett

It's an amazing journey that each day gets better and better after that first year

 

[Gronknation]

As Boardmember has said, you need to learn to throw underhand before you learn to pitch. It amazes me that we would never consider putting a boy on the mound and teaching him to pitch without first teaching him to throw overhand. Yet we have no problem doing this with a young girl. I start with a glove snap and once that looks good we throw into a tarp from about 4ft away. Throw hard and "pop" the tarp. Then gradually move back a few feet at a time. If things break down we throw into the glove and move closer to the tarp. The idea is to get them to throw hard and NOT to think about mechanics. Once throwing underhand is mastered we can talk about learning to pitch.

Great advise , If I were to start over again I would go right to this method as a starting point. However, just make sure at a young age that your DD also develops a good overhand throw . I have seen college pitchers that have trouble throwing to first. It is not pretty. Being a good defensive pitcher can save you a lot of runs.

 

[Top_Notch]

Educate yourself. Then find a good pitching coach. Then educate yourself some more. I find that my DD coach can spot things I don't.

I liken it to talking to a mechanic. I relay the symptom, he finds the cure.

 

[sluggers]

Once throwing underhand is mastered we can talk about learning to pitch.

This is such a great skill for a kid to have, and yet so many can't do it.

I was at an 18U game and the coach wanted the backup pitcher to warmup. Well... by the time a catcher got her gear on, they needed the backup pitcher. I asked the coach why the kid didn't simply grab someone and play pitch and catch underhanded to limber up, the coach said, "She doesn't know how. She only knows how to do the big windup."