pitching issue

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May 17, 2008
17
0
Michigan
Hello everyone,
I ran into this in my game tonight. The first inning that I pitched, I did well. The second inning, I walked a couple and then started to lose command. Also in that inning, I gave up a home run. After that, I took a short walk around the mound to get my focus back, trying to shake that home run off, build myself back up again for the next hitter. It seemed as though I did not completely get my control back and it was difficult to pitch. That was the first home run I have given up.
Any suggestions for collecting yourself on the mound again after major damage is done like a home run? Thanks
Lori
 

halskinner

Banned
May 7, 2008
2,681
0
" Any suggestions for collecting yourself on the mound again after major damage is done like a home run? Thanks
Lori"

Yeah, where was your catcher? What was she doing during all this??

When a pitcher starts to lose it, there is only one person on the field that can direct your attention to where it MUST be, YOUR CATCHER. She is the ONLY person that is directly behind the strike zone and the only one that can get your attention there and keep it there.

Your catcher MUST take charge and do whatever is necessary to get you BACK in control.

When you are about to throw a pitch, there are only 4 people that matter;

1. YOU
2. YOUR CATCHER
3. THE UMPIRE.
4. YOUR NEXT STRIKE OUT VICTIM.

Nobody else matters because nobody else can help you, not your coach, not your parents, nobody but your catcher!

Again, what was your catcher doing during all this??

Hal
 

Ken Krause

Administrator
Admin
May 7, 2008
3,911
113
Mundelein, IL
When you're collecting yourself, make sure you take a few slow, deep breaths. In through your nose, out through your mouth. It really helps to calm you down and let you get refocused. It's difficult to get uptight when you're breathing slowly and deeply.
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
Hal

catchers aren't even taught how to think for themselves when calling pitches or situations, why the hell would you think a catcher would have a clue about what to say to this pitcher? Your point is valid and well taken. But my point is always that these girls are being robbed of learning the game by these coaches who won't actually teach them the game (partly because a lot don't know the game themselves) instead they just control every aspect of it. Some of these people think girls are incapable of learning how to do this stuff... yet they are faced with far more serious decisions in their day to day lives than what happens in a softball game! So we can teach them about life and how to handle things/situations but not softball? It's sad.

Magglio, it's simple... this will not be the last home run you give up. Giving up a HR is no different than getting a big strikeout, as soon as it happens, it's over. You need to start thinking about the next pitch. There are no words or ways to teach you how to do that, it will come with time and maturity. You will have good teams, bad games and mediocre games. This is not a game of perfection, if you think it is.. you're in the wrong sport. Don't congratulated yourself too much for the strikeouts and berate yourself too much for the HR's. Both are part of the game. Have some faith that your team will pick you up and score the runs back, if your team can't score you won't win anyway!

Bill
 

halskinner

Banned
May 7, 2008
2,681
0
"catchers aren't even taught how to think for themselves when calling pitches or situations, why the hell would you think a catcher would have a clue about what to say to this pitcher? "


Reverend Bill,

This is one of the points I am trying to make here. Not very many ARE taught how to call a game, read the batter's stance, keep their pitcher's focus, control their pitcher, etc.

Most of the time it is the control freak team coaches making all the decisions and when the team wins, it's because they called a brilliant game. And, when the team loses, it's because the pitcher/s were having an off day, or the catcher didn't block the ball or some other reason.

What I love is to hear a pitcher tell the truth when the team loses and the coach blames them; "What are you talkin about coach???? I THREW EXACTLY WHAT YOU CALLED, SO DON'T BLAME ME?

My response here was to wake her up to some of the facts of softball life and what she might have to do to fix the problem. From her post, the coach has no clue whatsoever what is going on inside the circle.

Many times I would have a pitching student bring their team catcher with them to a session. I would work with both and go over situations, listen to them talk about situations similar to the original post here. I would try and teach the catchers what to say and how to say it, to get their pitcher's attention back and get them fired up, or whatever needed to be done.

Many times doing that would end up with the team coach coming to some of these sessions so that he / she would get a better idea of what was happening and why their battery all of a sudden showed initiative!

I would hope every pitching instructor could do that for their students.

As far as your reply to me; You are preachin to the choir here Bill. Come down from your pulpit and rejoin the congregation like all the rest of us.
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,132
113
Dallas, Texas
In HS, my DD threw the ball away on an easy groundball. It affected her for the rest of the game--she pitched like a pile of donkey dung. One of the teacher's at the school was a former pro baseball relief pitcher. He took her aside the next day and said, "I know what you were going through. I've been there. You have to let it go. When you are out there, there is only the ball, the catcher's mitt and the batter."

To this day, I'm not sure exactly what that means. Perhaps it is a secret code between pitchers--but it helped her. She never lost her composure in a game again.

Ray
 

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