Pre-motions; The 'Fireman's Ladder'

[halskinner]

In response to an earlier comment on pre-motions.

Nope, one of the guys I knew as a kid did this thing where he moved his glove from side to side, up, down and then went into the motion. It drove batter INSANE.

OK. Here is something ANY AGE pitcher can quickly add to their arsenal to become more unpredictable to the batters. This you do in the pre-motions so it has zero effect o n their mechanics.

Fireman's ladder. This one is for a straight out of the glove into the forward rotation pitcher.

Bring the hands together at the waist, ball inside glove.

Then, keeping the hands together, bring them both straight up over your head BUT still in front of you, that is the top step of the ladder and this ladder has 4 steps with the bottom step being back at your waist.

Then bring the glove down a step and hold for one second, then another step and hold for one second, then to the bottom step and hold for one second, then quickly separate your hands and throw the pitch.

Now fior the next pitch.

Bring the hands rogether and do the exact same thing, except, go down the steps twice as fast.

Next pitch.

Bring the hands together and go to the top step and hold one second. Then quickly drop down to the bottom step and instantly go into your forward wind up, as quickly as you possibly can do it.

Next pitch, all 4 steps again get one second each.

Next pitch. Ever practice pitching from the K position? OK, Here is what we are going to do now.

Hands together at your waist. Go to the top step. Quickly separate your hands and start your wind up (from 12:00 and down behind) AS you take your stride and get open. Do not start your stride until you separate your hands. SURPRISE! The batter will be standing there waiting for the other steps in the ladder.

You should be getting the idea now. There are a hundred more combinations of this pre-motion and that is just one of many pre-motions. Here is one more for the Fireman's Ladder.

Hands together and go to the top step. Quickloy drop to the 2nd and third step without stopping, boom-boom. Then drop to the bottom step and hold for a second then start your wind up.

Congrats. You just took the timing away from their entire team and you will also be known as a 'Junk-Baller' too.

This is one of many ways you use the pre-motions to help defeat batters. And, if you think these simple things have no effect on older / adult / college players, YOU ARE MISTAKEN!

Hal

SNEAKY SOFTBALL PITCHING.COM

 

[Old Man River]

Mr.Skinner,
This type of teaching (different wind-ups,sneaky pitching, etc.) is not demonstrated by the best pitchers in the world. This is "gimmickry" that the best in the world have never sensed the need to resort to (sic ). Please stop the mockery of the game!

 

[halskinner]

You are hysterical. These 'Tactics' take away the hitterr's timing of the pitching motion.

I believe you were a pitcher if I remember from your posts. Did you ever throw a change up in your career? Why would you resort to that type of 'Gimikry', as you called it? I am sure you did, and why? TO DISRUPT THE BATTER'S TIMING of the pitcher's motions.

Disruptimg their timing is,,, disrupting their timng, by whatever name you want to give it.

Why would YOU want to make it easy on the batters?

 

[Lozza]

Yeah, I really don't like this either. I wouldn't think much of a pitcher that did this type of thing. There are other much simpler ways of throwing a batter's timing off. I also think this would throw the pitcher's timing out, which is never a good thing.

 

[Sweet Pitch 96]

My heavens! I'd think that with all the effort it would take to get good at such a convoluted pre-motion, the pitcher would be better off spending that time and effort mastering each of her pitches (both a full speed and an off speed version of each) and a killer change-up. JMO

 

[halskinner]

My heavens! I'd think that with all the effort it would take to get good at such a convoluted pre-motion, the pitcher would be better off spending that time and effort mastering each of her pitches (both a full speed and an off speed version of each) and a killer change-up. JMO

You are talking about tactics that disrupt the hitter's timing; IE full speed, off-speed and slow change up, Correct? Why limit yourself, or any pitcher to just those things? Just like effective use of three pitching speeds rips the hitters timing to pieces, so does doing something as SIMPLE as the 'Firemans Ladder' as a pre-motion. You would then have all the choices of the Fireman's Ladder AND three different ball speeds to choose from. How much harder would it be for the batters you face and how many more strike outs will you get?

There is only so much fun that happens between a pitcher and a batter. I say be greeedy and have all the fun when you pitch.

SNEAKY SOFTBALL PITCHING.COM

CT-TEXAS.COM

 

[lhowser]

I gotta go with Hal here. If it's legal, it helps and you can master it AND it's effective...USE IT. You have to have a lot of self confidence because you are definately ticking off the other dugout.

 

[Old Man River]

You are talking about tactics that disrupt the hitter's timing; IE full speed, off-speed and slow change up, Correct? Why limit yourself, or any pitcher to just those things? Just like effective use of three pitching speeds rips the hitters timing to pieces, so does doing something as SIMPLE as the 'Firemans Ladder' as a pre-motion. You would then have all the choices of the Fireman's Ladder AND three different ball speeds to choose from. How much harder would it be for the batters you face and how many more strike outs will you get?

There is only so much fun that happens between a pitcher and a batter. I say be greeedy and have all the fun when you pitch.

I agree with SP 96 Big Time!!!! Please address the question I again ask- why do the best in the world not bother to demonstrate your so called inventions??

 

[halskinner]

Did you see Joan Joyce's video from the other thread. Watch it and pay attention. She describes the three wind ups THAT SHE USED. Windmill, figure 8 and slingshot. She used them all and she also said they have been around longer than her and she was in an era before me. SO, I did not invent these things I teach and write about. Others before you and I came up with them out of neccessity.

Now, my question for you; WHY IS IT THE 'BEST IN THE WORLD' as you describe them, FEEL THEY HAVE TO CHEAT TO GAIN THE ADVANTAGE? Answer me that. Every single tactic I teach and outline in my books ARE PERFECTLY LEGAL!

I didnt need to crow hop, hop, skip or leap to defeat the Major Division National Champions when my team played them early in 1980. Joaquin Construction vs Dave Abel Insurance, both out of Modesto, California. It was the Inaguaral game for Rainbow Fields, if you would like to look it up. I shut them out 5-0.

I did that pitching legally.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

I gotta agree with Hal on this one. "If" a pitcher is good enough with her mechanics to change her delivery time, it can be just as good as a ball breaking 12 inches. It has the same effect, making the batters chase something that is not there.

Every time a group has a pitching discussion............everyone is an expert.........and no one is ever wrong.