Pitching: Mechanics and the Mind Pitchers, it's never too late to turn things around. Just ask Toronto Blue Jays starter Roy Halladay, who won the 2003 AL Cy Young Award on Tuesday with a 22-7 record and 3.25 ERA. In 2000, Halladay finished the season with a 10.64 ERA in 19 games (13 starts) and pitched so poorly in the spring of 2001 that the Blue Jays sent him all the way down to Class A ball. The turning point came when Halladay changed his mechanics and his mental approach to the game. With the help of pitching coach Mel Queen, Halladay went from an over the top delivery to three-quarters. The result was more movement to both sides of the plate. Proving that pitching is more than just physical ability, Halladay also credited his award winning turnaround to the renewed focus he found after working with a sports psychologist. The result was being able to "block everything out, be positive and go one pitch at a time." While very few pitchers are lucky enough to have the type of professional aid available to Major Leaguers, what Halladay proved is that sometimes the path to pitching success is having an open mind to change and a closed mind to distractions. If you haven't been getting the results you want, use the offseason to fine-tune or alter your mechanics, develop a throwing program, and refocus your mind on what it will take to be successful. And if you need some help, our Armed & Ready Program developed by Coach Alan Jaeger has already helped hundreds of pitchers at all levels. Our exclusive Proper Pitching Pack by Tom House and Bill Thurston, two of the top pitching coaches in the game, will also help pitchers immensely. The Armed and Ready Program by Alan Jaeger - $79.95 Thrive on Throwing Arm Strength Conditioning Program A systematic throwing program designed to help players and coaches understand what steps must be taken to develop and sustain a strong, durable, accurate, and injury-free arm. Adopted by over 100 professional players, including 2002 Cy Young winner Barry Zito. 4 Phases of Arm Exercise Covered Arm Circles  |  Surgical Tubing  |  Throwing Mechanics  |  Long Toss Gary Adams, UCLA Head Coach:   I would urge any coach, any parent, any player to take up this program -- start it today because you are going to see amazing results, amazing development and it's also going to prevent injuries. The Proper Pitching Pack by Tom House and Bill Thurston - $52.90 Detailed Analysis of the Proper Pitching Mechanics See it in print, see it on videotape. The book, Picture Perfect Pitcher, contains over 125 photographs and illustrations, while the video, Common Mechanical Pitching Faults, offers detailed analysis of the pitching motion based on slow-motion video research of over 300 high school, college, and pro pitchers. This visual combo is a must have for players, dads and coaches. Coach JP: Learn how to throw correctly and keep your arm safe!

Send this page to a friend  

The Basics For a Baseball Conditioning Workout
From the article Training Differences of Baseball Players vs. Other Athletes by Eagle Baseball Club President and Certified Personal Trainer Charles Slavik

Cardiovascular Training: Sprints and interval training, not long distance running. Stretching: Important for increased flexibility and injury prevention. Strength Training: Important for increased maximum strength. Begin with bodyweight exercises and progress to weights. Medicine Ball Exercises: Important for rapid powerful upper body movements to develop increased explosiveness and rotational forces. Plyometrics: Used in conjunction with strength development in an integrated program to improve the link between the strength developed in the weight room and the ability to develop explosive power, speed and agility. Speed, Agility and Quickness Training: When it comes to baseball, speed and agility are important on both sides of the field. Speed is important in the field where hit balls must be defended. On offense, speed puts pressure on the other team and distracts the pitcher and catcher; this help the hitter get better pitches to hit. The development of speed and agility is as vital as the development of batting power and throwing arm stability. Bat Speed Training Swinging the bat is a skill that is unique to baseball. Players need good lower body and core strength to develop power in the swing. These muscles need to be trained rotationally in a high-velocity, explosive manner. Strong hip and leg muscles will initiate the swing, the core area then sequentially transfers the rotational speed to the torso and the arms to complete the swing. The efficient transfer of force from the lower body to the upper body, known as the kinetic chain principle, requires that there be muscular balance for optimal sequential transfer of forces. Strong lats, triceps and forearms will help to continue bat acceleration through ball contact. Squats, bench presses, pull ups, forearm and triceps exercises will develop the potential for power. Bat Speed Training with heavy and light bats within a prescribed range will transfer that potential to the actual sports skill in a specific manner. Bratt Weighted Training Bat  - $50-80 Increase Bat Speed & Power The Bratt Bat is a unique weighted bat used during training and in the on deck circle. Its patented design distributes the weight along the barrel, giving it the balance of your hitting bat. Used by record breakers (Mark McGwire) and champions (Anaheim Angels) alike, the Bratt's Bat ranges in length from 29 to 35 inches with weights from 35 to 100 ounces. Coach JP: Get rid of that bat donut! Swing 50 to 100 times each day and the Bratt's Bat will add 30 feet to a 300 foot fly ball. Over 250 Major Leaguers train with their own Bratt's Bat. Hey, if it's good enough for them...

Send this page to a friend  

Free Instructional Articles

In addition to our Newsletter and Tip Sheet e-mails, we offer a lot of free content on the Baseball Tips website. Be sure to check out our instructional articles and drills. We're up to 104 and counting. Listed below are the top ten most read articles for the month of October. Enjoy.....if you haven't already! When and How to Throw a Curveball by Andrew Tinnish Correct Pitching Mechanics by Playing Catch by Terry Mularski Thrive on Throwing: Arm Strength and Conditioning Program by Alan Jaeger How to Choose A Wood Baseball Bat by Coach JP Change Up: The Pitch for a Strong Arm's Lifetime by David Osinski Sliding by Tom O'Connell Batting Fundamentals by Ty Cobb Hitting Simplification by Rob Ellis Training With Wood Builds Bat Speed by Jim Cassalino Developing Outfielders: Principles & Drills by Greg Brons

Send this page to a friend  

Baseball Training Card Tip

Mechanical Pitching Keys - Basic Delivery    Lesson # 47 Balance Keep yourself balanced over the midline of your body. Stand tall and keep weight on push foot until your stride. Keep your movements controlled and compact. Use your front leg and arm to help you balance. Posture Maintain the proper body angle - an overhand delivery requires an erect body, a side-arm delivery requires more bend at the waist. Direction Keep all your body movements in line with the target. Rotate your back hip down and in as you finish the pitch. Tempo Maintain an even and consistent tempo. Keep everything slow and smooth, up to the actual throwing motion. 6 free cards (lessons on front & back) with a DVD or CD purchase Ultimate Infield Where's The Play? The 59 Minute Baseball Practice

Send this page to a friend  

Archives

Tip Ship Archive Our Tip Sheets have lots of useful information from the best and brightest in the game of baseball. Be sure to check out our Tip Ship Archive page, where each past issue is broken down by topic. A Recap of Tip Sheet # 11 Off Season Workout Suggestions MLB scout Bobby McKinney offers his advice on how to keep sharp, and motivated, throughout the offseason. Game Day Strategy Gordie Gillespie, college baseball's all-time winningiest coach, explains the importance of getting to the ace pitcher in the first inning. Daily Practice Guidelines for Infielders Follow these steps to improve your feet, hands, and throwing arm. International Baseball Experience Coach JP writes about the opportunities to play baseball overseas.

Baseball Instruction: Coaches & Players

Benefiting players and the coaches who instruct them, our Instructors Section is a FREE resource for players who are interested in personal instruction in all aspects of the game. Any coach or instructor can simply add their credentials and specialties to our database, which can then be viewed by all visitors of Baseball Tips.com. States/Provinces Currently Available Alabama Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Nebraska New Mexico New Jersey New Hampshire New York North Carolina Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Texas Utah Virginia Washington Wisconsin Washington DC Ontario Quebec Saskatchewan For those that wish to be added, please fill out the form below. Entries without these details cannot be added to this free database. Instructor Form Name: E-Mail: Type of Instruction Offered: Phone: Cost: City/State: Web site URL (if applicable): Comments:  What do you want parents and players to know about you. Tell them what's in it for them. Be direct and to the point.