Pitching Mechanics / Workouts / Advice

[CoRP]

My son is a high school sophomore that just made his varsity baseball team and will be one of three starters this year.  He's 6'3", 155 lbs and people tell me that he throws low-mid 80s (he hasn't been on a gun in 2 years...when he was throwing low to mid 70s and was 8" shorter).  He features two fastballs (2 and 4 seam), a pretty good change up, and a curve that I have advised him to use sparingly if at all. His high school graduated two kids last year that got drafted (mid 20s rounds) and both received D-I scholarships so I am guessing that his coaches are pretty good. Nevertheless, it can't hurt for him to try to gain an edge.  
 
I would like to help him improve (while being cognizant of the high risk of injury) but there is so much conflicting information out there that I don't even know where to begin. He watches a lot of video of other pitchers and coaches talking about pitching but I am concerned that he will end up adopting useless or dangerous technique tweaks that will harm his progress. 
 
I've seen all sorts of tools and aids for hitters (swingtracker comes to mind...which I might buy to help him with his hitting) but haven't really found anything for pitchers outside of medicine ball workouts and some leg exercises. 
 
Curious what's out there in the way of info, coaching, clinics, work-outs etc.  He will be pitching this spring (HS) and summer (American Legion). After that he will be off for almost 7 months and he would like him to make the most of that time off to improve for when he comes back as a junior so that he will be able to showcase his talents to college coaches. His goal is to be a major league pitcher (even more so now that he heard what Porcello just signed for) but I suspect he would be quite happy pitching against the Sox in Ft. Myers for BC or Northeastern in a few years.
 
I know we have a lot of great baseball minds here and a bunch of former players, curious if any of you have thoughts on what a HS sophomore should be doing to make himself a better pitcher.

 

[absintheofmalaise]

I'm not sure where you live, but a lot of the kids here in the Atlanta metro area get lessons from private coaches for hitting and pitching. Some HS coaches frown on that though. If you can, check with the parents of the two kids who got scholarships and see how much of the coaching came from the HS coaches and how much, if any, came from outside sources. 
 
If you do go the private coaching route, vet the hell out of them. Like anything else, some are better than others and some do more harm than good. Each hitter and pitcher is different. The last thing he needs at this age is some sort of cookie cutter approach to coaching. Good luck.

 

[teddykgb]

I was a catcher, not a pitcher, but having observed this I'd have two basic observations:
 
1) a lot of kids at that level get private instruction.  I saw one kid totally ruin his prospects with a hitting instructor who completely ruined his swing.  We went from regularly having scouts at practices and games to having none.  There's a fine line between letting your talent develop and trying to correct serious mechanical issues in the bud.  My perspective on it is that there's a lot of money at stake and I wouldn't want a kid making massive changes to their mechanics at this age unless they were seriously broken.  Any private instructor you can get is probably going to be far inferior to the instruction you can get at the college and pro level and my opinion is that scouts are looking for projectability.  At the very least, if you're going to use a private instructor, I'd want to really really really vet the person.  There are a fair number of "has beens" and "never was" semi pro ballplayers moonlighting as for hire instructors.  I'd not feel comfortable with one of these types.
 
2) If i had a kid who showed promise, i'd be working on control more than anything.  I can't tell you how many kids i caught in HS and college level who could hit "mid 80s low 90s" and had no idea where it was going.  Popping the mitt looks good and catches attention, but there are a lot of kids who can throw hard.  The only kids I knew who made it could pitch to spots and commanded their fastball.  If he's got as live an arm as you say, then that's great and it gives him a shot ,but it's no good if he doesn't learn how to pitch.  Too many kids in this age bracket use the velocity as a crutch and I think the coaches/scouts/etc eventually see through that.
 
I don't know what the current conventional wisdom is on weight training, but I do know that everyone I ever lifted with in high school was a complete joke.  I'd think there's a competitive advantage to be had there that doesn't involve throwing a few thousand pitches but that's a much less informed opinion as I'm sure there's plenty of controversy about the benefits and detriments of working out at his age.

 

[Fred not Lynn]

Where you are located has a lot to do with what resources you have access to, and the "way" HS ball and summer ball works. Some places, Legion is great baseball, and others it's kind of poor...

 

[Fred not Lynn]

...and unfortunately, velocity is still the milkshake that brings the scouts and college coaches to your yard. They might leave after back-to-back walks, but no matter what they say about things like command, poise and character, nothing gives the hoard of radar-gunslingers a bigger collective woody than a HS kid throwing 92.

 

[leftfieldlegacy]

My son is a high school sophomore that just made his varsity baseball team and will be one of three starters this year.  He's 6'3", 155 lbs and people tell me that he throws low-mid 80s (he hasn't been on a gun in 2 years...when he was throwing low to mid 70s and was 8" shorter).  He features two fastballs (2 and 4 seam), a pretty good change up, and a curve that I have advised him to use sparingly if at all. His high school graduated two kids last year that got drafted (mid 20s rounds) and both received D-I scholarships so I am guessing that his coaches are pretty good. Nevertheless, it can't hurt for him to try to gain an edge.  
 
I would like to help him improve (while being cognizant of the high risk of injury) but there is so much conflicting information out there that I don't even know where to begin. He watches a lot of video of other pitchers and coaches talking about pitching but I am concerned that he will end up adopting useless or dangerous technique tweaks that will harm his progress. 
 
I've seen all sorts of tools and aids for hitters (swingtracker comes to mind...which I might buy to help him with his hitting) but haven't really found anything for pitchers outside of medicine ball workouts and some leg exercises. 
 
Curious what's out there in the way of info, coaching, clinics, work-outs etc.  He will be pitching this spring (HS) and summer (American Legion). After that he will be off for almost 7 months and he would like him to make the most of that time off to improve for when he comes back as a junior so that he will be able to showcase his talents to college coaches. His goal is to be a major league pitcher (even more so now that he heard what Porcello just signed for) but I suspect he would be quite happy pitching against the Sox in Ft. Myers for BC or Northeastern in a few years.
 
I know we have a lot of great baseball minds here and a bunch of former players, curious if any of you have thoughts on what a HS sophomore should be doing to make himself a better pitcher.

 
Regarding pitch selection, the jury is still out on the curve ball. Properly taught (and there's the rub) it does not appear to be a pitch that places undue stress on the elbow or shoulder. That said, a kid who can command the fast ball and change up will only need to throw the curve sparingly. 
 
Check out the work Dr Andrews did with Little League Baseball on the effects of certain pitches on Little League age kids. 
 
Your kid is obviously older, but even at 6'3" he is only 155# and he probably still has open growth plates and should be treated (protected) more like a younger kid than a fully developed 15 year old who shaves twice a day.
 
Dr Andrews and Dr.Kevin Wilk (PT) developed an app for pitchers that describes an exercise program called the thrower's 10 and can also be used to track pitches. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/throw-like-pro-throw-faster/id885558423?mt=8
 
The best way to protect a pitcher's arm is to develop strong legs and a strong core. Think John Lester's lower body and that's what he should be trying to work towards in the off season. 

 

[Fred not Lynn]

Oh, and for what it's worth (depending on where you're at), it's not like college coaches are just going to arrive at HS games. At least in the non-California west, they're going to be at the various showcase type tournaments (not to be confused with outright showcases)...and generally they're not just wandering around looking for unknowns, they're looking at kids they've already had contact with, usually initiated by the kid.

 

[CoRP]

We are in Greenwich, CT.  Lots of coaches in the area. He has worked with Brent Strom (former Cardinals, current Astros pitching coach) at a couple of clinics. He is working with medicine balls to improve his core as well as to try to increase his explosiveness.
 
Thanks for the app link, LFL.  Will check it out.

 

[Fred not Lynn]

I am in the final mile of the journey you're just getting started on. Remember it's supposed to be fun, and if you do it right, it will be, for both of you.
 
You might want to familiarize yourself with the thoughts of Eric Cressey of Cressey Sports Performance . He's got a pretty aggresive web presence, and knows the social media game on Facebook and Twitter. I am not 100% on board with everything he says, especially on the subject of sqauts for overhand throwers, but there's a lot of material out there under his banner and it will give you a good starting point. I gather your son is about 15 or 16, and that's around the right time to begin strength training. Encourage your son to really become a student of strength and conditioning, and not just DO what is perscribed to him, but understand it.
 
There are a lot of people out there in the youth/tournament/showcase baseball world who are very eager to take your money - and at certain points you'll have to give some of it to some of them...try to choose wisely.
 
As my son progressed through HS ball, we never used a recruiting service - and the general buzz is that they're not really effective. If a kid is suitably able, he will be able to get seen by the people who need to see him. Learn to shoot a decent video and have your son learn to send some e-mails and you'll get everything a recruiting service can offer. We also put a lot more emphasis on attending college camps rather than expensive showcases such as Perfect Game. A good college camp is not just a chance to be seen, it's a place to get some instruction and see how you stack up against others.
 
Another great experience was playing higher level fall tournaments. My son played AZ Fall Classics for three years, but I am not sure of the east coast equivalent. As a senior, he also played a Perfect Game tournament in AZ (way better value than their showcases) - but he'll need to get onto a team that has a spot in those sorts of events. The costs and value of various travel teams that do can vary widely. Once again, I liked the tournaments better than showcases because they're a great way for your son to challenge himself and play against stronger opponents (even when the tournaments are run "showcase style" with innings ending after 6 batters whether you get 3 outs or not).
 
You can also learn a lot on the forums at High School Baseball Web - some actual useful information, and no shortage of "How Come My Kid's Sitting?" douchebaggery. You'll learn not just how your son can be a player, you'll learn a little about what sort of parent to be and not be. Rule #1 - Introduce youreself to the coach at the season opening parent meeting, shake his hand and thank him at the season ending banquet, and leave him alone in between. Your son talks to the coach. You sit in the stands and drink coffee. During the games -  practice isn't for you, stay away.
 
Sadly, I presume since you don't say otherwise, your son is right-handed. Sorry about that part, but I guess it's just another obstacle to overcome...

 

[Frisbetarian]

I was impressed with Dr. Glenn Flesig when he spoke at the 2013 Saberseminar. Glenn has done a ton of work on youth pitcher injuries and mechanics, and I think you might be well served doing a Google search for some of his studies and findings.
 
Good luck. 

 

[CoRP]

Thanks Chuck.  I googled him and in the results Dick Mills from pitching.com came up. I have some books and videos of his that I bought a few years back. Curious if anyone (Fred not Lynn?) has spoken with Mills and if they did what they think.
 
Re: Fleisig, I will definitely dig in further  Wondering now if my son would benefit from motion analysis.
 
Btw, Fred, is your kid in college now?

 

[Heinie Wagner]

I've purchased some of Mills products, never spoke with him.  He passed away a few days ago and his son Ryan has taken over.

 

[CoRP]

Holy shit, diagnosed with, and died from, Melanoma in a few weeks??? Wow. That's awful.

 

[Fred not Lynn]

Btw, Fred, is your kid in college now?

 
He finished up US high school in Utah last spring, but would have only been 17 to go to college in the fall so he's playing one more year of HS age ball in the BC Premier League in Canada. He's planning to attend (and play baseball at) Mount St. Mary's University in Maryland this coming fall.
 
I've never crossed paths with Dick Mills, but one thing to mention; There are on the surface two main schools of thought on mechanics - the "Tall and fall" principle promoted by followers of Tom House, and the "Drop and drive" approach promoted by, well, many others. I find it isn't nearly as cut and dry/right and wrong as explaining it that way sounds, though. I believe Dick Mills was a strong and outspoken proponent of "drop and drive". The other big debate is over the use of long-toss, and different long-toss protocols. It's worth it to encourage your son to read up on that stuff, even if in the end he doesn't choose a particular side. I've always been big on "student of the sport" stuff. It wouldn't hurt for you to know a little about it all, too.