Thursday, January 28, 2010

What's the difference between "Wrap" and "Curl"?

"Wrap?"  "Curl?"  You may be wondering what in the world I'm talking about, (and no, it's not a new hairstyle!)

"Wrap" and "Curl" refers to a hitter's positioning of the bat prior to the swing process initiating.  Or in English, where the barrel of the bat is once the hitter is ready to swing.


Almost all Major Leaguers use "Curl" to encourage what is known as "hinging" the wrist.  This creates whip through the zone and creates power in the process.  (See above pic of Ryan Howard.)

However, many young hitters misinterrept this action in imitating their favorite MLB Hitters and in trying to create "Curl" actually create "Wrap", which quite simply means the barrel assumes a position behind the hitter's head.

In other words, from a side view, you can't see your young hitter's barrel at all times (i.e. "wrapping" around your young hitter's head.)

In coaching your youngster, please take a moment to teach the difference in the two.  It could be the difference between night and day!

   

 

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

When should I try to pick a guy off at First?



Sunday, one of my catching students asked me, "when is the best time to try and pick a guy off at first?" 

The answer is actually three-fold.

The very best time for a Catcher to pick a guy off at first is when your pitcher is in trouble, the bases are juiced (which would cause your first baseman to be behind the runner) and you need to do something to help him get out of the inning.  In college, my first baseman (Todd Wodraska, now Vice-Mayor of Jupiter, Florida...And one of the best first basemen I ever played with) and I could look at one another and "just know" when he would creep in behind the runner to set up the pick.  However, if you don't possess this higher level of communication, a simple "open glove" sign from the first baseman, followed by a rub of the cleat by the catcher should do the trick.

The second thing you should look for is you should identify the "slowest" guy on the team (meaning, more often than not, he is a poor baserunner) and the "fastest" guy on the team (meaning, he'll take chances trying to get a big jump) immediately.  Both of these types are excellent candidates for a pick, and should be noted by the catcher and first basemen as possible targets.  Normal, middle-of-the-road type runners are usually very conservative on the basepaths and as a result, very hard to pick.

And the third and perhaps most important thing you should look for (pay attention:  this is more advanced, professional type instruction) is a "Bunt and Miss", or a "Swing and Miss" with a Left Handed Hitter at the plate.  In these two situations, the baserunner will "lean" setting up the quick pick from behind the hitter due to the fact his sightline of the catcher will be blocked by the hitter at the plate.  This situation, (with respect to the score, the inning, the dominance (or lack thereof) of your pitcher) is the perfect situation for a pick.  And both Catcher and First Baseman should anticipate the moment, and once it happens, "carpe diem" or "Seize the day!" and pick that runner off!

Monday, January 25, 2010

When should my son begin to throw a curveball?

This morning, a reader asked me, "when should their son begin to throw a curveball?"  The kid in question is 14, and had just attended a pitching clinic in which he was taught how to throw a breaking ball correctly.  As a result, his Dad wanted to know, "did I feel he was ready to begin throwing this pitch regularly or should he wait until a later age?"

My general rule on when to begin learning a breaking ball is based on the physical maturity of the youth. And the basic rule is "if they are shaving, they can learn and throw a breaking ball."

However, I'm a much bigger fan of the slider or a cutter (which is a pitch with an arm action very similar to the fastball) rather than the curve (which puts a lot of torque on the elbow.)  But if you/he do decide to begin working on a breaking ball, bear in mind, I recommend he only throw it with two strikes for now (that way, he will continue to develop his fastball/change early in the count), or bookend it (meaning throw it as the first pitch and last pitch to their best hitters).  This way, he can learn the breaking ball successfully, pitch well, and still continue to develop his fastball (extremely important to long-term development) and his change-up.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

The ABCA Convention in Dallas, TX.

Here's a clip from the ABCA Convention in Dallas, TX with Terry Pendleton signing autographs and speaking with other coaches about the features and benefits of the Pitcher's Nightmare Swing Trainer!

http://sharing.theflip.com/session/33f661a3d48660b510fd07340f7c6ba2/video/9218014

Check it out and be the next to add the PNST to your team's pre-season hitting workouts!