By Dr. John A. Bagonzi
Dr. John A. Bagonzi is a former pitcher in the Boston Red Sox organization, current director of the Championship Pitching Camp, and author of The Act of Pitching, published by Hedgehog Hill Press. Visit his Web site at www.pitchingprofessor.com.
Coaching Management, 9.6, September 2001, http://www.momentummedia.com/articles/cm/cm0906/control.htm
There is no skill more essential to pitching than control. While kids dream of posting high numbers on the radar guns and blowing heaters past overwhelmed batters, pitchers who can consistently put the ball exactly where they want it have much more success than those who simply rear back and throw.
Controlling the flight of the thrown ball, however, is one of the most elusive and temperamental qualities in successful pitching. Once control has been mastered, even to the point of succeeding in the big leagues, it still remains ephemeral--as exemplified by former Pirates pitcher Steve Blass and current Cardinal hurler Rick Ankiel, who both suddenly lost their ability to throw strikes.
Fortunately, control may also be one of the most coachable aspects of pitching. Speed is often limited by a pitcher's physical qualities, but it's the rare pitcher who cannot improve his control. In this article, I'll address the components of developing control--mental and physical--and offer some advice and drills coaches can use to refine this skill in their pitchers.
Mastering Mechanics
A discussion of control has little meaning if the pitcher is not devoted to mastering his mechanics. No one set of mechanics works for all pitchters, but proper mechanics must be sound, fit the pitcher's anatomy and produce energy flow as well as comfort and accuracy. To say that "mechanics are everything" is not an overstatement. Only after the mechanics are strong and the delivery of the pitch consistent can a pitcher then begin to think of ways in which he can enhance his control.
One of the bedrock of good mechanics is alignment. When a pitcher is having difficulty hitting his spots, proper alignment is often the culprit. Throughout the entire delivery, it is important to keep the body pointed at the target. Here are a couple of approaches to help develop and maintain proper alignment.
The "All Eyes Forward" Drill: In aligning himself at the point of making the pitch, it helps if the pitcher's front shoulder, lead hip, the outside of the bent lead knee, and the chin are all pointed directly to the target. This centers his body and brings the essential focal points together at the critical delivery juncture. Using the concept of an imaginary eyeball in the off, or lead, shoulder, and also in the lead hip and knee, the pitcher is able to concentrate these vital points as though they were actually extra eyes. The chin should always be pointed at the target--and the front foot should always be pointing to the plate, albeit from a partially closed position when landing or touching down.
To help clarify this for the pitcher having trouble with this concept, coaches can temporarily place an image representing an eyeball on those areas that are a challenge to align, typically the shoulder and the hip, and explain that the pitcher needs to point his "eyes" to the target.
Balance and timing are also mechanical foundations of consistent successful pitching. Good balance and body control allow the pitcher to transfer weight at the time of delivery. The use of the off arm to accelerate the shoulder and promote balance is a must. However, off-arm movements must be as compact as possible.
Rushing is another big problem for pitchers, and it can affect mechanics quicker than any other factor. A rusher usually throws the ball high--the front shoulder flies open, the knee gets way ahead, and the body opens up before he touches down. In effect, he is throwing the ball uphill. To overcome this, when the striding foot plants, the throwing arm has to be on top to ensure proper timing. Then, if the hurler reaches forward for the release point, finishes the pitch, and gives it an ending, there should be a consistent delivery.
The Mental Part
Throwing a baseball to a precise target 60'6" away is always a demanding task. But once fear or hesitation enters into the equation, it can be downright impossible. Therefore, it's key for coaches to help their pitchers deal with fear in a positive way, rather than harping on past failures. It's important to not give fear any additional energy; rather, pitchers must learn to transfer that energy into a useful and powerful performance tool.
The focus for any coach should be to keep players from developing a negative outlook, where they see themselves doing something wrong. If a pitcher tells me he's fearful of making a mistake, I'll say: "You're afraid? Fine, so is everyone else. It's part of being human. Take that fear and use it." This approach is liable to make him throw the ball harder or give him a shot of adrenaline.
One of the best tools to combat fear is experience. Unfortunately, experience cannot be taught and learned, it can only be obtained. While obtaining experience, confidence and a positive attitude can be used to fight fear.
Confidence can be external or a quiet type of inner strength. And one way coaches can help pitchers build confidence is to start small by getting them to believe in things like their physical and nutritional habits, strength training programs, and sleep habits. Confidence in one's mental approach, agenda, game plan, and goals creates a system of motivation that can be consistent and advantageous over a period of time.
Confidence also breeds the ability to make quick decisions. "Grabbing the bull by the horns" is a modus operandi in itself. In competition, where hesitation is a severe detriment, the ability to quickly synthesize and execute is a priceless talent and very much related to success.
But confidence and a positive attitude on the mound are more than simply personal attributes. They are skills that can be taught, just like covering first base or backing up at the plate. They may be latent talents for some, and they need to be refined and practiced, but these two drills can help:
Active Visualization: The system of actively visualizing oneself throwing a pitch effectively is an art in itself. Top performers do this both knowingly and unknowingly. The drill is to have the pitcher see himself in his mind's eye executing a well-thrown pitch complete with rotations and location. Essentially, this provides the vicarious experience of completing a successful delivery. The pursuit of this phenomenon is a practical skill that helps develop the dexterity and craftsmanship necessary to deliver a high-quality pitch. And, it can become a habitual process once the individual masters the mental art of visualization.
When I'm teaching at pitching camps, I line up all the kids and tell them to mentally picture themselves throwing a strike on the outside corner of the plate. Then, they'll throw to their partners, and I'll tell them to see how close the ball actually comes to where they pictured it. They don't all do it successfully at first, but as they start developing a tendency toward visualization, it becomes a powerful learning agent.
Coaches don't have to harp on visualization in the same terms every day. They can encourage pitchers to see themselves making the perfect stride during their pitch or see the ball hitting the catcher's mitt. I'm convinced that if a pitcher sees himself throwing a ball where he wants, the chances of it happening are much greater. That's what active visualization is all about.
The Idea of the Funnel: Seeing one's self throwing into a large funnel with the end pointing right where the mitt is located is a vital part of the active visualization process. This is a drill that should be done everyday, especially with younger pitchers. Besides seeing the funnel point toward the mitt, pitchers can also imagine moving the funnel around to whatever targets they chose around the plate.
Muscle Memory
Along with using repeated visualization to gain a mental edge, physical repetition techniques can also work as a "muscle memory" tool.
To better understand this concept, consider this: If a pitcher actively visualizes himself throwing a strike at a designated part of the strike zone, it will undoubtedly become part of his system rather than something that needs to be consciously summoned.
Likewise, when the lead arm action is in sync with the throwing arm action as a result of proper hand break and timing, and moving forward to a good landing, then a muscle memory system is developed that can be depended on. It is this muscle memory, helped by with active visualization, that can create outstanding control. But muscle memory only results when correct movements are fortified by repetition with large doses of purposeful intent. Here are two means of honing muscle memory:
Concentric Rectangles: A concept I often use to teach control is to hang a canvas over a wall mat in a gym. The canvas should have painted upon it a series of concentric rectangles. This can be done with spray paint or different colored tapes. Values can be placed at each corner and at each line. A dividing line can be placed on the canvas in the middle to designate low and high zones.
Have the pitcher try to score a certain number of points, say 25, in a limited number of pitches, say 10. I find that pitchers are very competitive and like any game that has a numerical goal to it.
The Multicolored Plate: Take a home plate shape and divide is into colored regions that get more narrow as you move away from the center of the plate. Next, assign each section a color with a corresponding numerical value. For instance, black is 4, green is 3, yellow is 2, red is 1, Place the plate on the ground, and have whoever is catching call out the number he scores as each pitch crosses a colored area. Again, games are to 25 with 10 pitches being the limit in arriving at a score. You can also use a plate with only three colored zones, if you prefer.
Putting it all Together
Without control, a pitcher is really doing nothing more than throwing balls towards the plate. Additionally, throwing without a specific target in mind, which is what many pitchers do during practice and warm-ups, does nothing to help control. Throwing to a specific target is always more useful than just throwing because it forces pitchers to combine the mental and physical skills that create control.
Thus, one of the best ways to help a pitcher develop control is to make him work on it every time he throws a pitch. By emphasizing the importance of control on every pitch, from throwing preseason batting practice to a 3-2 count with the bases loaded, coaches can ensure that their pitchers are indeed pitchers, and not just throwers.