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By: Adam Sarancik Author of: Coaching Champions for Life Effective pitching is essential to winning championships. Throwing a baseball from an elevated mound across a 17" plate with velocity and command is one of the most difficult things to do in sports. The strike zone is theoretically an objectively defined space, but in reality, it is a very subjective target in the eyes of umpires game-to-game and sometimes inning-to-inning. Many hitters today are so strong that they can make much less than 100% contact with a pitch and still hit a home run. Therefore, pitchers must continue to improve to succeed. But is it always appropriate to make a change even when they theoretically need it? The temptation to offer advice to pitchers is almost unavoidable. For many coaches, they must win and must win now. The internet has made access to all types of resources easily accessible. The advances in technology have given coaches the ability to micro-analyze every movement of every body part from every possible angle. So my first bit of advice is very simple. Be prepared to give good advice before giving it. Do your homework by receiving education and training from credible resources. Know when and how to use and not use technology. However, do not be dissuaded from giving advice even though you are not yet well-versed in using technology and data analytics. There remains many other ways to improve your pitchers, physically and mentally, until you are comfortable using those methods. I approach almost all issues in coaching from a person-athlete-player perspective. This issue is no different. The right time to make a change to help a pitcher is when you have established a relationship with the person so they are willing to listen to you and trust what you have to say. They must have a teachable spirit - they must be open to making a change and to working hard to effectuate it. They must have a growth mindset, i.e., an understanding that while growth is possible, not all improvement is in a straight line and failure is a natural and essential part of growth. "Masters have failed more often than the average competitor has tried." Most knowledgeable coaches now agree that there are many different pitching styles and deliveries that can be successful. I think the step most often overlooked in determining whether a pitcher needs to make a mechanical change is an assessment of the pitcher's athleticism. Does the pitcher's delivery look fluid and easy with his lower and upper body sequentially in sync? If so, and if he can throw strikes, I would be very hesitant to make a mechanical change. If not, the solution to the issues are probably best addressed off the mound to improve the athlete's mobility, flexibility, stability and/or their ability to apply and effectuate power efficiently and quickly. It is only after earning the trust of the person and properly assessing and training the athlete should a coach consider making a change to the player-pitcher. When considering whether to make a change, one of the most important issues is time. What time of year would you make the change and how much time does the pitcher have to accomplish it? As with any athlete, confidence is paramount. A very young pitcher may be best left alone so he can just continue success and gain more confidence in his ability. An older pitcher may need changes, but making significant ones during the season could not only lead to bad results, but to injury too. In that case, it might be best to work on the mental and emotional aspects of pitching and just have the pitcher continue "pitching to his strengths". When evaluating a pitcher's stuff, I think one important tool that coaches often overlook is standing in against the pitcher. Good coaches know that a pitcher's motion and delivery needs to be analyzed, by the naked eye and by technology, from every possible angle, but how many actually stand in to see what a hitter sees in real time? Hitters say it all the time, "90 mph on the radar gun looks like 95 mph out of his hand." Be sure you and your best hitters stand in from both sides of the plate before making a mechanical change to a pitcher.
Adam Sarancik is the author of three Amazon Top 100 Best Selling books:
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When Is Making a Change to a Pitcher’s Delivery Appropriate?
