Your Best Pitching Performance?

I have been instructing pitchers now for almost ten years. I have come to learn my students pretty well and have observed how even the best students do not push themselves to their fullest potential every day. There is so much more to give; human potential is limitless.

Let me give you a quick example. Once a student is “fully” warmed up it is necessary to ensure that they are really throwing 100%; giving it all they have. Yes, bullpens are usually used to “feel how to pitch” meaning you can throw 70%-75% of max to ensure your mechanics are up to par and you “feel” each pitch leave your hand properly. However, there comes a time, like the last 10-15 throws, you give everything you can muster with proper mechanics in mind.

Often times students will tell me they just gave 100% on their last pitch; half the time I call bull. I will ask them questions like “what about your stride length?” To me it looks like you can add 2 more inches. What about your explosiveness to foot strike? To me it looks like you could have gotten a split second quicker. What do you think? Then they really start thinking and dig deep, did I really give 100%?; everything I had into that pitch? They also start asking themselves the right questions like, was I balanced when I threw that? Was my equal and opposite in check? Hey Gazaway, will you film me on this one?, I’m going to give all I have this time; I just want to see if my mechanics are in check when I do this. That is what I like to hear.

My point is we can always dig deeper and find more strength if we want something bad enough. We have to keep pushing and make small improvements “everyday” to become great at whatever it is we want to accomplish.

What about you? Are you really giving 100% effort each time you workout? Really? Each crucial conversation with your coach? Each pitch? I guarantee you will take your game to the next level if you continue to question your ability to push a bit harder each day. Dig down deep and commit right now to give 100% effort in each throwing session, workout, conversation etc.

Also, we just got word from our video guy that the final draft of our new pitching dvd’s are on the way for us to finalize. If things look good, we’ll be sending them off for printing next week. It’s our best stuff yet; I mean some serious instruction (somewhere in the ballpark of 5-6 hours of teaching). It will definitely help you get to the next level if you choose to push yourself.