Thursday, May 26, 2016

Are you pitching in the "present" or the "future"?

A focus on your foot placements keeps you in the present.

Before we explore your "footwork", let's talk about pitching in the "past" and "future".
Pitching in the Past 
Being in the "past" – You're pitching in the past when you say to yourself “I need to adjust my arm slot.”  Observation and Interpretation - You missed your last pitch high and left.  You need to do something to get your next pitch back to my target. You're pitching in the past, not in the present.
You have as much control over your next pitch as you did your last.  What are you going to do to get your next pitch back to your target?  Are you going to use your last pitch to guide what you’re going to try to do with your next pitch?
You're pitching in the past, not in the present.
The Solution – To pitch in the present, you condition your “subconscious” to generate the consistent movements that make a naturally productive result more likely than not.
Pitching in the Future 
A “future” example – When you say to yourself “This hitter is really good.”, you're pitching in the future.
Observation and interpretation – When you think about adjustments you have to make on your next pitch, you're pitching in the future.
You have no control over your results.  What kind of plan to you have to make a quality next pitch?  What are you going to do get your next pitch to break extremely close to the plate?  No matter your grip or release, how are you going to show the hitter a fastball arm speed? Having no control over you results forces to you pitch in the future.
The Solution - To pitch in the present, you condition your “subconscious” to generate the consistent movements that make a naturally productive result more likely than not.
Lesson learned – Pitching in the “past” or “future” forces you to not only compete with yourself, but compete with your opponent as well? 

Heck, competing against the opposition is hard enough.  Why compound the issue by competing against yourself?

A focus on your foot placement before your lift your front foot off the ground is simple.  Not only does your foot placements keep you in the present, but your foot placements automatically produce Tommy John-resistant, dominant fastball command.

Ask me to help you with your footwork.

L.A. "Skip" Fast
Independent Major League Pitching Coach
Pro Pitching Institute 
856-524-3248



“My simple, yet extremely powerful, business rule: fix it once and move on!”


Sunday, May 22, 2016

Is your current motion a Tommy John risk?

Your current pitching motion makes you a Tommy John risk, but comes with an upside.

What makes me feel you're at risk for a Tommy John procedure?
Your current delivery produces many acceptable results, but even occasionally seeing any one of these 3 warning signs not only make you a Tommy John risk, but point to solutions that'll make you competitive advantage at the highest levels.

  1. You “rush” your deliver.- “Rushing” is your body's unhealthy adjustment to your throwing arm not being available to instantly respond to your “stride”.
  2. You change your arm slot. - Changing your arm slot is the unhealthy conflict between your mind demanding to have your throwing hand move through a healthy arm slot and your drive to make your arm slot produce more acceptable results.
  3. You miss your target outside your catcher's body much too often. – You’re missing your target outside your catcher’s body comes from the unhealthy conflict between your naturally healthy and naturally unhealthy arm slots.

What causes throwing arm injuries?
Throwing arm injuries come from the repetitive actions that cause small throwing arm ligament tears and fraying.

What does a healthy throwing arm action look like?
Every time you make a throwing action without consciously aiming at a target, your energy naturally flows from your lower body, up your core and into/out of your throwing hand.

How does something so simple have such grave consequences?
Simply put, you become a Tommy John risk when your naturally healthy release window fails to consistently find your target.

What do you do to make your command more acceptable?
You simply keep your current pitching motion intact and then change your outcomes by changing your arm slot.

Is changing your arm slot to change your pitching outcomes healthy?
Absolutely not!
 
When you begin your motion in the same way, to make sure you stay healthy and without concern for your results, your body wants to channel your energy from your lower body, up your core and out your throwing hand.
But wait, when you change your arm slot to improve your results, you redirect your natural energy flow away from your throwing hand. When you simply change your arm slot, your energy stops in your throwing elbow and creates the small ligament tears and fraying that typically make you a Tommy John risk.


What's the solution?
Your solution is a win-win proposition
...
your solution is the dominant fastball command that give
s you absolutely no reason to
change your naturally healthy, total spontaneous and extrem
ely effective energy flow.
Your solution is a win-win proposition
...
your solution is the dominant fastball command that give
s you absolutely no reason to
change your naturally healthy, total spontaneous and extrem
ely effective energy flow.
Your solution is a win-win proposition … your solution is the sustainable fastball command that gives you absolutely no reason to change your naturally healthy, total spontaneous and extremely efficient energy flow.

How do you do this?
Without having to change your current throwing action, we spend a few minutes together to address and resolve the disruptive actions creating your naturally unhealthy energy flow.

L.A. "Skip" Fast
Independent Major League Pitching Coach
Pro Pitching Institute 
856-524-3248



“My simple, yet extremely powerful, business rule: fix it once and move on!”