Expert: John Priest - 2/1/2009

Question
My son is 12 yrs old and he is on the 7th & 8th grade school team. He has always played ss, 2nd, and pitched. He is having a problem with his distance and strength of his throws. It's almost like he is opening his self up to much before he throws if that makes sense. On the field he makes it look like the ball is super heavy but at home he throws strong, flat on the line throws. We have started long toss but I'm wondering if it's a bad habit or nerves in front of the older boys and new coach. We have been also working over and over with fielding the ball and coming up to make the throw. If he is opening to wide(kinda looks like he's leaning back to throw) throwing the ball what can we do to fix it? Thanks so much!

Answer
Paula,

It may be nerves or bad habits in front of the older players and coach.  Your son may be trying to put more on a throw that he may not think he can make.  The best solution is to see a pitching coach.  Not to become a pitcher but to learn the proper throwing mechanics and to prevent any injury.   Long toss is a great choice to get the arm stronger but proper mechanics are just as important.  Your son is getting to the age were players start to understand their body and how it works when hitting and throwing.  He will start to realize that strong throws and powerful hitting comes from the legs and not the arms.  Opening up too soon makes a thrower use the arm too much and puts strain on the shoulder and elbow joint.  This is why seeing a pitching instructor is very important in order to prevent any injury and to become stronger and more accurate.  

Let me know if I can help with anything else.
Thank You,
John Priest