Expert: Jack Elliott - 4/24/2009

Question
QUESTION: My son is now 14 he is a natural abdexdrious thrower and switch hitter as well. All coaches he has had in rec.ball and travel ball only want him to pitch lefty and bats rt. I believe he one that would to well with pitching both arms and feel this would be a great oppurtunity for any high sch. and for the Pro's. Why so much resistance and what can I do for my son wose dream is to be drafted from high school. He is pitching lft. at about 72mph and will be going into 8th grade next year. Please Help!! Thank You Sicerely Lori

ANSWER: Hi Lori,

I think it is great that you are taking an active interest in your son's baseball training.  The reason for the resistance is probably due to two things (1) ambidextrous pitchers are very rare and so this goes against many coaches comfort levels as they are unsure how to use or even coach such players and (2) the coaches may strongly believe that he will be better suited on focusing throwing one way or the other.  This can be due to the increased practice time demands of practicing pitching with both hands or visually seeing better performance in practice.

With all this said, I don't see any reason why your son should feel he needs to choose right now to throw one way or the other.  Generally, there will be an emphasis to have him throw more left handed because left handed pitchers are more rare and are normally more difficult to hit against.  The result is a left-handed pitcher can normally get away with throwing a fastball that is about 5 miles slower than a right hander because of the different angle.  

At this point in time, it is very difficult to see how much your son will develop in terms of pitching velocity.  However, most scouts will be looking for a fastball in the upper 80s.  In order to get to that speed, I will give you some suggestions although genetics will play a strong role in how much he can truly improve:

1.  Get some top quality pitching lessons.  Have your son take some pitching lessons from a pitching instructor in your area that has experience coaching college and professional pitchers.  The good coaches can show your son areas where he can improve his mechanics allowing him the opportunity to improve control and balance and potentially velocity on his fastball.

2.  Have him start a weight training program designed for pitchers.  A solid weight training program that is designed for college or MLB pitchers can help get his body in the right physical shape.  I personally saw my own fastball increase about 10mph based on such a program.  I used a program by Tom House, but there are a number of top programs out there.

3.  Throw weighted baseballs.  You can purchase weighted baseballs to practice throwing with for your son.  The baseballs are both slightly heavier and lighter than a baseball and adhere to scientific principles of plyometrics.  This science basically teaches the fast twitch muscles in the arm to respond faster resulting in a pitcher being able to throw the ball faster.

4.  Practice long toss.  Your son is probably already aware of this drill.  However, it is essentially done to help build up the strength in his arm which can result in improved speeds.  This drill is performed by playing catch and gradually making the distance farther apart to the point where you can no longer throw the ball in the air to the person or backstop.

The above are the most common steps recommended for improving velocity.  With regard to your son practicing throwing with both arms, he should just recognize that he will have to practice more than a regular pitcher.  However, if he does not see this as a burden and is not getting burned out by it, there is no reason why he cannot continue.  

One person you may want to have your son consider writing to is a current ambidextrous pitcher, Pat Venditte who is currently with the Class-A Staten Island Yankees.  He may be able to give some more insight on how his specific experience is going and what he might suggest to your son.  Here, is some contact information you could consider in helping get a hold of him:  

Staten Island Yankees
Richmond County Bank Ballpark
75 Richmond Terrace
Staten Island, NY 10301
(718) 720-9265
(718) 273-5763 (fax)

Box Office: (718) 720-9265
General questions for or about the Staten Island Yankees can be sent to siyanks@siyanks.com

Hope the above helps you, good luck to you and your son in the upcoming season.

Best,
Jack Elliott
http://www.baseballtrainingtechniques.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I have been in with Pat on Facebook Thats how I was able to get my son's ambidrextious Glove. He's not much on talking about how he has achieved his success. He does have my e-mail and asked he stay in touch. The info I recieved from you was great. Thanks Lori

Answer
Glad to hear that you found the information useful.  I would also definitely take Pat up on his offer to have your son keep in touch with him.  I think he could truly be a positive source of information and help for your son.

Best,
Jack Elliott
http://www.baseballtrainingtechniques.com