Expert: John McInnis - 3/30/2004

Question
I have a son who is 11. He is a good solid baseball player. Hard knocker, good arm, real good thinker when it comes to playing the game. He is 11 and is good enough to play on a 12 year traveling team. He wants to be a pitcher and does pitch. But it's either feast or you know look out.
He pitched in a tournament and pitch a 2 hitter. But 3 days later could not even hit the backstop. He has a strong arm and when he throws from 3rd to 1st base he is money. But when he pitches he can't seem to find the location. I love my son and like all fathers I think he is the best and he does do a lot of thing right on the field and is the kid everone wants. But he is moving into the age when accuracy and location is becoming very important. Is there something I can do to help besides setting on a bucket with a catchers mitt for a hours at a time. Thank you.

Answer
Dear Proud Father,

Yes there is something you can do...continue to encourage him and practice his arm. HOWEVER...I'd be very careful in allowing him to pitch with older kids.  Its important that he keep to his age level.  The distances are greater and the pitches are harder and faster.  A fastball is not enough as they get older.  I've seen kids burn out their arm early in the season and that, as they say, is that.

Take him along slowly. He has to gain strength in his arm.  The tournament example tells me he needs more conditioning.  There is a reason why good coaches don't use just one pithcer per game.  Especially younger kids.  Curve balls and sinkers are tough on the younger kids.  I won't let a child under 14 throw either.  A good fastball and a change-up is all I ask for 11 to 12 year olds.

Working on accuracy is easy.  Set up an old blanket in the back yard on the clothesline an cut out the appropriate strike zone rectangle.  Then pace off the distance that your son must pitch from.  You could peg down the blanket using tent pegs and rope.  Then have him fire away! Always use the exact baseball size that is regulated for his age.  It always helps to have someone standing at the plate with a bat.  If your good at sewing, sew in a pocket to catch the balls!  But accuracy comes with practice and patience.

Make sure his mechanics are sound.  Balance is very important and to test this, tell him to FREEZE at certain points of his throw.  He should be strong enough to freeze and hold it for a few seconds.  A good exercise is to raise the motion leg to knee height and hold it for the count of 10 (repeat this 10 times).

Check his grip.  Teach him a couple of grips and have him practice this often.  Use the seams and cross the small seams are the two I suggest for 11 year olds.

During game, keep the arm warm. Hang a coat over it.  A never, ever pitch hard BEFORE the game.  I had a pitcher once warm up at his friends house before a crucial game.  He ended up throwing his arm out.  

Best of luck with your son; relax and watch the fun.  So long as he has motivation, skill and support, he'll do fine.

Yours in baseball,

JohnMc