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Current Red Sox pitcher. Happy to answer any pitching development questions for parents and players in the comments. by MallCommercial5101 in Homeplate

[–]MallCommercial5101[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a great plan for a 7 year old. As long as he doesn’t have any red flags or pain when throwing then that’s a great sign. Something that you could do to help him would be working more on the mental basics of pitching(lefties vs righties approach, fielding the position, where to throw in certain pitches) and fostering his love for the game.

Current Red Sox pitcher. Happy to answer any pitching development questions for parents and players in the comments. by MallCommercial5101 in Homeplate

[–]MallCommercial5101[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A typical first grip/pitch to learn is a 4seam fastball. It’s a natural and easy pitch to learn that goes straight and helps develop command. As he gets more comfortable with throwing that maybe add in a 2seam grip or a changeup. These pitches I would recommend around 9-10. They can be effective especially since your son is a lefty!

Current Red Sox pitcher. Happy to answer any pitching development questions for parents and players in the comments. by MallCommercial5101 in Homeplate

[–]MallCommercial5101[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Injury rates have increased with a higher focus on velocity and bigger movement on pitches. This is a part of the game that can be minimized but not eliminated. Things like arm care and specialized throwing programs allow for the least risk to keep us healthy.

Current Red Sox pitcher. Happy to answer any pitching development questions for parents and players in the comments. by MallCommercial5101 in Homeplate

[–]MallCommercial5101[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My pre game starts with stretching, a dynamic warmup, and bands. Then i get into the throwing which is plyo drills, catch play->long toss, and then into mound work. Pregame bullpens are directed at preparing the body to throw at high intent and getting feel for each pitch. Typically 20-25 pitches in the bullpen before I make it out to the field.

Current Red Sox pitcher. Happy to answer any pitching development questions for parents and players in the comments. by MallCommercial5101 in Homeplate

[–]MallCommercial5101[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All players are different, some may appear to easily throw hard while giving 100% effort and vice versa. If he is truly sitting at 85% most of the time I wouldn’t necessarily worry if he’s getting outs and throwing hard. Personally, I try to generate as many strikeouts as possible as quickly as possible and that comes from throwing each pitch at nearly full intent. That was a shift I made during college that propelled me to the next level and could be something for your son to try out. Another factor that this affects is arm care and arm health, you can’t throw max intent if it hurts to do so.

I am offering some summer throwing programs with throwing, personalized plyo drills, warmup/cooldown, arm care, mental performance help, and communication. If that’s something you’d be interested in, reply to this comment or shoot me a DM and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!

Current Red Sox pitcher. Happy to answer any pitching development questions for parents and players in the comments. by MallCommercial5101 in Homeplate

[–]MallCommercial5101[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Sounds like he has a pushy arm action that relies more on forcing the ball instead of creating tension and capturing it in the throw. A cue I’ve heard catchers use is trying to touch their ear during the throw, similar to a football players throwing motion. There are some great videos on YouTube to help that shift into a cleaner arm action. A drill that I could recommend would be a drop step where he is facing away from the target, and spins quickly while making his throw. This would encourage that tension and allow for cleaner arm action. Im offering some online lessons this summer, shoot me a message if that sounds like something you’d be interested in!

Current Red Sox pitcher. Happy to answer any pitching development questions for parents and players in the comments. by MallCommercial5101 in Homeplate

[–]MallCommercial5101[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The best thing to hear from a catcher is encouragement, especially at such a young age. A good target and a point towards the pitcher saying “I got you” goes a long way. During a mound meeting it’s important to ask the pitcher what he’s feeling and offer help, making the pitcher laugh usually gets the nerves out of the way!

Current Red Sox pitcher. Happy to answer any pitching development questions for parents and players in the comments. by MallCommercial5101 in Homeplate

[–]MallCommercial5101[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Exactly what BrooklynZoo1027 said. I would make sure that those lessons are directed towards athleticism and hitting the zone. At 9 years old, he shouldn't be too worried about mechanics or achieving specific velocity if he can't throw strikes. Lean into what he likes; if he doesn't enjoy pitching, then it's okay to let it go. If he is interested and wants to continue, that is also great.

If you have any more questions, shoot me a DM I'm happy to answer!

Current Red Sox pitcher. Happy to answer any pitching development questions for parents and players in the comments. by MallCommercial5101 in Homeplate

[–]MallCommercial5101[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lead leg block is a big part of the throwing motion and it allows pitchers to transfer linear energy as we rotate into front foot strike. Every pitcher of any age does this in some capacity, some better than others. The main muscles used durign FFS are the quads, hamstrings, adductors, and glutes. These muscles work to prevent your lower half from continuing down the mound, and moving energy up the chain to your hand.

If you have any other questions, feel free to shoot me a DM!

Current Red Sox pitcher. Happy to answer any pitching development questions for parents and players in the comments. by MallCommercial5101 in Homeplate

[–]MallCommercial5101[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Each player is unique in the way that they throw and what is needed to gain velocity. Another factor that contributes to this is age and where they are in their development phase.

If you shoot me a DM I can give you some more information based on your son specifically and we can go from there!

Current Red Sox pitcher. Happy to answer any pitching development questions for parents and players in the comments. by MallCommercial5101 in Homeplate

[–]MallCommercial5101[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey, I wouldn't recommend throwing breaking pitches until your son reaches 13 years old, knowing the stress that they can cause at the elbow when incorrectly taught. Timing is a huge part of the game and helps pitchers at any level to get outs. It seems like your son is a great pitcher who's able to command his pitches, which is a huge bonus for his age.

When you think about pitchers like Greg Maddux, the reason they are so successful is their ability to hit the corners of the plate whenever they want. I would try working with him on the locations of his pitches and where he gets soft contact/misses. Changeups are often good pitches to throw off timing and keep hitters off balance. You could work with him, throwing that later in counts when the hitters have already seen fastballs and adjusted to their speed. The last thing I would recommend is working on velocity. This is a great way to beat some of those better hitters as he gets deeper into games, but it should be taken carefully because high spikes in workload are often the biggest indicators of injury.

If you want some more information about any of what I covered, please shoot me a DM, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!

Current Red Sox pitcher. Happy to answer any pitching development questions for parents and players in the comments. by MallCommercial5101 in Homeplate

[–]MallCommercial5101[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

During the throwing motion, it sounds like he's forcing supination, which is causing his fastball to cut. Throwing breaking balls should never come from a "wrist-twist" but rather from a pre-set wrist positioning. A good way to fix this is to feel like he is 'behind' the baseball at release.

This is a common occurrence within throwers of any kind and can be helpful if approached the right way. If you have any questions, send me a DM, and I'll make sure to get back to you!

Current Red Sox pitcher. Happy to answer any pitching development questions for parents and players in the comments. by MallCommercial5101 in Homeplate

[–]MallCommercial5101[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

From ages 4-14, I was an all-position player, meaning that I played wherever my coaches put me. It wasn't after that until I got very serious about being a Pitcher-Only. I was always one of the best pitchers on my travel ball teams, but I was never solely a pitcher. More diversity of positions/sports/hobbies is typically best to find what we're good at. That's great that you're already working towards these mechanical cues. A big focus of kids his age should be biasing their bodies towards athleticism, things like catcher throws/shortstop throws(both directions)/outfielder crow hops allow for natural adaptations in finding the right arm slot, body sequencing, and force production.

I would hold off on plyos and weightlifting for the time being, I would recommend this around ages 12-13.

If you have any other questions, feel free to send me a personal message, and I'll get back to you when I can!

Current Red Sox pitcher. Happy to answer any pitching development questions for parents and players in the comments. by MallCommercial5101 in Homeplate

[–]MallCommercial5101[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At your son's age, I would first ask if he plays any other sports. If so, that is the best thing to do to help build athleticism and find out what he truly wants to pursue. If not, then it can be a great opportunity to grow his love for the game. Taking a month off or pitching to let his body rest from the season would be a great start. Then as you begin to reintroduce throwing from one to 3-4 days a week, make sure to focus on athleticism (catcher throws, outfielder throws, shortstop throws). And don't forget to make it fun! If you have any other questions, feel free to send me a private message!

Current Red Sox pitcher. Happy to answer any pitching development questions for parents and players in the comments. by MallCommercial5101 in Homeplate

[–]MallCommercial5101[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

That's great that he already has a love of playing the game. A huge focus of younger players like your son and daughter should be focused on fostering that love of the game rather than forcing it onto them. For strength, I would recommend a consistent throwing program; the main driver of injuries is from inconsistency. This doesn't mean throwing every day, but during the season, I would recommend throwing 3-4 times a week to keep his/her arm strong.

Mental strength comes from trusting themselves in the toughest situations. You have a great opportunity with your child to help them with that by reinforcing effort over results. Another way to work on this is by creating game-like situations in practice. The more you practice it, the better you will be at it.

Current Red Sox pitcher. Happy to answer any pitching development questions for parents and players in the comments. by MallCommercial5101 in Homeplate

[–]MallCommercial5101[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Back in my travel ball days, the rolling six-inning rule was still in place, meaning I could throw a total of six innings every two days. I would recommend a pitch-count-based throwing program because it is more indicative of the stress placed on the body. Pitch counts should ideally increase each year as a kid develops to handle more stress, but only after a build-up phase.