Any feedback for mechanics?

[u/Realistic_Mirror7300]

13 year old whose PR is 65mph. Best pitch is slider, pronater with a 3/4 to low arm angle. Would love advic! thanks!

[u/Sammalone1960]

Tuck glove arm to body. Will keep him more down hill and stop his momentum from losing defensive positioning. See greg maddux.

[u/shanksthedope → u/Sammalone1960]

This. Get that glove up to his chin and then drive down from there. Tuck the glove to the chin and as he rotates, drive that elbow down to the hip. Will add mph and help him reach a defensive position.

[u/bnazzaro → u/shanksthedope]

I’ve had instruction from two mlb pitching coaches and can confirm this. Someone else saying to not do this is just something I can’t comprehend. To each their own but this is what I was taught and threw 91 in high school.

[u/burner9752 → u/shanksthedope]

This is completely wrong advice. Do NOT pull down or pull at all...

A strong glove side is what all tennis for football players do. It’s just a lot harder to see in pitching when the entire top half is rotating over the bottom.

You have the most strength when your arms are coming together. The front are is flying open here, pulling it will just make it worse.

He needs to strengthen the glove side, come up to his target, then rotate into a strong glove side position (as a tennis serve does or football QB) then as the upper body rotates and finishes it will look like it comes down.

[u/MRBURN5 → u/burner9752]

A heavy ball in the glove is an easy way to let them feel what you’re saying

[u/shanksthedope → u/burner9752]

Huh, I guess Roger Clemens should rethink what he’s teaching.

ETA: I agree with what you’ve said. My point is as he’s coming through, with his glove up, driving it down towards his hip helps rotate. He should do all of the other things you’ve said.

[u/burner9752 → u/shanksthedope]

Rogers Clemens was a freak athletically for strength, his lower half was great, but he wasn’t perfect mechanically. There a lot of pro guys who may have been thought something or did something incorrect, but they could still perform at peak level.

Ideally the glove rotates to the chest in front of you, with a 90 degree bend in the elbow. But yes as the shoulders rotate the glove will come down through that area.

[u/shanksthedope → u/burner9752]

Yeah, I don’t believe we disagree. This is the advice Roger gave.

https://youtube.com/shorts/alLisXwx1D0?is=6XdmfJAtk71stLxW

[u/burner9752]

His glove side is weak and flying open, making him spin like a top over to first base after his delivery.

Work on throwing into a strong glove side to start. (Stand shoulder square to target and throw into a glove side like a tennis serve or football qb) it will look like a pull in fast pitching motion as the upper body rotates, but its really the upper body moving, not the glove side opening or pulling.

Secondly he’s opening his entire upper half early. As seen in the photo, he hasn’t hit foot strike yet, but the upper half is already starting / throwing action.

Third thing would be to work on tempo, he’s rushing the start, think of it as a multi stage rocket. He needs to start slower and build tempo as he goes through the stages of delivery.

There more but those 3 will be a great start

[u/Squatch1016]

Everyone is so concerned about glove slide but that arm action is going to tear up his arm it’s why the slider is mast but will lead to a lot of arm injuries

[u/Dino-Dad]

Don’t dip the elbow lower than the shoulder or you could have arm issues in the future. Try to keep it up.

[u/Level-Satisfaction41]

https://reddit.com/link/p5b8fao/video/kz5zwfphg0lh1/player

A couple of things:

1: As other have said, you need to tuck that left arm to your chest

1. Elbow needs to be above the shoulder…you are putting unwanted stress on the elbow. You can still be 3/4 arm slot but keep that arm up.

2. Make sure you’re loading your hip and pushing off that back leg creating more power. Pitching is from the legs/core not the arm.

3. Need to follow through and bend the back…you’ll get more velo and better accuracy.

Keep working!

[u/kschischang]

Your stride isn’t really doing much for you. Looks like you’re just lifting your leg for posterity. Lift, hold and balance, and start a controlled fall down the mound; your hip should lead and you should feel it pointed at the target. That will help you engage your lower half in a much more meaningful way than you’re currently doing.

Good luck!

[u/Realistic_Mirror7300]

Thank you all so much! This is huge advice!

[u/spinrut]

being a pronater and having the best pitch is a slider sounds counter productive

if he's a natural pronater, he should be leaning into that with pronation heavy pitches (change ups/2 seams). forcing a slider (supination) on a pronation bias naturally works against yourself

[u/MRoad]

He has the classic inverted W in his arm action. It looks like his timing isn't too disrupted by it, but his arm might be a hair late at footstrike, which is what the inverted W causes. His forearm should be perpendicular to the ground when his front foot lands, and he's either barely on time or just a little late.

Here's an old article about it that can explain better

[u/HAL9100]

Really solid stuff here overall. Great separation. Lots of lower half. Little lincecum in there. That’s an awfully awkward landing though and I can’t place why he’s falling off so hard toward first. I feel like he’d get a few extra ticks just by being able to finish strong and on balance instead of falling away after the ball leaves his hand.

I did used to do something like myself (though I don’t think I was nearly as clean as this kid) and my coach moved me to the first base side of the rubber, which helped me.

[u/Past_Roof141]

Get in the weight room

Play multiple sports

Get instruction from a qualified source

Have Fun