Pitching Mentality and Thought Process

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• Pitching Mentality and Thought Process
• This presentation discusses the mental
• approach to pitching.

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RAIDER BASEBALL

• THE PITCHING STAFF WILL BE THE BIGGEST FACTOR IN
  DETERMINING THE SUCCESS OF THIS TEAM. THIS CAN
  BE CONSIDERED PRESSURE, BUT THATS WHAT A
  PITCHERS JOB IS FACING PRESSURE SITUATIONS AND
  COMING OUT ON TOP.

The great thing about pitching is that Im the
one holding the ball. The hitter can only adjust
to what I throw. He has to adjust to what I
throw, where I throw it, and how hard I throw the
ball. - Pat Hentgen
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Being a Successful Pitcher

• Developing the proper pitching motion, building
  arm strength and establishing command of your
  pitches.
• Hitting spots, changing speeds and knowing how
  your mechanics affects movement, velocity, and
  location.
• Understanding the mental demands of the position
  so you can hone your concentration skills,
  improve pitch selection, and harness your
  competitive nature.
• Making the commitment to being a well-conditioned
  and well-prepared athlete.

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Proper Mechanics Equals Consistency and Success

• Good mechanics will simplify everything.
• Learn them, recognize them in yourself and
  others, and work on them every day.
• Good mechanics allows you to work hard without
  getting hurt.
• They allow you to focus on executing the pitch,
  especially in pressure situations.

The pitcher should always be thinking of how to
make everything simpler. -Johnny Sain
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Does This Sound Like You?

• Can you
• Do the repetitive work necessary to make the
  unnatural pitching motion feel so natural that
  you no longer have to even think about it.
• Make the commitment to becoming one or the best
  conditioned athletes on the team. You will work
  harder and longer than any position player.
• Harness your concentration skills and keep your
  mind from wandering while on the mound.
• Be able to outsmart your opponent, not just
  out-athlete him.

Never let the failure of your last pitch affect
the success of your next one. Nolan Ryan
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From Bob Cluck, Pitching Coach, Detroit Tigers
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More on Trevor Hoffman
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Does This Sound Like You?

• Can you
• Be the center of attention. Its baseball and
  you have the ball. The idea of the game revolving
  around you is appealing. You want the
  responsibility and like the challenge.
• Rely on your coach, catcher and other teammates
  do their job and not try to do it all yourself.
• Be confident.
• Be open to instruction.
• Be aggressive.
• Control your emotions.

I think the one thing Ive always done well is
listen. You may think you know yourself best, and
a lot of pitchers do, but it never hurts to hear
what somebody has to say. -Curt Schilling
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More on Maddox
From Bob Cluck, Pitching Coach, Detroit Tigers
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More Thoughts

• You have to be brash and intimidating on the
  mound. You have to think that you are the best
  there is for those particular couple of hours.
  If you expect to lose, you will. The easiest
  thing in the world to do is lose. I believed you
  had to do whatever necessary to win, and that
  started with a good mental outlook. You had to
  be very positive about what you are doing.
• -Denny McLain

Every time you learn something it helps you
maybe a week, maybe a month, maybe a year from
now. Once you stop learning, you are going to be
in the second row looking at somebody else
playing. -Ferguson Jenkins
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Pitching ContradictionsThe need to be aggressive
without being emotional is just one of many
contradictions that good pitching requires. Here
are some others

• You add power to your pitching by slowing down
  rather than speeding up.
• You pitch with your lower body as much, if not
  more, than your upper body.
• Throwing hard requires a firm grip and a relaxed
  wrist.
• Velocity is the least important element of a
  good fastball and the most important part of a
  change-up.

• The most effective pitch in the game is a slow
  fastball thrown over the plate (change-up).
• The less you throw a breaking ball, the more
  effective pitch it can be.
• The less you try to make a breaking ball move,
  the more it will move.
• One of the best ways to take care of your arm is
  to throw.

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From Bob Cluck, Pitching Coach, Detroit Tigers
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From Bob Cluck, Pitching Coach, Detroit Tigers
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