instruction

Question
hi. i am 14 and i have trouble making contact with the ball and i want to pitch better. can you send me some drills i can work on.

Answer
Patrick,

Without seeing you pitch and swing it would be hard for me to help you out in terms of what YOU do wrong, and right in both area's.

However, buy yourself a tee and take as many swings a day off of the Tee. Stand close to simulate inside pitches and far from the tee to simulate outside pitches. You can also have someone throw you batting practice. Work on your timing of your hands and front foot.

You can "Google" search pitching and hitting drills and you will find more then you can do. There are so many out there with great explanations that it would be easier for you to just do that then for me to write them all out.

Keys to remember:

Pitching is all about balance. Make sure you aren't falling to either side or throwing across your body. Keep you arm up and do not let your elbow sink below your shoulder. Also make sure to push off your back leg when you throw. Those are the most common faults I see during my lessons.

Hitting wise, timing with your hands and your stride are key. Make sure you don't drop your hands, or try and swing up. Make sure your front foot doesn't open up in your swing and pull the bat away from the zone. Try to hit the ball right back up the middle so you aren't swinging too late or early.

If I could see you throw/hit, I could give you advice specific to your abilities, but I can only speak generally on here. Watch some pro games, and take a look at their swings. See what you notice they do differently then you. Also, do some swings/throws without a bat or ball in the mirror, so you can see how your body looks.

Best of luck,
Sean