Ask the Experts: Amanda Scarborough Talks Pitching Part 2
Pitching today is in a completely different league than it was in the past. The game is constantly changing and evolving season to season. Modifications and technology improvements are being implemented to benefit certain areas of the game. The art of pitching is changing to stand up to the new bat technology and increased pitching distances. With the game slowly turning to benefit the hitter, some pitchers are being rushed in their developmental process and are taking on more pitches than their fundamental mechanics can handle. Amanda Scarborough is an expert on this topic.
At Fastpitch News, we have created a column called “Ask the Experts” which will explore commonly asked questions by curious parents, coaches, instructors, and players related to different areas of the game.
The following pitching questions have been analyzed and answered by Pitching Expert Amanda Scarborough, who is a former Texas A&M All-American pitcher, ESPN analyst, motivational speaker, clothing designer and pitching coach.
Ask the Experts: Amanda Scarborough Talks Pitching Part 1
FPN: Explain to us your thoughts on the evolution of pitching the past five to ten years.
AS: As if pitching wasn’t hard enough, pitching has gotten more difficult in the past five to ten years. Bat technology is better, there is more pressure to commit at a younger age, hitters seem to be stronger and for the collegiate pitcher, there is way more film/knowledge about what you throw. When you combine ALL of that, it’s become a tough game out there. But the best thing is, you evolve, you compete and all of those things should actually make you better if you are willing to rise up to the challenge. The difference maker is that I think young pitchers are more often scared to rise up to that challenge instead of willing to take it head on. I believe it deals with the parents and how they challenge their kids or give in to them, or how easy they make everything. But that’s a different topic for a different day.
With better hitters and better technology, more deception is needed to fool the hitter, so you’re seeing an emphasis on using three different speeds instead of just two, or heaven forbid, one speed. You’re also seeing more of an emphasis on the importance of having a drop AND a rise ball – which the combination of those two pitches could be the most difficult to master. I have found that you’re either more naturally a drop ball pitcher or a rise ball pitcher.
Finally, something that has evolved that cannot be ignored is the emphasis of college coaches wanting to recruit pitchers who are tall. We can’t ignore it because it’s really happening. This makes it even more important for pitchers who might not consider themselves at a height advantage, to work even harder to get their foundation perfect and for them to play BIG in the game. Push aside that bias and rise above it.
FPN: What are some risks associated with instructors or clinicians teaching young kids 12U and below, movement pitches?
AS: I often find the biggest risk is that the pitcher loses her fastball mechanics. She starts to blend releases – like blending her fastball release with her curve ball release, and then instead of having two separate pitches she only really has one because a curve looks like a fastball and a fastball looks like a curve. Another risk I find associated with learning pitches too soon is that there becomes less of a focus on mechanics. In 12U, you are still developing your pitching foundation. Without a solid foundation, everything later on in the future will crack. It’s just like the foundation of a house. You don’t rush that part because eventually there will be problems later on. Focus more on perfecting solid mechanics and pay attention to the small details first and then adding pitches will actually become easier and you’ll do it more quickly if you don’t rush into it!
FPN: What do you think are the biggest mistakes young pitchers and their coaches may be making in today’s game?
AS: I think the biggest mistake is how I see coaches define success for their pitchers. In return, it becomes a mistake for the pitchers. Find different ways to define success other than just balls and strikes. That’s the easy way out, and honestly, it’s an easy way out for coaches not to truly learn and understand pitching. In games and at practice, dig deeper for different versions of success and or failure outside of balls or strikes. It becomes maddening if that is all coaches are basing pitcher success off of. Get creative. To be a pitcher it does take more than balls and strikes. By making it about things that are deeper than balls and strikes, you’ll be surprised at how much more the strikes start coming in!
FPN: If you had an eight-year-old player just starting out, what would be three-five things you would say they need to master before they worry about being the best or even throwing in games?
AS: The first thing I love to teach is spin/release point. An 8-year-old should have an understanding of how the ball should feel coming out of her hand and where that release point should happen over and over and over again. If your release point is inconsistent, your accuracy will not be consistent. Talk to them about that first. “Begin with the end in mind.”
Another thing to master is a nice, pretty, big arm circle. A big arm circle finishes at that bottom of the release point.
Then I would say presence/wind-up. It’s never too early to begin talking about presence, especially if your goal is to throw in the game. I put presence and wind up together because a consistent presence helps with a consistent wind-up. A consistent wind up is important for timing which leads to a consistent release point.
- Release point/spin
- Arm circle
- Wind up
I love that order, and I truly feel you should earn everything as a young pitcher. Meaning, you cannot move on to the next step until you have proven that you have worked very hard at attempting to perfect the step before. After that, you earn game time. Game time is the biggest reward for a pitcher, and it is exactly that, a reward. Have you worked hard and put in the time to become your best? Say you get to pitch one inning in this game. If you keep working hard, coaches will have you throw two innings the next time. But you have to continue to prove yourself every time. Proving yourself is a lesson in itself, and as a pitcher, you will never stop proving yourself. Just ask the college, Pro and Olympic pitchers.
If you wish to seek further questions that you wish to be answered by Amanda, visit www.amanda-scarborough.com and click Contact on top.
