This week's tip is from Phil Kelly, Assistant Manager and one of the top instructors at our Warminster facility. Phil starred as a pitcher at Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School and later at Neumann University. There’s an old saying in baseball that speed never goes into a slump. Not true. In fact, the saying is completely backwards…it’s SLOW that never goes into a slump! Regardless of the level of competition, from the Big Leagues to Little League, the most important factor for producing baseball players who can perform under pressure is the ability to slow the game down.
Slowing the game down is not a new concept. It’s a key component to what many people describe as “being in the Zone,” Indeed, when many athletes in all sports describe their best performances, they talk about everything moving at a slower pace, their opponents being in “slow motion,” and feeling like they had all the time in the world to make their moves.
This concept directly relates to pitching. The pitcher is the only person on the field who has the ability to control the pace of the game. You determine how quickly you step back up on the rubber and throw the ball towards home plate. The main focus as a pitcher is to maintain proper mechanics for every pitch, and this becomes much easier when you slow yourself down. After each pitch, take the ball from the catcher, take a deep breath and gather yourself before making that next pitch.You never want to feel rushed out there, or feel like you need to work at the hitter's pace. The more you can make a hitter start thinking about what you're doing, whether it's what pitch you're throwing, or what you're doing walking around the mound so often, the more likely it is that he will lose focus and you gain a decided advantage. So, as a pitcher, slow the game down and focus on the task at hand. Good results will follow!
To schedule a series of lessons with Phil Kelly, contact our new Warminster facility at 215-672-1826 or send Phil a note atphil@allstarbaseballacademy.com. Lessons can also be scheduled by calling West Chester at 610-399-8050, Broomall at 610-355-2411 or Downingtown at 610-518-7400.
For FALL PROGRAMS AND BASEBALL TRAINING options, go to our website for full details: www.allstarbaseballacademy.com.
