ABGSL 5 Part Pitching Motion 

Fast pitch pitching is not easy. First it's an extremely hard skill to learn. Second, pitchers are asked to perform the skill successfully over 80% of the time. Remember that throwing, catching and hitting took a few years to develop, so as you learn and practice pitching: 

Keep it simple - Break the pitching motion into understandable parts;
Be patient - Learning takes time and lots of drills and repetitions; and
Be confident - You will "get it". Notice the improvements and what's going right. 

ONE: Ready and Tall
• Stand tall. Imagine hips/torso as "closed door".
• Grip ball with fingers across or on seams.
• Both feet in contact with rubber; approximately shoulder length apart; throwing side foot forward.
• Both arms and hands relaxed and down at sides of body. 

TWO: Butterfly Elbows
• After taking signal from catcher, hands come together and pitcher pauses. • Keep hands together and bend elbows to butterfly position.
• Transfer weight to back foot. 

THREE: Stork
• Stay tall; push down with hands together.
• Transfer weight to front pivot foot as arms begin the upward swing on path of perfect circle. • Glove hand stops when parallel to ground, pointing toward target, palm facing slightly away from body.
• Ball arm continues upward in long (not locked) extension to point at sky, palm facing slightly away from body.
• Stride leg is high and bent at 90 degrees pointing toward target. 

FOUR: Open the Door Scarecrow
• Pivot foot turns and stride leg extends toward target and lands flexed with foot at around 45 degree angle.
• Arms are parallel to the ground in line with target. Palms face slightly away from body. • Hips, knees, chin and arms all on line with target. The hips/torso "door" is swung "open". 

FIVE: Close the Door-Snap-Finish
• Push from instep of back foot
• Ball arm maintains long (not locked) extension on the downward path of the perfect circle with wrist slightly cocked.
• Close the hip/torso door - back foot makes it out just in time.
• Snap and release of ball occurs at 6:00 (pitcher is the clock).
• Hand faces catcher at release - ball rolls off fingers. The ball will go where hand faces when released.
• Shoulders relaxed.
• Hand and arm finish loose and remain on the line to the target.
• Elbow bends and palm finishes tapping throwing side shoulder at collar bone.