What qualities make up a good pitcher? There are several qualities that make up a good pitcher, these being; Speed, strength, aggression, grace, coordination, hard work and dedication. The last one is the most important, for being a good thrower one must have the self-motivation and determination to ask questions, as well as the drive and enthusiasm to learn and study the event on their own.
Speed and power can go together because they are relative. The more strength one may have the greater the ability to develop speed through various exercises (sprints, lifts, and technique). Velocity in throwing events is both horizontal and vertical (through linear, rotational and vertical forces). For example, in the hammer, the stronger the athlete, the greater the force and speed that can be applied to the hammer. In the linear sense, when the player moves the ball forward through the first wind and spins in the circle, the athlete accelerates the ball laterally through both rotational and linear motions. After understanding the horizontal forces, one must understand the vertical force in the hammer, and this is shown with the orbit of the ball around the circle.
While moving the ball in orbit, a 16-pound mallet might produce a ground reaction force of more than 700 pounds, which is where force comes into play, since the hammer now exerts significant force on the thrower. A 700 pound force placed on the ground (the ground reaction force) must have the same force it would have in the opposite direction, so the more speed and force you put on the hammer ball in a downward fashion, the athlete will. of generating the same force in the opposite or upward direction (Newton’s third law of motion). To take advantage of this, the hammer release angle must be perfect. Thus, by accelerating the hammer around the circle, the athlete gains speed. The shape of the orbit, by having both a high point and a low point, creates significant force acting on the accelerating nature that velocity places on the ball as it moves from high to low. If the athlete cannot control speed and power in the event, the attempt is futile.
The second quality that is important to look for while trying to find and develop a good pitcher is aggression and the ability to harness it in the right circumstances. In throwing events, you want to heighten your senses to produce a great deal of reaction to throwing, however, you must be aware of the resulting anxiety as well and learn how to overcome this. Aggression is also good for the thrower because it is hoped that the athlete will show interest and passion in getting into the circle and wanting to throw every day. A pitcher with this drive and desire would be an excellent pitcher, because the more you put into an event, the more you’ll get out of it. In the first form of aggression which relates to the athlete’s ability to be aggressive during meet situations, it is important to understand how to harness this for the throw.
In the throwing events one must make use of his speed and agility as mentioned earlier, in order to make better gains in the event. The higher the velocity or velocity that is put on the tool, the more it will travel, this also relates to the angle of release; However, the thrower will not approach the throws in a negative manner if he wishes to make gains. The second form of aggression comes into play during a track and field meet. This form of aggressiveness gives the athlete the vision of winning. However, with this aggression comes the need to control or an aggressive attitude will overpower the athlete. The athlete’s emotional control raises the level of anxiety into a positive range within which the athlete can perform positively. By visualizing the perfect throw or sequence of throws, the athlete can instead of performing a track meet in his head and make himself ready to throw and be aggressive in the circuit. We’ll talk about throw perception in the next paragraph.
The final trait that makes a good track and field athlete is a willingness to learn the event and become a student of the art. By becoming a student of the event, the athlete chooses to make track and field a way of life. By having this much understanding of throwing, the individual can provide much-needed feedback to the coach that might be missing from a spotting standpoint. The athlete becomes a student of the event through learning outside of practice, becoming familiar with the subject matter through books, videos, journals, journals, and first-hand experiences. Being able to provide such feedback to the coach is important because coaches may need to know how the pitch feels, so that corrections can be made. Also by studying the event the athlete can be aware of how the perfect throw feels as mentioned earlier, but this time in reality and through visualization which can help with emotional control. An athlete can be a student by participating enthusiastically in the practices; This is accomplished by listening to the coach, watching other athletes perform the task, and asking and challenging the coach in a curious way that may benefit both the athlete and the coach.
In Conclusion After reading this chapter, one may see that there are many qualities that make up a good slinger. One trait alone is not good enough to make a pitcher exceptional, however, all of these qualities working together will benefit the athlete, coach, and program. As expressed, the athlete should not rely solely on speed, because strength must also be involved, and the athlete should not rely solely on being a student of the sport because they may consider throwing, missing out on the aggressive behavior required in these events. Finally, if the coach can help the athlete sum up all of these qualities in their experience, then the athlete and coach will see success. Be honest, set goals (both short and long), fantasize and work hard, a slinger with these qualities will go a long way.