Total Reading Time: 6 minutes

Happy Monday - and welcome to the first full week of October…already! Today we’re looking at a couple of very cool videos to help visually tie skills together as well as looking into pitching staff standards & bullpen non-negotiables.

So Let’s Go!

Table of Contents

• Simplify Pitching with 2 Videos

• Standards & Non-Negotiables for Your Bullpen & Sta …

Simplify Pitching with 2 Videos

Too often we think of pitching as this incredibly difficult skill. A skill so different from every other softball skill that unless you did it, you don’t feel like you can understand it or teach it.

And while the environment that pitching occurs in is very challenging & chaotic - the skill itself is rather simple.

By simple I mean that a pitcher does the same thing over and over again. Unlike the other position players, it doesn’t matter what the situation is for a pitcher; a righty or lefty up, powerhitter or slapper, bases loaded or empty, game on the line or fall ball. Now, of course the pitch thrown will likely differ, but the skill itself stays the same: Take a Step, Make an Arm Circle and Release the Ball.

Too often, pitchers are taught as if the skill itself is ultra-complex so they over-try and over-think it and over-complicate it. This leads to an over-tense motion that doesn’t result in either the creation of power or its transfer to the ball.

One way to help cleanse the pitcher’s notion of what the pitching motion should be involves tying it together with a motion they’re familiar with - like throwing or hitting. This can help pitchers move themselves into an “oh, I get it” mindframe.

Here’s one of my favorite videos - showing the amazing similarity between the underhand and overhand pitching motion:

And to take this a step further, here’s another great video to show how similar hitting and throwing are:

As coaches, the more we can help our players see the connection and similarities between skills, the easier these skills are to understand and ultimately do.

Standards & Non-Negotiables for Your Bullpen & Staff

Recently, Christian Conrad, pitching coach at Arizona, posted a picture they have taped in their bullpen, and it really got my mind buzzing.

Let’s first check out the picture below before we start unpacking it…

Let’s unpack these 2 sheets, as each one is completely different from the other.

First up, let’s look at the sheet on the left - “As an Arizona Softball Pitcher…”

Before we examine it I’ve got to say how powerful that headline statement is! It immediately brings each pitcher back to the concept of representing more than herself. Each pitcher is representing her school as well as a standard for the staff, and herself. Plus, it’s posted everyday. I Love it!

While this sheet could be seen as “the standards” of being an Arizona Pitcher, standards could also be stated as performance goals. But instead, these are all “Identity Based Habits'“, something made famous by James Clear in his book, Atomic Habits.

These are different than outcome goals because they go deeper. They go to the essence of “who am I trying to be?” as if an alien was watching you work. An alien couldn’t understand your words, wouldn’t know pitching, but could see your priorities.

Identify Based Habits, over time, take you to your Identity. This might sound vague, or hocus-pocus-like, but Arizona Pitchers have all agreed that the above 7 habits will take them collectively and individually to who they’re trying to be.

Listen to James Clear explain it…

Now let’s look at the sheet on the right - The Bullpen Non-Negotiables:

These are 3-simple and yet powerful reminders of how we behave in the bullpen. Instead of a list Rules for the Bullpen it’s a very short list that encompasses everything about what it takes on a daily basis to execute the sheet on the left.

While the first 2 were clear and obvious to me, I wasn’t familiar with #3. Clear is Kind. Turns out it’s from Brene Brown and is something that many of our players and possibly ourselves struggle with.

This statement packs so much meaning, and gives us all permission to be honest - with KINDNESS:

Being UNKIND (UNCLEAR) looks like this:

• Saying things to make people feel better but aren’t totally true- IS UNKIND

• Not being clear with our pitchers about our expectations because it feels hard, yet holding them accountable or blaming them for not delivering - IS UNKIND

• Talking about people rather than to them - IS UNKIND

Some standards whenever a “being CLEAR” conversation is happening are:

• Show up with an open heart and mind. This lets us honor the work and each other and not our egos.

• Lean into vulnerability

• Stay curious and generous.

• Be fearless in owning our parts

• Bring a willingness to solve things.

• Listen with the same passion with which you want to be heard

Putting on our armor and protecting our egos rarely leads to productive, kind and respectful conversations

Adding this to the Bullpen Non-Negotiables is such a powerful statement about serious these players (and coaches) are to sticking to their path toward their best selves. They’re all willing to say and hear tough stuff and to deliver it kindly and to hear it with an open mind.

THANKS to Christian Conrad for sharing this and for elaborating on it for me, and for allowing me to share it with all of you!!

Thanks for reading this week’s Curveball Chronicles. I hope it helped give you some insight to help your pitchers, and to give yourself some encouragement, knowledge and grace.

Go make this a Great week!

Missed some previous issues? Don’t worry, I’ve got them all on my website: https://pitchingcoachcentral.com/curveball-newsletter/