What qualities make up a good pitcher? There are several qualities that make up a good pitcher, those are; speed, strength, aggression, grace, coordination, hard work and dedication. The latter is one of the most important, as to be a good pitcher, one must have the drive and determination to ask questions, as well as have the drive and enthusiasm to learn and study the event on their own.

Speed ​​and force can go together because they are relative. The more strength one has, the greater the ability to develop speed through various exercises (sprints, lifts, and technique). The velocity in launch events is both horizontal and vertical (through linear, rotational, and vertical forces). For example, in the hammer, the stronger the athlete, the more force and speed can be applied to the hammer. In the linear sense, when the athlete moves the ball forward through the first winds and turns in the circle, the athlete is accelerating the ball horizontally through linear and rotational movements. After understanding the horizontal forces, one must understand the vertical force on the hammer, and this is shown by the orbit of the ball along the circle.

While moving the ball in orbit, a 16 pound hammer can produce a ground reaction force of more than 700 pounds, which is where the force comes into play, since the hammer is now exerting a great force on the pitcher. A force of 700 pounds that is placed on the ground (ground reaction force) must have equal force that will be in the opposite direction, therefore the greater the speed and force that you place on the hammer ball towards bottom, the athlete generating the same force in the opposite or upward direction (Newton’s Third Law of Motion). To benefit from this, the hammer release angle must be optimal. Thus, by accelerating the hammer around the circle, the athlete gains speed. The shape of the orbit, having both a high point and a low point, is creating a great force in the accelerating nature that velocity is placing on the ball as it moves from high to low. If the athlete cannot control both speed and force in this event, then the attempt is useless.

A second quality that is important to look for when trying to find and develop a good pitcher is aggression and the ability to take advantage of it in the right circumstances. At pitching events you would like to sharpen your senses to produce a large amount of pitch reaction, however you must be aware of the anxiety that also occurs and learn to overcome it. Aggression is also beneficial to a pitcher, as the athlete is expected to show interest and enthusiasm for entering the circle and wanting to pitch every day. A pitcher who has that drive and win will be an excellent pitcher, as the amount you put into an event, the more you get out of it. In the first form of aggression which concerned the athlete’s ability to be aggressive during encounter situations, it is important to understand how to take advantage of this for the throw.

In throwing events, one must use their speed and agility as mentioned above, to produce better earnings in the event. The more speed or velocity you put on the implement, the further it will travel, this also has to do with the angle of release; however, a pitcher will not approach pitches in a passive manner if he wants to make a profit. The second form of aggression comes into play during a track meet; This form of aggression gives the athlete the vision of winning. However, with this aggression comes the need to be in control or else the aggressive attitude will take over the athlete. The athlete’s emotional control will raise the anxiety level to a positive range in which the athlete can perform positively. By imagining the perfect throw or sequence of throws, the athlete can perform a track meet in his head and prepare to throw and be aggressive in the circle. In the next paragraph we will talk about the conception of the launch.

The last attribute that makes a track and field athlete a good pitcher is the enthusiasm for learning the event and becoming a student of the art. By becoming a student of the event, the athlete chooses to make athletics a way of life. By having as much understanding of the pitches as the individual, you can provide the coach with much-needed information that may be lacking from an observational point of view. The athlete becomes a student of the event learning outside of practice, acquiring knowledge of the subject through books, videos, magazines, newspapers and first-hand experiences. The ability to provide such feedback to the coach is important, as coaches may need to know how a pitch felt, so that corrections can be made. Also through the study of the event, the athlete can become aware of what a perfect throw will feel like as mentioned above, however this time both in actuality and through visualization, which can help with emotional control. The athlete can be a student enthusiastically participating in practices; This is accomplished by listening to the coach, watching other athletes perform the task, and questioning and challenging the coach in an inquiring way that can benefit both the athlete and the coach.

In conclusion, after reading this chapter, one can see that there are many qualities that make up a good pitcher. A single quality is not good enough to make a pitcher exceptional, however all of these qualities working together will benefit the athlete, the coach, and the program. As expressed, the athlete should not only rely on speed, as strength must also be involved, nor should the athlete rely solely on being a student of the sport, as they may overthink the throw and lose the necessary aggressive behavior. at these events. Ultimately, if the coach can help the athlete add all of these qualities into their experience, the athlete and the coach will see success. Be honest, set goals (short and long), visualize and work hard, a pitcher with these qualities will go a long way.