Tempo in your delivery:
One of the big issues I see with pitchers who’ve been taught to have “good pitching mechanics” is a tendency to move too slowly in their deliveries. They obsess about getting to key positions in the pitching motion.When they miss with a pitch, they jump to the conclusion that it must be their mechanics. Then on the next pitch, they slow things down in an effort to control their mechanics. All this does is disrupt the natural flow of momentum, killing velocity and actually hurting their control.
When you move too slowly and deliberately, not only do you lose momentum and power, you make it tougher to pitch with good timing in your delivery. The pitching delivery is a dynamic, ballistic chain of movements involving your entire body – from the height of your leg lift to ball release takes less than a second. So good timing is absolutely critical for an efficient delivery.
When a pitcher’s struggling with their control, rather than thinking too much about their mechanics, it's better to give a simple suggestion like:
“Good tempo right here.”
This will help them get in a good rhythm, and before you know it, they’re back on track.
Better tempo also helps produce more powerful mechanics. For more on this, read this article: Pitching Mechanics: Better Tempo Increases Torque
You’ll also infuriate your fielders, who don’t like to stand around forever while you try to get your mind right. Every once in a while, a good walk around the mound is called for, but save this for times when you really need it. You don’t want to turn into a human rain delay out there.
Phil Rosengren - Former Professional Pitcher & Current Pitching Instructor
