A pitcher usually pulls his head because he’s overthrowing. Other common causes are flying open, a glove arm that yanks to the side, a soft front leg, or falling off toward first base. A violent head pull moves the release point and wrecks command. Fix it by dialing effort back to about 80%, keeping his eyes on the target through release, and fixing the root cause. Some smooth head movement is normal.
Watch your son pitch from the side and you might notice it: right as he lets go of the ball, his head snaps hard toward first base (or third, for a lefty), or jerks up and back. His eyes leave the target before the ball does. Coaches call it pulling the head, and it’s one of the most common reasons a young pitcher can’t throw strikes consistently.
Here is what head pulling is, why it hurts command, what causes it, and how to fix it without turning him into a statue.
Some head movement is normal
First, the honest part. A pitcher’s head isn’t supposed to be frozen. As his body moves toward the plate and his trunk tilts, his head travels forward and a little to the glove side with it. Plenty of hard-throwing pitchers have some head movement. The problem is a violent jerk off the line to the plate, especially one that happens early, before release, and pulls his eyes off the target.
Why it hurts command
The head is the steering wheel. Where it goes, the shoulders and the arm tend to follow. When the head yanks off line right before release, the release point moves with it, and it moves a little differently every time. That’s why head pullers often miss in every direction: high one pitch, in the dirt the next, way off to the side after that. Our guides on why he throws the ball too high and why he’s so inconsistent cover the release-point side of this.
What causes it
| Cause | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Overthrowing | Max effort jerks the head and chest off line |
| Flying open | Front shoulder pulls out early and takes the head |
| Glove arm yanks | Glove pulls hard to the side and drags the head |
| Soft front leg | No firm base, so the upper body tips |
| Falling off | Body spins toward first base at release |
Overthrowing is the most common one, by far. When a kid tries to throw as hard as he possibly can, his body grabs for every bit of effort, and the head goes with it. Our guide on throwing hard but not throwing strikes goes deeper on effort. For the others, see flying open, the glove arm, and falling off to the side.
“Fix the cause, and the head settles on its own.”
Telling him “keep your head still” treats the symptom.How to fix it
Dial the effort back
Have him throw at about 80% effort for a while. Most head pulling shrinks right away when he stops trying to throw through a wall. Smooth is fast.
Eyes on the target through release
A simple cue: keep your eyes on the catcher’s glove until the ball gets there. Not “freeze your head,” just keep the eyes locked in.
Stack the glove in front
Instead of yanking the glove out to the side, he brings his chest to the glove out front. That keeps the front side, and the head, on line.
Land on a firm front leg
A front leg that braces gives the upper body something stable to rotate over. Our guide on the front leg explains the brace.
Hold the finish
Have him hold his finish for a count after each throw in catch or a bullpen. If he can’t hold it, his body was out of control. The towel drill is a good low-stress way to groove it.
Work on one of these at a time, starting with effort. Compare him to himself, not to the kid on Instagram. If his head is calmer and his misses are tighter than a month ago, it’s working.
Is his head pulling, or is something else moving first?
Head pulls are almost always a symptom. Upload one video and we’ll find the cause frame by frame and tell you the one thing to fix first. Free. For any pain, always see a doctor first.
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Film him from the side and from behind home plate (behind a net or fence), in slow motion if your phone has it. Pause right at release. Is his head still pointed toward the plate, or has it already snapped off to the side? Do his eyes leave the target before the ball does? A few clips over a few weeks will tell you if it’s getting better. Our guide on how to film a pitching video shows the setup.
The bottom line
Some head movement is normal, but a violent head pull at release moves his release point and wrecks command. The usual causes are overthrowing, flying open, a yanking glove arm, a soft front leg, or falling off. Fix the cause, starting with effort, keep his eyes on the target through release, and the head usually settles on its own. Little things now, big numbers later.
Common questions
Why does my son pull his head when he pitches?
Usually because he’s overthrowing. Other common causes are flying open, a glove arm that yanks to the side, a soft front leg, or falling off toward first base. The head pull is the symptom; one of those is the cause.
Does head movement affect pitching accuracy?
Yes. The head steers the shoulders and arm, so a violent head pull moves the release point and makes misses unpredictable. Some smooth head movement toward the plate is normal.
Should a pitcher keep his head still?
Not frozen. His head naturally travels forward with his body. The goal is to keep it on line to the plate with his eyes on the target through release, without a hard jerk to the side.
How do you stop a pitcher from pulling his head?
Start by dialing his effort back to about 80%. Then work on keeping his eyes on the glove through release, bringing his chest to his glove out front, landing on a firm front leg, and holding his finish.
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