Horseshoe pitching in this hotel in Clark Pampanga: tips on how to pitch horseshoe
April 18, 2011
Timing
You have now gained considerable knowledge of the basic-fundamentals required to pitch correctly Many hours of patient practice are necessary to master and co-ordinate these fundamentals. You must develop a rhythmic delivery. Rhythm is the dominating fundamental in all sports.
According to the dictionary, co-ordination, precision, rhythm, and timing all have about the same meaning. It is: “To arrange things in a proper and relative order; to combine for a common action or purpose; to harmonize.” In short, the four terms mean the regulated movement of all the combined fundamentals in a rhythmic order during the delivery.
A pendulum clock presents a perfect illustration of timing. When the clock is running properly, all its combined parts work together in perfect unison. The entire mechanism functions as one unit. Each spring, gear and balance-wheel does its precise work. No unnecessary part is included that might cause lost-motion. The pendulum swings to and fro with a steady unbroken rhythm. As long as each part does its work and aids the other, co-ordination, and harmony prevails. The clock keeps accurate time. But, if one unit ceases to function as it should, the swing of the pendulum becomes irregular. The clock either stops entirely or perfect timing ceases to exist.
That is precisely what happens to the delivery of a horseshoe pitcher who “gets off his game.” The “pendulum swing” becomes jerky, and inaccurate, because he/she is unable to co-ordinate the fundamentals. Many players, as they grow older, lose some of their coordination because they lose some of their ambition to train and keep themselves in good condition. The champions spend more time practicing than playing to sharpen and improve their timing. They know that if they neglect their training, they will soon cease to be champions. No one ever becomes so perfect that they can quit training. Timing is elusive and quickly lost.
The Warm-up
An experienced player seldom enters competition without first warming up to assure good co-ordination of the muscles. All players experience some difficulty starting to warm up because their muscles are not functioning properly. After limbering up for a few minutes, they “get the feel of the shoe.” Your warm-up has much to do with determining how you will play; therefore, take plenty of time to co-ordinate your muscles.
PITCHING PSYCHOLOGY
A great many people attempt to pitch horseshoes without realizing that it is a game of great science. After practicing for a time, paying little or no attention to the proper fundamentals, they fail to improve beyond a certain stage. Becoming discouraged, they say, “It looks like I was not cut out to be a good player.” Some think that they are very lucky when they make a ringer or two during a game. And, considering the way they try to deliver their shoes, they are lucky. Although there is a certain amount of luck involved in all games, other factors besides luck are required to pitch ringer after ringer on stakes forty feet apart.
An expert pitcher has a pretty fair idea of what a horseshoe will do the moment he releases it. Such skill is acquired only by long periods of correct physical and mental training. Along with this, a player must possess a considerable amount of natural talent, good eyesight, nerve control, patience, and a deep love of the game. To master the science of pitching, one must also learn to master his emotions. Bad temperament or lack of self-discipline ruins many otherwise promising players.
Don’t try to master all the fundamentals at once because this is impossible. It is a mistake, at first, to center all your attention on trying to make ringers. Of course, that is the object of pitching, but you must approach this objective slowly and correctly. The fundamentals must be worked out one at a time. “Haste makes waste.” A player must learn to “pitch with the head” as well as the arm.
How to Practice
In the beginning, the shoe will feet heavy and cumbersome, but this will soon pass with practice. It takes time to “get the feel of the shoe.” Practice on a well built court. Use good equipment. Always try to do your best. Pitch the full distance of 40 feet. For women, (and males under age 18 years old), the distance is 30 feet. Don’t overdo, especially at first. You need to become accustomed to this form of exercise. Too much practice can cause staleness, a strained arm and loss of control. An hour a day is usually sufficient to put one in good form. When practicing alone, pitch your shoes in groups of 50 and count all points. Merely tossing the shoes back and forth, without a definite objective in mind, does not bring about much self-improvement
Expert pitchers train hard and intelligently to condition themselves for a major tournament. There is a lot of walking to do in a meet. The muscles of the legs and feet must be in good condition. Partnership (four-handed) games, which are favored by older players who dislike so much walking to and fro, are poor practice for tough tournament competition. It is not so much the amount but how one trains that is important. When you become tired, quit practicing and rest. Fatigue brings on tension and tension prevents you from concentrating on your playing.
After gaining fair control of your shoes, seek good competition with more experienced players. Pitching under pressure develops self-confidence. Be a close observer and a good listener. You will learn much to your advantage from the experts, However, don’t try to change your style by copying that of every good pitcher you meet. Most of the champions have little personal quirks in their deliveries that may not work with your style. The old saying that, “one man’s meat can be another’s poison,” is applicable here. The purposeful development of your natural style is the best course to follow, providing you observe the fundamentals that are fundamentals.
Nearly all beginners experience difficulty in elevating their shoes high enough. Ted Allen, one of the game’s all time greatest, perfected his trajectory by erecting two poles out in the center of his court – one pole on each side of the pitching lane. With a wire stretched from pole to pole, about 8 feet above the ground, he practiced pitching over the wire. Thus, he trained himself to pitch the proper height – for his style of pitching.
When an opponent is unavailable, two or more pairs of horseshoes can be used to good advantage. Place a shoe around each stake. Leave it there. Then regard those ringers as a dummy opponent. Endeavor to beat him. Score three points each inning for your imaginary opponent. To defeat him, you have to pitch over 50% ringers. Pitching against the iron of the opposing shoes is excellent practice in topping ringers.
Concentration
Learn to concentrate on your game. Mental concentration is about 75% of the battle among experts. Many of them appear to be self-hypnotized when engaged in strong competition. They grit their teeth with each pitch and refuse to talk to anyone until the game is over It isn’t that they want to be rude and unsociable, but they realize that they cannot carry on a conversation and concentrate on their playing at the same time.
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