John Smoltz is the artist teaching himself to paint with a hairbrush, the poet attempting to rhyme in a foreign language. Is that a stretch when considering a man whose craft consists of throwing a ball? Not if you listen to the ball-thrower when he's talking about his latest audacious project.

"I have no creativity when it comes to drawing pictures," Smoltz said late last week, "but I have a lot of creativity when it comes to throwing a baseball. I'm using that part of my brain right now to try to get it done."

Ken Caruthers / Rome News-Tribune (ENLARGE)

John Smoltz shows a changed pitch delivery during his two innings against the Class A Asheville Tourists in Rome.

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Smoltz's body has issued another ultimatum — a final one, very likely — and the pitcher who has re-invented himself more than Madonna is at it again.

He has altered his arm angle, dropping down from the classic over-the-top delivery in order to preserve his aching shoulder.

And once more he has bounced himself to the bullpen, where theoretically he can best coax the last little bit of steam from an engine held together by baling wire, Elmer's and weapons-grade confidence.

For those keeping score at home, it was nine years ago that Smoltz last experimented with the lower arm angle — just before requiring Tommy John surgery. And seven years ago that Smoltz last had the idea to trade starting for the closer's job on the hunch it would treat his arm better. Then, saying he needed to put his elbow on a more regular schedule, Smoltz returned to the rotation in 2005.

Confused? Welcome to the Smoltz Method.

Trust me, he says, for no matter how much public debate attaches to his various reinventions, he is the only one who truly can decipher all that static coming from his right side.

And having just turned 41, there is not much time to sit and knit.

"I have a unique ability to understand what my body can and can't do," he said. "I've always been able to adapt and I've always been able to make adjustments. I guess I just don't give up and I don't allow myself to think it's impossible.

"Because what I'm doing is almost impossible. I know that's a contradiction. It's having to learn something really fast. I don't have any other options. It's not something I can wait out."

"When it comes to 90 percent of the pitchers out there, it's impossible," said Leo Mazzone, the former Braves pitching coach who witnessed the many faces of Smoltz first-hand from 1990-2005. "With him, it's the opposite."

The Smoltz who looks to re-join the Braves at the beginning of June will be markedly different than the one who went on the disabled list at the end of April. It's not exactly as if he has channeled submarine pitcher Kent Tekulve in the past month, but the new look he's bringing to the mound will be a little jarring to long-time fans.

Dropping down to a three-quarters delivery is very much experimental — see the pitch that sailed six feet over and behind a batter in his minor league rehab stint Thursday. But besides easing the pressure on his shoulder, the delivery will give hitters an entirely different view of his repertoire, Smoltz said. Mazzone said Smoltz had effective use of his fastball, slider and curve when going more sidearm in 1999. The angle, however, effectively eliminated his split-finger pitch.

Smoltz also says he and the fans will have to adjust to some new realities.

"I will deal with a lot more contact (hitters putting the ball in play rather than striking out)," he said, "but hopefully it's going to be on the ground. That's where I have to change my mindset. I always had a go-to pitch, I always had a strike out pitch. But now it's going to have to be making quality pitches to get guys out."

"Contact's not bad, as long as it's on the end of the bat or the handle," laughed Mazzone.

As for the move back to the bullpen, Smoltz believes it will be easier on his arm this time because he won't be making so many walks from the bullpen to the mound. Between '02 and '04, he averaged 70 appearances a season.

"Had I the foresight to start all over again I wouldn't have thrown so many pitches and thrown in so many games," Smoltz said. With the hoped-for presence of Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez, there is the potential to share the closer's duties. It would be an ever-changing arrangement, Smoltz letting Bobby Cox know about his availability each day as the season progressed.

The stop-and-start stress of starting a game was the part Smoltz couldn't handle any more. The move to the bullpen differs from the last time, though, because of the added distraction of a new delivery.

"I'd prefer to throw over the top, prefer having all my array of weapons," Smoltz said. "There's a little more anxiousness, maybe (compared to 2002). There's not a hope-I-can-do-it, I just feel like I'm going to have to go out there and be very patient with myself."

This time, there's an even stronger smell of the last-ditch to this attempt. Smoltz's resilience is singular - he is the only pitcher with the combination of at least 200 wins and 150 saves. But even that can be stretched only so far.

We'll find out soon enough, he says. No milking the suspense at this point in a season and a career.

"I believe we'll know within 10 days whether I'm going to be cut out for the long run or if can I make the adjustments to help make this team very successful," he said.