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Pitching Mechanics |
| ...the right way goes a long way |
All of the same principles (Grip, Stance, Arm Action) discussed in the "Throwing Mechanics'" section apply to Pitching mechanics. However, because pitching involves more intricate and deliberate movements than simply throwing a ball, balance is more difficult to attain. As mentioned in "The Mechanics" section balance is a key success factor in all mechanics.
Other than injury, the most difficult hurdle for a pitcher to overcome on his or her way to becoming the best pitcher they can be is control. Generally, control is most affected by three faults:
1 - "Rushing" towards the plate;
2 - "Flying open" to quickly, and;
3 - Improper landing foot alignment.
"Rushing" towards the plate refers to the action of a pitcher who lands his/her front foot during the delivery in such a quick manner that the throwing arm has not had enough time to get itself in the proper throwing position. Generally, by the time the front foot lands the pitcher's throwing elbow should be next to his/her throwing shoulder. One of the main results for a right-handed pitcher of "rushing" is the ball tending to finish "high and tight" to the right-handed batter.
A very effective test to determine whether a pitcher is "rushing" to the plate is to ask the pitcher to hold his or her leg position at the top of their leg kick. If the pitcher can hold the leg kick for five seconds without falling forward they have good balance. However, if you ask your pitcher to stop at the top of the leg kick and they continually fall over, that pitcher is having a problem with "rushing" to the plate.
As mentioned above, "flying open" is another flaw to be aware of in pitching mechanics. Flying open refers to the movement of the glove arm. In order to maintain balance the body must keep its centre of gravity as compact as possible. Ideally, as the pitcher strides toward the plate his/her lead arm, as an extension of his glove shoulder, is pointed towards the target. As the throwing arm begins to move forward the glove begins to tuck into the pitcher's chest to maximize the rotation of the hips. Please see photo below for a good example of what the lead arm should be doing during the final throwing stage of the pitching wind up.
When a pitcher "flys open" the glove is not tucked into the chest rather simply hangs on the dirt or extends away from the chest. The danger in "flying open" is the momentum of the lead arm can actually pull the pitcher off balance, seriously affecting his/her balance. It is imperative the pitcher continually works on tucking the glove into the chest. His/her balance will be greatly improved.
Finally, the last mechanical flaw to be wary of is where the landing foot lands in relation to the back foot. To increase the probability of good balance and excellent control the front foot should land square with the back foot so that if a line was extended from the back foot through the front foot, the line would extend to the intended target.
If the front foot lands inside or outside of the back foot, the pitcher risks "falling" to that side. This, as is the case with "flying open", greatly affects balance, and therefore, control.
In summary, in order to insure optimal balance a pitcher must avoid rushing him/herself to the plate, land the front foot square to the back foot and finish with the glove tucked into the chest. |
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