All About Pitching

Pitching Mechanics—Does Staying Tall Make Sense?

There are many myths about pitching mechanics that coaches endorse without even thinking about why they are endorsing them. One such myth of pitching mechanics is that a pitcher should stay tall. There are several reasons why this not only does not make sense but is actually harmful.

Stay tall, stay back, and stay closed

I know a minor league pitching instructor whose job in the organization is to work with rookie pitchers right after they are signed. The pitching philosophy of that organization emphasizes three things: stay tall, stay back, and stay closed.

My first question is, how does a pitcher stay tall and why would he want to? The response from most pitching instructors is that a pitcher should try to throw from a downward or downhill arm angle. If he stays tall then he is able to do that thereby creating a downward angle with the ball making it more difficult to hit. But at what expense?

The big expense is pitching velocity since the only possible way to stay tall is to have a short stride. That means the pitcher's center of gravity (his bellybutton) will remain high. A short stride is the only way a pitcher can stay tall. Not only do short stride reduce velocity but reduce control and add more stress to the pitcher's arm. And many instructors or coaches are encouraging this because they have not done their homework.

My question is, did Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan, Sandy Koufax, and Tom Seaver, throw from a downward angle? The answer is no. How about Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett or even Matsuzaka? No again. Why? Because each of those mentioned pitchers were, and are, high velocity pitchers who all used long strides.

Both Josh Becket and Japanese Matsuzaka use long strides. This forces their center of gravity to a low position. How about Pedro Martinez when he was throwing 96-98 mph a few years back? No again. All of those mentioned pitchers stride 100% of their height or beyond.

Get the body long and low

Sandy Koufax, possibly the greatest lefty ever, and very savvy when it came to mechanics, always said that throwing from a downward angle made no sense. After all, if you have your body stretched out long and low to the ground, how can you throw downward?

Here's what Koufax said about this in the book Sandy Koufax, A Lefty's Legacy (Leavy, Perennial, Books, 2002):

"You have to be low," he said. "If you look at pictures of Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, myself, the back leg is on the ground. You have to get your center of gravity low so that when you're throwing the ball, you're throwing it straight out, rather than down. You can't defy gravity."

Sandy Koufax was not just a high velocity thrower but a power pitcher who also had control…where Nolan Ryan did not. Why? Because Koufax did the large majority of his practice pitching from the mound throwing a lot more game intensity pitches…while Nolan Ryan spent little practice time on the mound, did a lot of flat ground work beside throwing footballs because his pitching coach told him that cross training had value. It does not.

Of course, besides improving velocity by using a long stride, pitchers release the ball closer to the hitter. This gives the hitter less time to react. Hitters don't like that. Plus, the closer you are to the plate, the easier it is to control the ball. So if you want more velocity and better control, then work on being more explosive moving away from the rubber into a long stride at least 100% of your height.

Coaches who continue to tell pitchers to throw from a downward angle should provide you with a red flag that they have not studied pitching mechanics and why the body produces velocity and not the arm. Plus, instructors who tell pitchers to shorten their stride provide another clue that they do not understand how velocity is created. Get away from them fast.

Thousands of pitchers will go into next season with poor mechanics, less velocity, and poor control, all because their instructors do not understand how to teach pitching mechanics, velocity or control. Plus, many high school and college pitchers will waste many hours in the weight room trying to gain velocity. They will never get it in the weight room. Be careful who you listen to.

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