All About Pitching

Simple Pitching Tips On Lower Body Pitching Mechanics

Part 1   By Dick Mills

There is really only one way to evaluate pitching mechanics and that is by videotaping.  Pitching instructors or coaches who stand back and just watch with the naked eye will always miss many important problems which could help pitchers improve both velocity and control while reducing arm injuries.

Here are some pitching tips on what to observe when evaluating lower body mechanics. 

It doesn't matter whether I am evaluating or  instructing  a 12 year old Little League pitcher, a high school or college pitcher or even a minor league or major league pitcher...I always videotape.  This is not only for my benefit but for the pitcher as well.  Videotaping is far more effective than any verbal instruction.

If I am doing a video analysis then obviously I am watching video of the pitcher from two preferably three angles.

Since the lower body is what gets the pitcher moving and is most responsible for velocity production, I always focus on lower body mechanics first.  If the lower body mechanics are out of whack then the pitcher is not going to produce maximum velocity, it can affect his control and add stress to his arm.

So always fix lower body mechanics first. 

When I videotape and then go over the video with the pitcher and the parent, I try to keep it very simple so that when the student goes back home, he and his mother or father will know exactly how to videotape and which mechanical faults to be aware of. 

Remember the lower body creates not only the energy that develops velocity but it creates a stable base or foundation for the trunk or upper body to rotate around and flex forward. 

Because lower body mechanics are so important to every aspect of a pitch, it makes little sense to do drills such as the kneeling drill where the lower body is removed since the lower body is what powers the upper body or trunk.  What most people...even experienced coaches are not aware of is that most of a pitcher's velocity is produced by the time the pitcher has landed.  He will get some additional velocity by powerfully flexing the trunk forward but actually most of a pitcher's velocity is produced even before his arm moves.   

Here are the points of the lower body that I focus on in order to keep it simple:

• Watch the pitcher's feet first - be especially aware of the landing foot and how the weight is distributed.  If the weight of the pitcher upon landing is forced to the outside of his foot he will continue to move his body in that direction or spin off...instead directing his body right at the target.  Thus you will have a loss of velocity and more stress to the arm and less ball control.  You would notice this to be the problem when a RH-pitcher is falling off toward first base.  
• Alignment of feet.  I always have a white line drawn (mid-line) on my mound from the ball of the pitcher's foot toward the middle of home plate.  You want the pitcher to land on that line with his big toe or slightly to the open side of that line...but never across that line.
• Is the pitcher's stride length 100% of his height.  I also draw an intersecting line with the mid-line to show 100% stride length. This will insure he is landing on a bent front leg instead of a stiff front leg.  If the stride is too short he is going to lose velocity and landing on a stiff front leg he is putting additional stress on the arm plus causing more control problems
• The landing foot position can be directed right at home plate but preferably should be pointed in a slight angle.  A RH-pitcher's left foot would point at the RH-batter's box.  If the foot is too angled or closed off, the pitcher may have a difficult time getting full hip and trunk rotation.  The key is to make sure that the landing knee is right over the landing foot ankle but preferably directed over the inside of the ankle or foot.  This insures good landing stabilization. If the knee ends up positioned over the outside of the foot the pitcher is in a weak position to transfer forces up the hips and trunk. He will lose velocity and reduce control.
• Don't swing the lead leg out and around into landing.  Swinging the leg out and around slows the pitcher moving toward landing which will reduce velocity.  Plus the swinging of the leg can cause the weight upon landing to end up on the outside of the landing foot as mentioned earlier. 
• Does the pitcher keep his support foot (rear leg) parallel and in contact with the rubber as long as possible?  As the pitcher starts to shift his weight toward the plate as he lunges away from the rubber
• Is the pitcher maximizing his leg drive away from the rubber or is he moving too slow?  A pitcher should think of the pitching rubber the way a sprinter thinks of the starting blocks to get them moving fast.  Speed of movement away from the rubber is the biggest single factor for improving pitching velocity.
• Does the support leg or back leg reach near full extension just before the pitcher lands?  If the pitcher's back leg stays bent this is an indication that he is rotating his body too early...thereby losing velocity. 
• Does the support foot or back foot stay in contact with the ground going into ball release?  If the back foot leaves the ground prior to ball release the pitcher will lose velocity and control.  The back foot in most power pitchers should drag away from the rubber.  Nolan Ryan's foot drag was reported to be about 17". He was 6'2" tall.

So whether your son or your players are in Little League or high school and college be aware of lower body mechanics since they provide the impulse that creates velocity and control. 

In Part 2... I will go over upper body pitching mechanics.

Dick Mills

Don't Forget - My Complete Pitching Instruction program is the only complete "pitching clinic" home study course available that is backed by real sports science research. It's designed for parents, coaches, and players of all ages. Whether you're a pitcher just starting out, or an advanced pitcher looking for answers, we make it simple to understand for both the parent and pitcher.

"Dick’s program has given me the knowledge I need as a pitching coach to help young people succeed. I highly recommend it to any pitcher Little League through college. From mechanics to conditioning to the mental aspect, everything he does is top notch. His program helped our pitchers go 29-1, have a 0.80 ERA last season, and win a State Championship."

Banks Faulkner, Gilbert Indian Baseball, Gilbert, SC

If you're serious about improving pitching performance without risking arm injury or worse reserve your copy of the Complete Pitching Instruction DVD Set today!