Pitching Mechanics - Compare Your Delivery To Zach Greinke
by Dick Mills on October 05, 2009
Pitchers can easily see the difference in their pitching mechanics between their deliveries and those of a major league pitcher such as Royals' Zach Greinke or Red Sox's Daniel Bard. The differences reveal why Little League, high school or college pitchers are not able to maximize their velocity...or control.
Most major league pitchers display similarities in how they use their bodies to produce velocity while most amateur pitchers try to gain velocity from their arms.
When we do a side-by-side motion analysis we show parents, coaches and players why velocity is produced by weight shift, a late hand break, powerful back leg drive, moving sideways longer into a long stride while getting the head and chest out over the landing knee at ball release so the pitcher is as close to the hitter as possible. This also makes it easier to create better ball control.
Those aspects are clearly shown in the above video by both Royals Zach Greinke and Red Sox Daniel Bard...two pitchers we like to use during motion analysis.
Neither long toss or getting bigger and stronger is going to produce a faster arm. A faster arm can only be produced from developing more explosive mechanics that produce more energy so that the trunk rotates and flexes forward faster which is how the arm is whipped through at a higher speed.
Arm speed is created from the body...not from the arm. This also reduces the risk of injury.
A video analysis is a parents insurance policy against reducing their son's overall pitching performance while insuring they avoid the risk of injury.
Video analysis is the key to pitching improvement. And so isn't building functional strength and flexibility. This is what I have been focusing on in our Explosively Pitching DVD program since 2004. We teach parents how to help their sons use their bodies to pitch instead of just their arms. And how to get specifically stronger for pitching without losing flexibility. Not only does this improve velocity but reduces the risk of arm injuries. http://www.pitching.com/products/
"My 14 year old son's velocity jumped 12 mph, his control improved dramatically and his arm pain vanished. For the first time since he has been pitching, he finally understands what he is doing...what causes the ball to do what it does and how his body functions to be effective...now that is priceless."
Mark A Smith, Downers Grove, IL
