Why Incorrect Pitching Mechanics Practice Routines Reduce Velocity

by Dick Mills on December 18, 2009

If pitchers want to improve overall pitching performance including pitching mechanics,  pitching velocity as well as control then they must practice correctly.  Practicing improper pitching mechanics reduces velocity and will increase the risk of injury.

This is why using video analysis is so important for improving pitching mechanics as well as pitching velocity. It allows the pitcher to look at the video and get instant feedback as to whether he is doing it right or wrong.  This instant feedback is valuable in that it allows the pitcher the opportunity to make corrections on the spot...rather than to look at the video later and realize he wasted an entire practice session getting worse instead of better.

The video reveals a common problem we see today. This college left-hander is working on improving however he is actually creating more bad habits and can only get worse since he is practicing poor mechanics.

Pitchers need to have a fundamental understanding of how the body is supposed to work to maximize pitching velocity.  Here is a short list of mechanical checkpoints and common mechanical faults that the pitcher must know in order to continuously improve his mechanics:

1. Shift the lower body toward the target leading with the front hip - don't over-rotate and turn away from target
2. Take the ball out of the glove after shifting the weight toward the target - don't break the hands too early
3. Swing the arm down, back and up so that the arm gets to a good cocked position at landing - getting the arm up too early reduces velocity
4. Use the back leg and hip to explode sideways toward the target - don't rotate the hips early
5. Develop a stride that is at least 100% of the pitcher's height - short stride reduce velocity potential
6. Complete back leg drive just before landing - most pitchers rotate too early and thereby never complete back leg drive
7. Upon landing brace-up the front leg and hip so that energy is quickly transferred to the trunk which whips the arm through - most pitcher let the knee continue to move forward and brace too late
8. Get the head and shoulders out over the landing knee at ball release - many pitchers release the ball behind their landing knee
9. Finish in a flat back position - don't finish with the trunk upright

There is certainly more to it but that gives the pitcher an understanding of what he should be looking for when practicing on his own with the aid of a video camera.  Obviously without video how will he know whether he is practicing good or bad habits?  In fact, most pitchers are actually develop very bad habits each time they practice so that practice is actually making them worse not better.

Remember..."pitchers are made in the off-season."   What are you doing right now to improve your pitching skills?

These are some of the important aspects 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. Not only does this improve velocity but reduces the risk of arm injuries.

See our Holiday Discounts on our instructional DVD's:  http://www.pitching.com/products/

"I had spent several hundred dollars on a pitching coach who was leading my son down the path to ruin. He embraced every failed philosophy and technique you've identified - long toss, towel drills and more drills ad nauseum. My son's skills were deteriorating. When I found your website and read your report, I sense intuitively your words had merit and deserved further study."    Mark Smith, Downers Grove,IL