"He's sneaky fast," "His fastball is harder than it looks," "I can't pick up his pitches.

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Alexandrina Fleming
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1 "He's sneaky fast," "His fastball is harder than it looks," "I can't pick up his pitches. Hitters describing Greg Moddux

2 The Pitching Edge In his is a short chapter but very long on its importance to delivery. I've mentioned that late torso rotation is a simple concept but a difficult mastery for coach and pitcher, Why? Because it requires neu- T romuscular patience, and most pitchers are just plain in a hurry to throw a baseball. Obviously when pitchers are rushing, flying out, or spinning off (actions that drive pitching coaches crazy!) their bodies are working out of sequence with the kinetic energy that's coming from the feet after their weight transfer. Think of it this way: When absorbing, directing, and delivering energy, remember that feet deliver legs, legs deliver torso, torso delivers arms, and arms deliver baseball. Any physical action from a body part that occurs out of this chain of neuromuscular energy will inhibit strikes and increase stress. Late torso rotation explains why some pitchers with great fastballs get rocked and why some pitchers with seemingly marginal stuff get people out. It's a teachable part of skill in both windup and stretch deliveries with just a basic understanding of the required movement. This chapter should provide coach and pitcher with better solutions for what has been one of pitching's longest running performance and health problems. When pitchers shift their weight from ball of foot to ball of foot they are biomechanically and physically more efficient if they rotate their torso (with dynamic balance, postural stabilization, and elbow alignment forearm angle) as late as possible. Laws of physics dictate that the longer (in time) and farther (in distance) mass moves, the more momentum is created. The more feet, legs, and torso (which are 93 percent of body weight) work to create force and energy, the less the arms (at 7 percent of body weight) will have to work to deliver that force and energy. A consistent release point is achieved with less shoulder and elbow joint trauma more strikes, less stress, hallelujah! There are secondary benefits: (1) the ball travels less distance; one foot of distance is equivalent to 3 mph with a hitter's perception of velocity); and (2) the ball's movement occurs closer to home plate. (Drag crisis, or seams interacting with air resistance, happens later, causing the ball to move later and impeding a hitter's read of fastball, curveball, change-up, or split finger.) A way to quantify late torso rotation is to measure the distance a pitcher's posting foot has moved from the rubber at release point. This distance will be at least one-quarter of stride length if dynamic balance, postural stabilization, and elbow alignment forearm angle lead into a late axis of rotation. (See figure 4.1.) Another way to verify late rotation is to perform the towel drill (see chapter 2). Premature rotation will cause the pitcher to miss on line and short of striking zone. Late rotation results in towel strike every time. You now have information and instruction on technique for four pitching absolutes: (1) dynamic balance, (2) postural stabilization, (3) elbow alignment forearm angle at foot strike, and (4) late torso rotation. If you can grasp the concepts and the logic of these applications, if you can 32

3 Late Torso Rotation There's really only one rule for this absolute: Successful, healthy pitchers initiate an upper-body axis of rotation at about 75 percent of their stride length. In other words, with good pitchers, their axis, or the line of head over belly button (center of gravity), gels to about three-quarters of whatever stride length they attain before torso and shoulders begin rotating aligned elbows, angled forearms, glove, and baseball into launch. Most of the marquee pitchers in the major leagues rotate even later. For example, motion analysis at BioKinetics reveals that Greg Maddux has an axis of rotation at 83 percent of his stride length. How stress-free and full of strikes is Greg? No missed starts in nine-plus years, less than one walk per nine innings, a sneaky fastball with late movement on all pitches, and four Cy Young Awards (ho-hum!}. Head and c.g. at foot strike Head and cg. when torso starts to rotate Torso into rotation at 75 percent of stride length 33

4 The Pitching Edge inform and instruct technique in this sequence, then absolute 5, flex-t elbow position at release point, the subject of the final chapter of part I, will flow just like the kinetic links in a pitcher's delivery! Figure 4.1 The posting foot will leave the rubber by a distance at least one-quarter of the stride length if a pitcher has late torso rotation at the release point. 34

5 "Get By lie" Drill On flat ground or mound, have a coach or another player stand with (a) exactly the same posture as the pitcher and (EDI lead foot at the same distance but one foot off the line created between the posting foot and the landing foot of the pitcher ot maximum stride length. Then have a pitcher throw a baseball, or shadow a towel, without touching the coach or other player throughout delivery. This cannot be accomplished with premature rotation. Some body port, usually elbow, forearm, or glove, will contact the "get by me" guy If the pitcher goes past the "get by me" guy in a delivery without touching him, then he's learned to rotate late! 35

6 House Cali on the Pros Correct Torso Rotation Greg Maddiix's axis of rotation, is a1 83 per- Satoru Komiyamo, one of the top pitchers in cent of stride length and his torso is just starting i. 1.Japan, takes his axis of rotation to about 80 to rotate intolotinch." percent of stride.length.. Incorrect' Torso Rotation :Steve Avery's axis, ofirolationi.is at ab,out 60-,,Joey: Hamilton's axis of rotation is a 'little less percent Of stride :length, cind,startgloefai,e front than 60, percent of stride length and starts, be Foot contact '.fore front contsfal. 36

2015 Spencerport Rangers Pitching Manual

2015 Spencerport Rangers Pitching Manual Pitching Philosophy 1. We need to take care of arms. Adhere to the 7 Mechanical Steps and keep mound pitching to a minimum during practice. Flat ground work can