Back on a mound...FINALLY!

Pitching Mechanics
#1

Well, yesterday me and my friend METS! went to a local field to record some videos.

Unfortunately the field had a pretty crappy (and flat) mound, but that’s how it is in downtown NY…

Anyways, here are some links

Side -

Back -

I definitely need to do something about my landing; it’s inconsistent and I’m off balance more than half the time. I was also kinda wild, but I expected that as I haven’t been on a mound as of late…

I need opinions and analyses. :slight_smile:

also:
Do you think I should close my hips more when I pick up my front leg?
And is there really something wrong with pausing at the top of the leg lift as I do? There seems to be stigma attached to doing that from the momentum-creation crowd…

Thanks!

#2

You lean your body forward at the balance point which is not good(close your hip more don’t just hang it out there that might fix it that problem). Your elbow when you throw is past 90 degrees yours is more like 110 r sumthin and it should just be a shade inside 90 other wise this could cause arm troubles via kerry wood he did both of those things. You could try to stride out a little farther if possible you should be close to if not higher than 100% of height(i’m 105% but you didn’t need to know that). Try not to move your head so much on your side step. That’s all I can think i’m sure ristar and roger and them will chime in they are really helpful on mechanics.

#3

To help make your foot land in the same spot more consistent try this put a piece if tape or something on the floor in a straight line and just go threw your windup as you usually would with your foot landing on the same spot on the tape every time. Then just go from that and to check on your mechanics you could shadowbox to see what your doing wrong. But you’ll need a big mirror for that.

#4

I noticed three things, 1; yes you do fall of and chandler has explained that. 2; Your knee lift. With each pitch your knee lift is different, whether that be height or the angle of it going back. 3; your glove hand. As you pitch your glove hand opens up, this could lead to opening up early and putting extra strain on your arm. Chicken winging your arm should help this.

#5

I definitely see the risk if the elbow was lower than 90, but I think i have an argument…

I assume that youre talking about this:

http://img396.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vlcsnap180241px8.png][img]http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/4016/vlcsnap180241px8.th.png[/img

In which case, although it is beyond 90 degrees with respect to the vertical plane, it is exactly 90 with respect to my body. Simply put, I tend to lean back. Of course, I could be wrong or missing the point :lol:

I’ve actually been throwing like this for a while, and have been injury-free.

thanks for the other tips by the way! and I completely forgot to mention that my stride was indeed shorter than usual. I was also unaware of the inconsistency with my knee lift until I saw the video for myself.

#6

Actually that picture looks just about right. It just looked like it was different on youtube. 8) Your lucky too I wish I was a lefty. And sometimes at the beginning you separate your hands from your glove them put them back in but I don’t know if that bothers with your mechanics are not.

Edit: the 90 degress I am talking about is between your elbow and forearm. If I had a fancy picture thing I would show you. I know you’ve played injury free like this but when your arm does hurt where does it hurt? My guess would be your bicep.

#7

^
Ah, I see. I personally think it looks like 90. Camera angle might be confusing. I also have these videos in higher definition on my PC and I can watch those in slo-mo, and it looks alright.

I don’t recall pain in my bicep whenever I throw, but I should note that sometimes my elbow hurts on the side closest to the body, usually, when I try to throw harder than normal. Those I can recall. My arm didn’t hurt yesterday actually. If it did, it was too short for me to remember.

and about that thing where I take the ball out of my glove briefly…It looks like a minor bad habit I should correct.

It’s pretty late in NY, so I’ll call it a night for now :slight_smile:

#8

ok, so today at camp, i had a fair bit of trouble throwing strikes. everything I threw was outside to the right-handed batters. yeah, i’m opening up too early…

also, I’m not sure how prevalent the problem is now, but I lacked hip and shoulder separation back then. does the problem still exist?

finally, as you can probably tell my glove-hand action is rather abbreviated. do you think that holding it out longer before pulling it in will prevent me from opening up earlier, AND help to achieve the proper separation between hips and shoulders? other alternatives just feel awkward, and this way seems quickest.

if anyone has a good example of hip-shoulder separation, please show me.

feel free to post other criticisms you have concerning the videos…
:slight_smile:

#9

Things that I think will help you are

Step 45* rocker step
Go a little faster
Stride longger
Work on back leg extension DO NOT DRIVE THE LEG FORWARD SO IT COLLASP

look at kevin brown or roger clemens in the video part of the web site and watch there back leg over and over it doesn’t bend and drive like a knee to the plate. Instead it gets extened.

STOP THE BALANCE POINT that will slow you down and reduce MPH I think you should move to the plate as soon as you lift your foot. Look at Randy Johnson and how he is moving to the plate while lifting his leg that will help alot.

#10

^thanks for the feedback.

but what is this 45 degree rocker step?

#11

Look how roy oswalt steps back to throw I’m pretty sure thats a 45 degree rocker step. It’s not to the side or straight back but in the middle ok.

#12

I don’t like the leg lift. Lift your knee towards your belly button. You’re too stiff. Make it one smooth motion in order to build momentum in the arm and hips. Imagine that you are under water in a pool. That’s how smooth the motion should be.

You can basically scrap the windup and the leg lift and still end up with the same velocity. Alot of energy is being wasted because there is too much pause before and after leg lift

#13

i have to agree with you now that I think about it. i’ll definitely change that the next few days.