Dice-k, Nolan Ryan, Scott Kazmir

Pitching Mechanics
#1

They all do something I think is pretty smart. They keep there post leg bent for a long time and right before plant they rotate it down and in with the post/back leg.

http://www.pitchingclips.com/players/scott_kazmir.htm

http://www.pitchingclips.com/players/nolan_ryan.htm

http://www.pitchingclips.com/players/daisuke_matsuzaka.htm

They all rotate the leg down and in before land my questions are:

Would it be safe for a pitcher to try to turn the leg down and in like that into plant?

Is it a cause or a result to have the leg turn down and in like that?

#2

Its called backside knee drive.
http://www.stevenellis.com/steven_ellis_the_complete/2007/08/visual-aids-pit.html
How would it be harmful?
I say try it and see if anything hurts or is sore after doing it.

#3

I’m not talking about it coming forward also that is after release or at release im talking about the leg turning down and inward into plant not back knee drive.

#4

If your legs are wider than shoulder width apart and you want to turn your hips 90 degrees, the leg opposite the turn simply has to rotate also.

I summon Roger, kv86, etc!

#5

This is something laflippin brought up in the Lincecum thread a few days ago.

Back knee drive and leg turning inward into plant is the same thing, different words.

It’s a result of “rotating out to landing”. What is happening is that they are using the muscles of the back hip to turn the post leg inward and at the same time gravity causes the body to “drop” into foot plant. The bent post leg allows them to maintain dynamic balance as well as get a better hip drive into footplant.

Also notice that all three have a sweeping leg motion.

#6

I personally believe that “back side knee drive” is a myth. I noticed this several years ago and recently wrote about it, I believe in the Lincecum thread. Look at the back femur, not the knee. It extends at the hip joint. There’s a bend in it during the early part of the stride. It extends as the hips rotate into landing. This, core action, and the momentum generated during the stride, cause the hips to rotate. The guys RIstar mentioned all extend the femur, all the way out. THEN, the knee comes a bit forward, in kind of a “recoil”. It’s not an active ingredient here but a passive result. It’s the hip rotation and upper leg extension that is important.

#7

go kazmir :lol:

#8

I yield to xv and dm. Good comments from them.