Greg Maddux Landing Closed

#1

I read that landing too closed or open can effect a pitcher’s arm health. Though I can’t help but notice in this vid that Maddux lands very closed and you can even tell by his dragline. It goes waayy off to the right, but this guy is said from everybody that he has very good mechanics. I’m not saying he doesn’t cause of his health during his entire career, he must of been doing something right, or just plain lucky. He also doesn’t seem like a max out or even 95% effort guy which could of saved his arm a lot less stress. He’s shown that he could hit low 90’s but I believe it was a choice not to throw in the 90’s vs not being able to hit 90 because of genetics/ability.

Anyway, here is the video I was watching:

#2

Here’s a view from a bit more directly behind him, you can see he isn’t really closed at all.

Here’s another which looks really really closed until you see how he orients his body.

remember, throwing in a pen is not the same as game effot, in your’s and the last one, he looks like he was working on a repeatability aspect of his delivery more than anything, he never went striding towards the catcher like he did in my last…so to me that is evidence he was “working” on something and shouldn’t be considered the “model” of how he delivered the ball.

#3

you showed me two different videos of him, in the video i’m talking about he does land closed and if he didn’t then why is his dragline going way off to the closed side?

#4

[quote] your’s and the last one, he looks like he was working on a repeatability aspect of his delivery more than anything, he never went striding towards the catcher like he did in my last…so to me that is evidence he was “working” on something and shouldn’t be considered the “model” of how he delivered the ball[/quote].

Big deal if he’s working on something and his “dragline” isn’t doing what you’d expect, it is completely meaningless. He very obviously did not follow through with his legs in the way he did while throwing those pens. More evidence that he was “working” on something…judging by the way he was moving (In yours and my last one), I’d say he was working on timing/sequencing and wasn’t really concerned about other things…like leg involvement/follow through, momentum development, velocity…though those things are by-products of proper timing/sequencing.

#5

did he tell that to you? I have game video where his dragline is as long and to the side as in the video I was talking about…though I do note that it is against a lefty.

I don’t care about draglines but they can show how closed/straight/open somebody lands based on the direction it goes for those who do drag.

So all I’m wondering is maybe landing closed off as much as Maddux isn’t bad.

Lincecum lands very closed, I am just curious to see how he holds up as he gets older. Cause that delivery isn’t going to be easy to repeat when you are in your mid to upper 30’s. By then if he has enough respect he will be allowed to throw with less velocity like Maddux.

#6

Nope, who told you all that about dragline?
What I was trying to show you is that Greg Maddux did not, in game situations on the mound land closed, he landed in the classic sense, oriented properly to the plate. Here he is in a game situation, looks like no dragline, and he didn’t land closed.

If you are looking for reasons to continue to land closed…well if you get people out and aren’t hurting after each time you throw…then you are doing good…if not look to change.