Help me figure out what's wron please

#1

I’m 6’3 180lbs and throw from 72-75. I’m 16, a sophomore in high school. What am I doing wrong that is keeping my from throwing harder? I do cuff work and core every other day. Can anyone pick out some flaws in my delivery or what I can do better ? Thank you !

#2

What does your lifting/conditioning program look like? Ever use weighted balls?

#3

[quote=“erutherford”]What does your lifting/conditioning program look like? Ever use weighted balls?[/quote] I don’t really do anything during the season except cuff work 3x a week and occasionally gym visit for upper body. I’ve never done weighted balls.

#4

YOu have very little power coming from your lower body, and what power you do have is lost due to your purposely forced long stride. Shorten your stride to your comfort.

#5

Hmmm…here we have another individual who needs to learn about “The Secret”. I learned it many moons ago when I used to go to the original Yankee Stadium and watched the pitchers, particularly the Big Three. I saw what they were doing and how they were doing it; they were all driving off the lower half of the body, using the legs, the hips and the torso, thus creating a nonstop flow of energy all the way up through the shoulders and arms to the fingertips. They knew, as few pitchers did, that the lower body is really the key to a pitcher’s power and that was how they generated more power behind their pitches so they could throw harder and faster with less effort—even Eddie Lopat who was by no means a fireballer—and in the process took a lot of pressure off said extremities.
Our friend here needs to learn this, learn to work with it and master it. They may not have called the starting point this, but a good place to begin is with the “Hershiser drill” which aims at getting the hips—the connection between the lower and upper halves of the body—fully involved. There’s no special equipment involved here, just a fence or a wall, and getting this involvement is the first step. As for the stride, I don’t think it has much to do with it; every pitcher’s stride length is different, and maybe a minor adjustment would be all that is needed. What is really needed is more explosiveness—if you watch Mariano Rivera in action you’ll see this. A good pitching coach will help. :baseballpitcher: :baseballpitcher:

#6

Agree. You need to learn “The Secret”. It appears there is very lower half power used in your delivery. I also agree that a stride forced long is killing momentum to the plate.

#7

It’s a bit difficult to see from the camera angle and distance, but it looks to me like your not ever getting your throwing arm (elbow) up high enough and you wind up kind of pushing the ball instead of throwing it. I also agree that you are not getting enough early momentum from your lower half. Once you get to your knee lift or even slightly before (whatever you can control best) make your sequence be to start your hips to the plate, then focus on hand break, etc.

Good luck.

#8

Hey guys thanks for the replies, what drills can I do or excercises at the gym or at home can I do to strengthen and use my legs more in my delivery.

#9

To me leg “strength” will increase your endurance - not necessarily your velocity. Don’t get me wrong - stronger legs should equate to higher velocity in that your stronger legs should be able to handle your lower body moving faster better than weaker legs would. What you are searching for is getting more velocity through better lower body (legs, hips, core) mechanics and timing and not just utilizing your upper body (chest, shoulders, arms) to provide all the force on the ball.

#10

Exactly! The whole point is that the entire body has to be involved and that the hips are the connection between both halves. In working with the “Hershiser” drill to get the hips involved you’ll also strengthen the legs, and it will build up so that the whole system can and will function as it should. It was easier for me, it turned out, because I was a true, natural, honest-to-gosh sidearmer! :slight_smile: