Jake Hurley's mechanics

Pitching Mechanics
#1

Here is Jake’s mechanics from a variety of views. This is the starting point, we’re going to be working on getting him leading with his hips more, achieving triple extension and separation, and stabilizing his lead leg a little more. He’s around the low 70s now, and our goal is the to get him pumping it in the 80s by next spring. Any suggestions, drills, or comments are welcome. Thank you everyone.

http://www.youtube.com/user/bearsboy101#p/u/1/NhEA7nSkXkE (face side)

http://www.youtube.com/user/bearsboy101#p/u/0/80WmsWYixe0 (front)

http://www.youtube.com/user/bearsboy101#p/u/2/NGTV95iceBI (back)

http://www.youtube.com/user/bearsboy101#p/u/3/qGUAljAhYRw (butt side)

#2

votaw03,

In my opinion, your focus should be on command.

Without command, you can have all the velocity in the world and still unintentionally miss your target over the plate. Even on the High School level, the middle of the order salivates over these errors.

Command limits your current mistakes, generates deceptive Throwing Arm speed and allows Pitchers to dominate the Hitters they face.

From my experience, leading with his hips more and achieving triple extension compromises command. Stabilizing the lead leg becomes a reaction to the Pitcher’s posture just before their Foot Plant.

Good luck moving forward.

L.A. “Skip” Fast
Pro Pitching Institute

#3

[quote=“propitchinginstitute”]votaw03,

In my opinion, your focus should be on command.

Without command, you can have all the velocity in the world and still unintentionally miss your target over the plate. Even on the High School level, the middle of the order salivates over these errors.

Command limits your current mistakes, generates deceptive Throwing Arm speed and allows Pitchers to dominate the Hitters they face.

From my experience, leading with his hips more and achieving triple extension compromises command. Stabilizing the lead leg becomes a reaction to the Pitcher’s posture just before their Foot Plant.

Good luck moving forward.

L.A. “Skip” Fast
Pro Pitching Institute[/quote]
I’ve never heard of leading with the hips or achieving triple extension hurting command. Its entirely feasible that you could lose control and command initially as you get used to mechanics, but I believe things such as stillness of the head and glove placement are more likely to cause control/command issues

#4

BenFA,

Hopefully, you received my message before it becomes too late in your pitching career.

Your focus is on velocity without considering the consequences your actions have on command.

Both leading with the hips or achieving triple extension create forward movement which, in turn, causes a Pitcher to have a moving release window.

For each 1" difference between any 2 release windows, the Pitcher misses their last pitch target by 7 inches.

Good luck moving forward.

L.A. “Skip” Fast
Pro Pitching Institute

#5

[quote=“propitchinginstitute”]Both leading with the hips or achieving triple extension create forward movement which, in turn, causes a Pitcher to have a moving release window.[/quote] :?: :?: I can’t say I agree with this one. Command is about repeatable mechanics. I’m sure Tim Lincecum is OK with forward movement. We’re talking about momentum into a stable landing, upper body rotation and translation over that stable front leg, not continuing movement forward a la Mike Marshall’s motion.

Skip. Can you please explain what you would actually recommend re: limitations on forward movement?

#6

I agree dm59 it is all about repeatable mechanics. Jake is working on improving his overall mechanics with velocity at the forefront until we get those repeatable mechanics. If he wanted to stay where he is at stuff wise, he can certainly improve his command. But doing what you always do gives the same results so the change in mechanics to produce a more explosive pitcher with the hips leading and triple extension before front food strike will certainly take some getting used to, especially just starting out it is to be expected. Ideally, through proper drills, video analysis, and an explosive strength training program, his velocity will jump with tweeks in mechanics AND improved control and command. You can always slow down the motion, but you can’t speed up. Watch Trevor Bauer or Tim Lincecum, both move with controlled fury in a rhythmic motion, there’s no wasted motion or something not done with a specific purpose.

#7

Jake,

Varying opinions can only make you better.

From my personal experience, when a Coach adds the right skill at the right time to you motion, you should immediately realize less effort with better results. Anytime you need to get used a skill, the skill probably wasn’t the right skill at the right time for your motion.

To truly succeed, you need command. Command comes from a stationary Glove Side Shoulder position prior to your Foot Pant (just like you see in every Tim Lincecum delivery - 2.96 MLB ERA). Forward momentum causes a premature Foot Plant and your Glove Side Shoulder moving throughout your delivery (just like you see in a Trevor Bauer delivery - 5.96 AA ERA).

Preventing future command failures begins with making adjustments to your motion based upon your motion, not something that works for someone else.

Good luck moving forward.

L.A. “Skip” Fast
Pro Pitching Institute

#8

So if Trevor Bauer lowers his ERA he has all of a sudden fixed this problem?

#9

we need a like button on this site. :lol:

#10

Guys,

As long as Trevor lowers his ERA for more than 2 seasons, then I’d say “yes, he’s most likely found a way to command his pitches”.

L.A. “Skip” Fast
Pro Pitching Institute

#11

You’re going to offend a great deal of the people on this site. Command is a result of proper mechanics, as is velocity.

#12

Votaw03,

Very Seaveresque!

Luv your video presentations from the 4 proper positions although the front view should be from straight on whether elevated over the screen or lowered to where he has to throw over the camera.

Luv that he is not using a catcher to an open screen with no target! If he is working on velocity only his intent and effort counts, he should always train with maximal intent and an open screen allows him to concentrate on maximal effort.

Mechanics have little to do with high speed velocity but some and not enough to worry about it Seaver was consistently at 95 and Jake is very close to him in mechanics. Velocity is purely genetic and has all to do with the amount of fast twitch to slow twitch muscle fibers in any athlete. I would not worry about suggestions about how to lead in or stride or separate or any of the things that people come up with that they think attains velocity, none of it has anything to do with how high speed velocity is produced in that all of these things are performed and passed by long before the forwards ball acceleration phase begins in the leg lifted long stride traditional pitching motion and only small gains in velocity can be manifested. They all are performed during the time of Humeral/forearm transition to full outwards rotation of the humerus.
You can not throw a ball until or unless the Humerus is outwardly rotated!!!

You should be concentrating on how to achieve as long and straight a ball driveline as you can attain during the actual acceleration phase so that the contractions from this point on have a chance to drive the ball for a longer period of time even if it is just a little. This means Jake needs to get his Humerus outwardly rotated to full length much earlier with his pendulum swing timing.

He could make small gains if he were to make some radical changes but I think most people like the rhythm they have produced and some of these things will not be able to change unless radical changes are made so just work on bullet proofing him with muscle mass strength and perform a ballistic portion to his interval training that is what you are doing in the bull pen, it is the same thing that people get out of long toss but better done from the mound “Sport specifically”. I will only recommend changes if you want to hear them otherwise keep on trucking and good luck

How old is Jake?

#13

yardbird,
I completely disagree with your comments about velocity being caused by genetics, and i’m sure many others would agree with me.
velocity is a result of proper mechanics and conditioning, which in terms build up your fast twitch muscle fibers.