Push or pull?

#1

I was talking with my old friend today about the problem being discussed in another thread about holes in front of the rubber. Eventually the subject of how a pitcher uses the rubber came up, and he had some very interesting things to say about it, and that got me to thinking. So, I thought I’d throw this question out there for some discussion.

Should a pitcher PUSH or PULL off the rubber?

#2

could you explain please i dont get it ahaha…

#3

My opinion…

If a pitcher distributes his weight between his feet, then lifting the stride leg creates an imbalance resulting in the pitcher falling forward. But that doesn’t get the pitcher moving forward aggressively enough so there is some assistance in the form of a push. This push is a sideways push against the ground/rubber using the hip abductor. It occurs right at the beginning of the delivery and its purpose is to initiate aggressive movement towards home plate. This sideways push may be followed by a slight push due to plantar flexion (i.e. extension of the ankle) right before the back foot turns over. Later in the delivery, as the pitcher is into his stride and the back foot turns over, it is pulled away from the rubber.

#4

Pull, Pull!!!

Excellent … the Back Hip pulls the Back Foot.

    When I look at a Pitcher's Pitching Chain, this means the Pitcher's Throwing Hand becomes an extension of their Hips. The Pitcher throws through a tiny release window and displays exemplary command within the strike zone.
More Common Place ... the Throwing Hand pulls the Back Foot.
    When I see this, I know something early in the Pitcher's Pitching Chain causes the Pitcher's Hips to prematurely fire. The point where the Pitcher's Hips stop driving their Throwing Hand becomes the spot where the Pitcher's Throwing Hand begins to work independently and the spot where the Pitcher's release window begins to expand.
L.A. "Skip" Fast Pro Pitching Institute
#5

Question for Skip:

How does the pitching hand become an extension of the hips when the idea is to create torque with hip-shoulder separation? Wouldn’t the hips open just before landing, the shoulders remain closed, and then the arm gets up into the high cocked position at landing?

#6

Answer for structuredoc:

Google “kinematic sequence” and you’ll find athletically, it’s best for the Hips to instantly power the athlete’s Upper Body. In a pitching motion,

    1. The Hips open [i]at[/i] landing. 2. The torque generated by the Hips instantaneously moves up a vertical Trunk. 3. This energy instantly moves into the Throwing Hand.
Ironically, most of the references apply to Golf, but, just like a Golf swing, a Pitching Motion is an athletic event. Instead of generating power into a club head, the Hip action creates a spontaneous reflex reaction in the Pitcher's Throwing Hand ... the Throwing Hand becomes an extension of the Hips.

L.A. “Skip” Fast
Pro Pitching Institute