Saw a tweet that has had me thinking the last couple weeks.
https://twitter.com/drivelinebases/status/588459138822246400
Is this executed from a delayed hand break, delayed pickup, proper glove side, proper lower body? How can you achieve a dominant back shoulder that is responsible for staying closed?
Saw that a little while back, but never saw KB expand on it.
I think this is what makes it so tough…it is a mix of everything you listed and it will vary person to person. I would always look at the bottom half first. Almost every pitcher I see when I do go to games…be it youth games, high school games or mens league games…swing their front leg open. Call it opening up or whatever you want. I call it early rotation…that early rotation with bottom half makes it tough to stay closed and create hip/shoulder separation.
Just my humble opinion, but, until the lower half is “fixed”…meaning a thrower is getting energy moving down the mound in way that allows for balance and a late, explosive hip rotation, the shoulders are probably going to open with the bottom half. A “one piece” delivery if you will.
So, to me, it starts with the lower half and moves up.
Would like to hear KB explain more. In my mind, the shoulders cannot be separated. The back shoulder doesn’t rotate around the front shoulder - both shoulders rotate around the spine. What affects one side affects both sides.