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Do you want better pitching mechanics? Developing your mechanics is the most important element to your success as a pitcher. What defines great mechanics? It’s actually quite simple. Once you can successfully utilize your body as a single unit, then you have achieved good mechanics. The first step to great mechanics is to understand the leg lift and balance point. There are some misconceptions about the balance point, and you need to aware of them. First, you are not to be in a perpendicular position at the peak of your leg lift. This method has been taught for decades: “you must reach a point of balance”. Yes the emphasis on balance is important, but you must maintain balance throughout your entire delivery. Instead of being perpendicular at the peak of your leg lift, your weight should already be shifted, your drive knee should be inside your drive hip, and your lead hip should be driving towards home. As your foot descends towards the ground, make sure it goes down and out. This is opposed to out and around, which is a common mechanical flaw. In order to achieve excellent stride speed and length, you must have effective rear leg drive. The key to rear leg drive is to push towards home. The only way to properly do this is to make you don’t over-collapse the drive leg. The drive knee should never shift of the drive foot. This tendency will reduce your power towards home because your weight will be left behind. At foot strike, you will reach one of the most important aspects of your mechanics: hip to shoulder separation. Hip to shoulder separation is responsible for about 80 percent of potential velocity. Here is the ideal hip to shoulder separation: as your foot hits the ground, your hips should be completely open and aimed towards home, and your upper body and arm should still be closed off. This separation between the two halves creates massive torque and will launch the arm into external rotation, and eventually internal rotation. You must focus on achieving more separation, and if you do, you will see significant increases in your pitching velocity. The most effective way to develop your mechanics is through video recording. With a camera you can slow down and stop at each stage of your mechanics. The throwing motion is very complex and difficult to judge with the naked eye. Therefore, you must use a camera is you’re serious about improving your mechanics.
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