I like PG
quote:
While there are certain mechanics that can help with arm action or hinder good arm action… Arm action to me is a very natural thing, more than it is anything that can be taught. Good arm action is fluid, fast, and effortless… It is something you know when you see it, rather than breaking it down by parts. I think it is possible to have bad mechanics and great arm action or vise versa! Smoltz has great arm action as do most of the top pitchers.
Was pretty much what I was getting at.
Some people tend to over-coach. They want to coach every single movement. That tends to get kids to think too much about everything instead of letting the body do what it knows how to do naturally.
Now about the arm not creating velocity
5.34
The role of the Shoulder, Arm, Wrist, and Fingers in Pitching Velocity
"Many pitching coaches ascribe high value to the shoulder, arm, wrist, and fingers as significant contributors to pitching velocity. It is not unusal to hear of coaches concentrating on increasing arm speed or stressing release velocity with the wrist and/or fingers as suggested ways of improving release velocity. However, those attributions are erroneous [that means they're wrong].
There is considerable research that shows pitching velocity is established when the arm is cocked and the lead leg is firmly planted.Wrist and fingers. Pappas, Morgan, Shulz, and Diana (1995) showed that while the wrist went through degrees of extension and flexion in a pitch, none of the actions contributed to a release velocity. Ostensibly, the wrist is ivolved in positioning the ball for an accurate release. ****, Ford, Ford, and Shin (1995) actually showed that marginally slowing the wrist action before ball release increased pitching velocity. It could be theorized that slowing flexion contributed to maintaining the ball on a linear path rather than pulling it down even to a very small degree. The position of the wrist contributes to the line of force that is applied to the ball.
The fingers do not contribute to release velocity at all (Hore, Watts, & Martin, 1996). Up until release, the only finger action is extension. Flexion occurs after release as a reaction to the force of the ball on the extended fingers.
Shoulder and arm. Jobe, Tibone, Perry, and Moynes (1983) anaylzed EMG activity in the shoulder muscles in pitching. The cocking action of the arm showed a consistent sequence of muscle activation: deltoid, the SIT muscles (scapularis, infraspinatus, teres minor), and then the subscapularis. However, acceleration out of the cocked positions exhibited virtually
NO muscle activation. Only when the ball was released and the arm and shoulder needed to slow rapidly in the follow-through were there any high levels of muscular activity. The velocity of a pitch is affected by the elastic properties of the arm (residing mainly in the ligaments, tendons, and isometrically contracted muscles) and
NOT by muscular contraction. As is often explained in this book, this confirms the assertion that it is the structural elements in the shoulder and arm that contribute to pitching velocity, not contracting the muscles. That is a concept that many baseball coaches will find difficult to accept. However, it is supported by evidence and contradicts common coaching beliefs.
Simeone (1997) analyzed 41 collect pitchers for maximal external rotation, average and peak internal angular velocity of the shoulder during the acceleration phase of the pitching sequence, and linearl ball velocity at pitch release. No statistically significant relationship were found betweeen any of the variables. This indicated that the moving shoulders and arms make no major contribution to release velocity, that being determined by actions preceding involvment of shoulder in the throwing action.
The throwing actions of both arms were compared (Hore, Watts, Tweed, & Miller, 1996). Timing errors at the fingers had a greater effect than errors at other joints because finger errors were scaled by the higher angular velocity of the hand rather than by the smaller angular velocities of the individual joints. This study showed why it is important to consider the role of control played by the arm, wrist, and fingers rather than velocity generation.
A coach who emphasizes arm, wrist, and finger speed, and late shoulder actions as ways of improving pitching velocity actually will be coaching features that will be detrimental to both pitching velocity and control. Such emphases should be used as a guideline by pitchers about the knowledge and value of a pitching coach."
5.18
Speed of Movements
"A majority of pitching coaches believe that baseball release velocity is a function of the qualities of muscle groups involved in the action. This has given rise to advocating weight training, weighted-ball throwing, among many other activities associated with doing something to the muscles. Russians have known for a long time (Bukreseva, 1955; Farfel, 1950) that 'the speed rate in any joint relfects not so much the speed qualities of a certain muscle group [or groups], but rather the general motor capability for making maximum quick movements' (Genov, 1970a; p. 233).
Training and practicing high velocity movements, such as pitching a baseball, should focus on producing skilled movement patterns that allow the inherent speed qualities of an individual to be fully realized. Attemps to alter muscles through resistance or device training will be largely futile attemps to change pitching velocity in individuals who have stopped growing. One could assert that many pitching coaches 'have lost the plot' if they had it... [E]ffective pitching training should focus on facilitating movement speed about all joints involved in the action. The muscles will take care of themselves.
The velocity of a pitch is determined by many structural features of the body and mechanicals properties of a movement pattern. Speed of movement does not come from slow training of a physiological nature, for example, heavy weight training.
Speed of movement comes from maximum stimulation of the pre-stretch phenomenon in muscles at the muscular level and the coordinated sequencing and timing of movement segments at the complex skill level.
However, one structural factor cannon be ignored or explained away in pitching. That is the Principle of Speed Development.
Performing explosive speed movements is the only way of training explosive speed. Explosiveness resides in the contractile properties of muscle, not in energizing physiological characteristics. Biochemical energy production does not produce movement explosiveness, but the contracile properties of tissues do."
That's all from, Dr. Brent Rushall's portion of the book, where he then explains how Roy Oswalt is good, but could he be great?
You might wanna pick up the book. Perhaps you'd expand your knowledge.
