Left-Handed Pitcher Mechanics Help

kjam32, I don't see any problems with your mechanics. You actually look pretty fluid and relaxed to me. Usually rushing is associated with late hand separation, but I don't see that. Perhaps you're just rushing in a game situation? Are you more consistent in bullpens than in games? If so, just make sure you're breathing and keeping yourself calm. Good luck.

I gotta agree with Bum in that you got some nice mechanics. Real smooth, fluid and most importantly consistent. The arm action on all the pitches was almost identical which is awesome.

I think Bum hits the nail on the head when he talks about controlling your breathing and work on your focus. Without really knowing you in game situations I would guess that controlling your adrenaline would be key to not feeling rushed.

I'm going to throw something out there and see what you and others think. Your left foot drags a small bit which could possibly slow your arm action down. What I'm thinking is in a game situation the drag might be more pronounced which makes you want to hurry your arm up due to the slowing of the arm or it might make you think that way.

I can't say that for certain without seeing game film or watching you live but I've seen something like this happen with other pitchers.

Overall I think you got a great delivery and keep working at it. If you can spot your pitches and mix speeds you can be very successful.

My only critism is that you don't drag your post foot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kDVYYgW8Ag

Well.........first I said it MIGHT be a problem but not sure based on limited information. Second what the pitcher in your video is doing is totally different than what the opening poster is doing. Third the field conditions aren't the same.

In your video

1. The pitcher is a max effort looking kinda guy. He's putting a lot more effort into gaining a longer stride. When doing that the back foot almost has to drag the ground.

2. The mound that your pitcher is on is in pretty good shape. There is a very small rise / lip just in front of the pitching rubber. This won't affect anything.

In the opening post video

1. This kid is more efficient and low energy in his mechanics. He's not trying to gain a longer stride based on how he lifts, lowers and extends his front leg to create momentum. When doing this you won't be able to truly gain a lot of ground like in your video.

2. The mound this kid is throwing from isn't that great. If you look closely from the side pitches it looks like the toes on his left foot disappear into a hole before coming forward. This will affect your mechanics.

Overall no matter the mechanics there will always be some type of foot drag. It's unavoidable but if not watched it can affect performance.

So basically the two videos having nothing to do with each other.

My other criticism was that the kid should move to the other mound. He is trying to pitch in a confined area and it affects his motion.
Mechanics are mechanics. The toe drag is part of stabilizing the lower body to get the most leverage on the ball and extending as far as possible as he releases.

You arm action looks a little "stiff" to me (as when you pull the ball out of your glove you sort of hook it backwards, then you get the ball a little close to your ear when you're ready to throw).



It's not terrible and overall you look pretty solid. Just something you might want to look at.

I do not think you rush as your timing and rhythm seem pretty good.

I also do think you drag your back foot (whatever that says about mechanics I'm not really sure...).



Looks like he drags it to me.

Rob if you watched the video I posted it shows what I referred to as drag the foot.
Also notice where the hips are comparative to the RHP. The RHP's hips are parallel to the plate when he thrusts to wards the plate while the LHP's hips are still moving forward. That is why you keep the post foot on the ground and drag it allowing your lower half to stabilize.

quote:

Originally posted by BobbleheadDoll:
Also notice where the hips are comparative to the RHP. The RHP's hips are parallel to the plate when he thrusts to wards the plate while the LHP's hips are still moving forward.

I have no idea at what point of the delivery you are talking about. Is it at footplant?

BHD I got two questions about your video that makes me think it's contradicting itself.

1. The whole video is about generating momentum through a longer stride. I can understand that part but how does dragging the foot help accelerate when all it does is slow the body down?

It would seem to me that you would NOT want to have anything holding you back while generating momentum forward. You said the toe drag is stabilizing the lower body to get leverage on the ball and extending as far as possible as he releases. My problem with that is if you are trying to create leverage then you want to be as high as possible and that would include getting the backside into the air - not dragging the foot. Also if the dragging is what stablizes the lower body then what are you doing that creates an off balance and why would you do that?

2. What do you mean the hips are parallel to the plate? What is your definition of parallel? I'm inclined to think the hips are more perpendicular to the plate but this is probably just semantics.

One last question - why is the pitcher in your video got half of his foot on and other half off the pitching rubber?

1st you are trying to accelerate the upper body not the lower body. The lower body has to stabilize in order to create the max rotational torque. (Hip separation).
Here is everyones favorite pitcher showing the hips parallel to home plate as the arm is trusting forward. It is a fact that you cannot generate the upper body torque without stopping the lower body and creating a stable base to develop arm speed.
If your hips are still moving as you thrust you arm forward you lose some torque and control.
The hips have to lead creating separation and Tim shows it best. Notice his post foot stays down until after release.

http://www.chrisoleary.com/pro...ses/TimLincecum.html

The LHP here lifts too soon and doesn't allow his hips to get out front and stabilize.

quote:

Originally posted by BobbleheadDoll:
. The lower body has to stabilize in order to create the max rotational torque.

Agreed.

quote:

If your hips are still moving as you thrust you arm forward you lose some torque and control.

The LHP here lifts too soon and doesn't allow his hips to get out front and stabilize.

You can see from this clip that this players hips do not move forward once he reaches footplant. If you look at his right hip (and leg), it is quite solid and stationary at this point as the left hip (and the rest of his torso) continues to rotate and then he releases the ball.



His hips ARE parallel (as you say) when he releases the ball. Once the ball is out then he continues forward (from the remaining rotational force and momentum).

His base seems quite stable to me and I don’t know why you would want his back foot to be dragging any longer than it does.

In the dick mills video that player looks way more "unstable" to me as his posting leg foot is half on and half off the rubber most of the time.

This player may have some small issues, but the way he lands and what his post foot does isn’t one of them.

His hips do get out front late as his post foot has already lifted off. I guess you will see what you want. It is very clear in both clips I posted that the hips are out front before the post leg lifts off. His ball release is while his leg lifts and not while the post foot is still on the ground.

quote:

In the dick mills video that player looks way more "unstable" to me as his posting leg foot is half on and half off the rubber most of the time.

Most pitchers don't post on the rubber but in front of it. You must be one of the push off the rubber guys.

Look at Tim's slow motion from his right side. Toe is still contacting the ground after the ball is released. The post leg lift is a result of his follow through.
That is the 16th clip down.

quote:

Originally posted by BobbleheadDoll:

quote:

In the dick mills video that player looks way more "unstable" to me as his posting leg foot is half on and half off the rubber most of the time.

Most pitchers don't post on the rubber but in front of it. You must be one of the push off the rubber guys.

And your point is?

Yes I agree. Most pitcher don't post on the rubber but in front of it.

The guy you show DOES post ON the rubber (and half off...very unstable).....so why would you accept that? You're contradicting yourself.

quote:

Originally posted by BobbleheadDoll:
His hips do get out front late as his post foot has already lifted off. I guess you will see what you want. It is very clear in both clips I posted that the hips are out front before the post leg lifts off. His ball release is while his leg lifts and not while the post foot is still on the ground.

Your analysis is quite confusing.

This pitchers foot lands, he rotates, he throws the ball. His post foot drags slightly as the ball is coming out. It is up in the air AFTER the ball is out.

What's the big deal?

This frame of time isn't enough to cause any issues with stability of the lower half as far as I'm concerned. It is after the fact for the most part.

All of the stabilization is coming from (and should be) from the front leg & hip at this point.

My point is that whether they place their PF on the rubber doesn't matter. It has nothing to do with being stable. My son does both in front and half on and half off the rubber. It often depends on the rubber and the hole in front of it. What matters is getting the hips out, stabilizing the lower half, maximizing the separation and getting max leverage on the ball. The toe drag allows this.
The LHP here needs to keep his PF on the ground a little longer .

quote:

Originally posted by BobbleheadDoll:
My point is that whether they place their PF on the rubber doesn't matter. It has nothing to do with being stable. My son does both in front and half on and half off the rubber. It often depends on the rubber and the hole in front of it. What matters is getting the hips out, stabilizing the lower half, maximizing the separation and getting max leverage on the ball. The toe drag allows this.
The LHP here needs to keep his PF on the ground a little longer .

Foot half on half off doesn’t matter eh?....OK.

Yes I agree if there is a big hole in front of the rubber this poses a problem. A lot of pitchers deal with that issue. But to say it doesn’t affect stability if the foot is half on/half off is incorrect IMO.

Regardless...this post foot/foot drag thing to me is just a distraction of cause and effect.

His foot comes of the ground because he has a long stride. That’s it.

If this player follows that advice (concentrating on what his post foot/drag is doing) he will be going down a road he doesn’t need to be on and cause more problems than he already has (of which are pretty minor IMO).

I cannot fathom how toe drag has anything to do with maximizing separation and getting max leverage. Toe drag is the effect of other things going on in a throw not the cause of those things.

If you believe that, then I will not try to convince you otherwise.

Tell that to Greg.

http://www.pitchingclips.com/players/greg_maddux.htm

quote:

What matters is getting the hips out, stabilizing the lower half, maximizing the separation and getting max leverage on the ball. The toe drag allows this.

I'm with Rob in that I don't see how the toe drag helps, hurts, causes, creates or anything of what you said.

Rob summed it up best - the guy's foot drags because he has a long stride. Also the plant foot half on half off is a huge deal because it can throw the balance point off for one thing.

I'm not trying to tick you off but you are starting to sound like a Mike Marshall supporter except you can replace Marshall with Mills. I'm reading a bunch of big words and you really don't answer questions (or at least answer them in small enough words for me to understand).

Personally I don't think we (all of us) have really helped the opening poster out that much. Hopefully he can look past all the gibberish we've put and understand that we think he's got a nice smooth delivery and doesn't need a lot of tinkering.

The first thing I would say is, most lefties who are in the 85-86 range with 2 solid off speed pitches end up getting offers somewhere. Whether it's your top choice or not is another story, but I'm betting things work out for you in due time.

I don't see any need for major surgery in your case. Three things that could maybe be fine tuned:

1. I see a noticeable reduction in arm speed on your change up. This reduces its deception. Take your change up grip and then think "fastball". Let the grip kill the pitch, but keep your arm speed constant.

2. I think your hip turn could be more energetic. I don't think you've maxed out the use of your lower body yet. So, 85-86 may well not be your ceiling.

3. You do seem to throw fairly closely to the ear, kind of pinching off your arm instead of leaving it in more of the classic "L" position that is more powerful. But I'm not sure you should mess with that at this point in your life. Probably would do nothing but screw you up to try. Not everyone has to fit the textbook mold anyway, and besides, lots of coaches like their lefties to have something a little bit funky going on in their deliveries.

Big terms ?
Mike Marshall is a joke.
Mills has good basics as shown in the video.
We are taking optimizing his mechanics. I agree with Midlo. Messing with mechanics can be tough to deal with.
The video of Maddux when he was young and at his best shows a huge stride and a long toe drag.

Not my invention just what the great ones do. There are guys in the MLB that have poor mechanics so you don't need to be perfect.
According to ASMI your stride length has a lot to do with injury.
The pitcher here does have a good upside but he could tweak his mechanics a bit.

Wow, I never thought that I would start such a debate. Anyway, what I have been taught is to drag my foot as much as possible. My pitching coach has actually gone so far as so hold my foot on the ground, but I've always had a problem with it. I have never noticed a difference in pitch speed or movement between dragging my foot a little or a lot, so I've just stayed with my natural motion.

Midlo - Are you saying that I can essentially turn my hips towards the plate faster to generate more speed? I'm just looking for a little clarification. Also, you say that I should be getting offers, but in all honesty, I haven't recieved anything other than mild interest from D III's. My high school is low on pitching, and three times this year I pitched on consecutive days. When the summer season comes around, my arm is dead. At this point since I have been lackluster during the summer, I'm just hoping to play college ball at all.

BobbleheaDoll - I understand that keeping my foot down longer will add to stabilization. That makes perfect sense, but what other purpose does it serve? You say it would give leverage, but at what point should I sacrifice the advantage of a steeper plane on the pitch for a little more leverage?

Thank you all for your help. I'm learning a lot, and hope to learn even more.

Keeping your post foot down longer allows you to get your hips out sooner like Midelo mentioned.
Your objective is keep you shoulders back until your hips are parallel to the plate. This creates separation between your lower body and your upper body.
Those videos show what you need to do. Your left arm is loading(reaching back) Your grip should be loose and while you are loading your body should be moving forward, dragging your PF as your hips turn to create the separation. Once the hips are squared to the plate your shoulders and arm start to drive forward and you should be out over your stride led as you drive the ball to wards the plate extending as far as you can. This is not an easy thing to master as it requires a change in your rhythm.
You shouldn't be pitching back to back. At least 3-4 days in between. My LHP needs 4 after an outing.

kjam,

If you are being seen only when your arm is worn down, then you may not be showing yourself well.

Also, if you're waiting for someone to come see you, there is a lot you could learn about the college recruitment process from these boards. Right now you should be on a fall showcasing team. If you've skipped all that, then you have either gotten no advice or some bad advice.

I would suggest you sit down with your HS coach and ask for his help in contacting schools that you are interested in and that might be within your reach both academically and talent wise. Hopefully your coach has some contacts or some coaches who at least bother to call him on occasion. Also raise the subject -- tactfully -- about how you need to get proper rest between outings next season, so that you can show at your best. Like a lot of coaches, yours may be thinking no further ahead than today's game, but you need him to think of you and your future for a minute or two. He may not like it, or he may take offense, but if your team is that desperate for pitching it's not like he's in a position to retaliate. Just plan ahead and choose your words carefully in order to minimize the risk of giving offense even unintentionally.

If you're not on a team heading to Jupiter -- now only a little over 2 weeks away -- find a way to get there. LOTS of teams would love to pick up a lefty for the weekend, and while that would mean flying to FL to throw just one three-inning stint, it could be the best investment you'll ever make. Another option is to contact PG about their PG squads. The fee for an individual player is higher, but it guarantees that you get playing time when you get there; some teams will screw you over if you are not careful about who you sign up with.

If you can get there, then between now and then, e-mail 5-10 coaches at schools of interest and tell them you'll be there. I guarantee you they will be there, and that gives you a chance they'll come to see you. After that, it's in your hands. Prepare and be at your best when you get there.

I will say this. When you say 85-86 mph, I take that to mean your cruising speed. If what you really mean is you have on occasion been gunned at that level, but you more typically throw 80-81, then D-3 interest may well be more of a fit for you. So, be realistic and don't miss out on a good opportunity by holding out for the holy grail.

P.S.

Yes, I mean that you could get a more explosive action out of your hip turn. Try not letting your post leg flop out so far to the side; that creates a drag effect that slows down your lower core rotation. Get some video of Pedro Martinez for an example of a guy who deliberately exaggerates his post leg's knee and toe turn-in to get that rotation as forceful as he can.

Kjam,What I see is your hand break does not let your momtentum build into a rotational release.I see your mechanics working basically linear all the way thru release.How the momentum starts is how you have to work the dynamics to stay balanced.Your style of hand break makes you throw straight over the top.My prefered reading has been Tom House and Pognaski? I agree with Midlo you are not getting much help from your hips but I think it is from dynamic issues applied wrong or not at all.

Nice mechanics. The ball does get a little bit close to your ear but there are a few very good pitchers who do the same thing. Getting faster hip rotation is almost always a good thing, but I have no idea if you're getting your fastest hip turn or not. My guess is you get a bit more when you're throwing hard. Don't worry about the foot drag one way or the other.

I was actually watching footage of Strasburg yesterday and he also throws pretty tight to the ear, so what the heck, maybe we should all be doing it!

Strasburg

http://www.pitchingclips.com/p...tephen_strasburg.htm

Kjam32, In my opinion your delivery looks great. I think all this stuff about the back foot not dragging enough is getting really nitpicky and unecessary. Plus there are many big league pitchers who's backfoot leaves cotact with the ground before they have even released the ball. If I was you I wouldn't really change anything. I would just concentrate on developing your command and offspeed pitches. And if you're throwing 85-86 as a lefty, you're definitley going to be playing college ball, probably D-1.
Now about you rushing, you're not doing it in the video you have provided, but it doesn't mean you don't do it. We would need to see a video of you in a game when there is max intensity and everything really starts to speed up. Most pitchers can have great mechanics in a bullpen, but then in a game that's when their faults will show.

That's pretty close to the ear.

Check out that toe drag.