There’s been a long litany of people complaining that there’s no good definition of “proper mechanics”, thus claiming those blaming them for injuries haven’t got a place to start examining their claim. Could the information in the link be a good place to at least begin?
http://web.usabaseball.com/pla...chanics-of-pitching/
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"Proper mechanics" may be something like the Holy Grail - you can keep looking, but you'll never find it. I think what is more useful and more likely to be agreed upon by most would be defining "improper mechanics." So, rather than look for a specific set of mechanics to attain, we should, instead, look for those mechanics we'd like to avoid.
Originally Posted by roothog66:
"Proper mechanics" may be something like the Holy Grail - you can keep looking, but you'll never find it. I think what is more useful and more likely to be agreed upon by most would be defining "improper mechanics." So, rather than look for a specific set of mechanics to attain, we should, instead, look for those mechanics we'd like to avoid.
I have no problem with that thinking, but I haven’t seen any nationally accepted lists of the mechanics to avoid either. Would you say forearm supination is a mechanic to avoid? If so, isn’t it just as easy to say forearm pronation is a proper mechanic?
Hey, I don’t care how the list comes about, I’d just like to see it. 
Originally Posted by roothog66:
"Proper mechanics" may be something like the Holy Grail - you can keep looking, but you'll never find it. I think what is more useful and more likely to be agreed upon by most would be defining "improper mechanics." So, rather than look for a specific set of mechanics to attain, we should, instead, look for those mechanics we'd like to avoid.
I have no problem with that thinking, but I haven’t seen any nationally accepted lists of the mechanics to avoid either. Would you say forearm supination is a mechanic to avoid? If so, isn’t it just as easy to say forearm pronation is a proper mechanic?
Hey, I don’t care how the list comes about, I’d just like to see it.
Lol. Excellent point. I don't think we're even ready to agree on everything yet in that respect either. Though I, who don't find a risk in supination, will admit that the vast majority would probably agree with your statement. Maybe some day. We're still in the infancy stage in this area.
IMO, proper mechanics can only be relative to each individual pitcher. People have different mobility, flexibility, speed, strength/power creation ability, genetics, size, ligaments/tendon strength, muscles, etc. What might hurt one pitcher, might be the optimal way another moves. Billy Wagner could not throw like Randy Johnson and vice versa. RJ's mechanics were probably close to optimal for him...same with Wagner's.
IMO, proper mechanics can only be relative to each individual pitcher. People have different mobility, flexibility, speed, strength/power creation ability, genetics, size, ligaments/tendon strength, muscles, etc. What might hurt one pitcher, might be the optimal way another moves. Billy Wagner could not throw like Randy Johnson and vice versa. RJ's mechanics were probably close to optimal for him...same with Wagner's.
I think that's a great point with one or two possible exceptions involving mechanics that can't be optimal (IMO) for any pitcher. One example would be the late external rotation that is almost 100% inherent with "inverted W" mechanics. I think there is a general agreement among most in the business on this point now.
It's also important to remember that mainly the "proper" mechanics issue is a safety related one. For example, early upper trunk rotation is definitely inefficient, but not dangerous. So, while it might be - again IMO - "improper" in relation to optimum efficiency in any pitcher, it certainly couldn't be called "improper" from a arm health respect.
Pull and Kick. The only way to go. Gracias Domingo Ayala.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3tAa3fD-Vc
