The Pitching Mechanic
November 2006

Real-Time Illustrations and Analyses of
Proper and Improper Pitching Mechanics

The Pitching Mechanic - December 2006

11/30/2006

Shoulder Tilt and Hyperabduction

Had to get this off my chest.
     I'm currently engaged in a debate with a guy who thinks that the photo below of Jeff Suppan blows a hole in my theory regarding the relationship between shoulder problems and Hyperabduction (aka elbows above and behind the shoulders).

Jeff Suppan

I don't think it does because in the photo above Jeff Suppan is clearly tilting his shoulders, which means that his PAS elbow, while high, is still below the level of his shoulders (the white line).

11/29/2006

Kip Wells: Solid Choice

My Cardinals just signed RHP Kip Wells, and I thought I'd take a little bit deeper look at his mechanics. As I said back in July, I like what I see.

The two photos above give a sense of Wells' mechanics and timing. As you can see, Wells has very good timing; he gets his PAS forearm up and into the High Cocked position before his GS foot lands. The second photo also shows that his hips rotate ahead of his shoulders. Notice how the line of buttons on his jersey curves around to the right. Finally, notice that in the second photo Wells doesn't show any signs of Hyperabduction; his PAS elbow is just below the level of his shoulders, which is pretty much ideal. The only thing that I don't like in the second photo is that his forearm is slightly pronated.

The three photos above indicate that Wells does a good job of striding sideways to the target and also doesn't reverse-rotate his shoulders excessively.

12/3/2007 P.S. I stick by my statements that Kip Wells has solid mechanics and good stuff. However, the 2007 season demonstrated that Kip Wells has a problem with the yips and simply can't perform under pressure. Too bad.

11/27/2006

Frame By Frame Analysis: Greg Maddux

I have just finished an analysis of Greg Maddux's pitching motion and mechanics using a number of frames from a rare video clip. I have created both PDF and PowerPoint (WARNING 13MB) versions of this document. Once the document loads, use the page up and page down buttons to go frame by frame through the clip.

11/21/2006

Frame By Frame Analysis: Juan Marichal

I have just finished an analysis of Juan Marichal's pitching motion and mechanics using a number of frames from the clip below.

I have created both PDF and PowerPoint versions of this document. Once the document loads, use the page up and page down buttons to go frame by frame through the clip.
    I'd be interested in what you think.

11/21/2006

Frame By Frame Analysis: Sandy Koufax

I have just finished an analysis of Sandy Koufax's pitching motion and mechanics using a number of frames from the clip below.

I have created both PDF and PowerPoint versions of this document. Once the document loads, use the page up and page down buttons to go frame by frame through the clip.
    I'd be interested in what you think.

11/20/2006

Frame By Frame Analysis: Nolan Ryan

Various people have criticized my method of analyzing the mechanics of pitchers because I do it using large numbers of still photos. As a result, I have recently put together an analysis of Nolan Ryan's pitching motion and mechanics using a number of frames from the clip below.

I have created both PDF and PowerPoint versions of this document. Once the document loads, use the page up and page down buttons to go frame by frame through the clip.
    I am currently working on similar analyses of the mechanics of Juan Marichal and Sandy Koufax, and will do the same for other great pitchers, if I can find a good clip of them throwing.
    I'd be interested in what you think.

11/15/2006

First Look: Daisuke Matsuzaka

Given all the hype and hubub surrounding Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, I thought it would be interesting if I took at look at his mechanics.
     Before I do that, let me first mention that I think that Matsuzaka follows Mike Marshall's ideal of throwing balls with a lot of movement. He seems to only rarely throw a straight ball.
     Now on to the analysis.

The photo above of Matsuzaka is a textbook example of what I mean when I talk about striding sideways with the Glove Side (aka GS) foot just skimming the ground. Notice how he is leading with the side (really the bottom) of his GS foot. This keeps his hips closed for as long as possible and will allow him to pop them open just before his GS foot plants.
    I also like that he doesn't appear to show much evidence of reverse-rotation. Instead, he's striding pretty much sideways to the target. He's also pointing his glove and his GS upper arm just to the right of the target, which helps to keep his shoulders closed (facing Third Base). Striding sideways to the target, instead of reverse-rotating, will also help him hide the ball from the batter.

The photo above shows three things. First it shows his hips rotating ahead of his shoulders. Notice how his belt buckle is rotating to face the target. Second, it shows how he holds his change-up. He uses a slightly modified circle change-up grip. Finally, it shows that Matsuzaka doesn't show any signs of Hyperabduction; instead, he keeps his PAS forearm below the level of his shoulders.

The photo above, while small, shows several things. First, like the previous photo it shows that his hips rotate before his shoulders. Second, it shows that Matsuzaka has solid timing. His Pitching Arm Side (aka PAS) forearm is vertical as his shoulders start to turn. Finally, it also shows that Matsuzaka keeps his PAS forearm below the level of his shoulders. This should help to protect his shoulder.

The photo above shows Matsuzaka just after releasing the ball. While I'm not thrilled with where his glove finishes (I wish it was a little higher up by his GS pec), he will still finish in a solid fielding position. I also like that he maintains some flex in his GS knee rather than locking it.

11/15/2006

A Question About Chris Carpenter and Early Pronation

I recently received this question from a reader about my comments about Chris Carpenter...

I don't get it?? In your blog post you seem to support the idea of early pronation but in the picture of Chris Carpenter you say that his early supination is good as it will allow him to forcefully pronate. This will enable him to pronate his forearm as his elbow is extending, which should help to protect his UCL. Why wouldn't early pronation here be better?

As I explain in my piece entitled Pronate Early (and Often), I believe that it is important that pitchers pronate (rotate counter-clockwise) their forearms both as their elbows are extending and through the release point. This enables the Pronator Teres muscle take up some of the load that is normally focused on the UCL.
     For a pitcher to be able to pronate through the extension of their elbow and the release point, their forearm must be supinated (rotated clockwise) at the high cocked position. If their forearm was pronated at the high cocked position (as it would be if you were trying to show the ball to Second Base and Center Field), then you would have to supinate your forearm to get your palm facing the target. This would focus the load on the UCL and cause the bones in your elbow to slam together.
     If you don't understand what this is necessary, then I suggest that you read my piece entitled How Roger Clemens (Actually) Throws The Ball. It explains what a pitcher's arm actually does as they throw the ball.

11/13/2006

Two Drills That I Use

I have recently gotten a number of e-mails about the drills that I use. As a result, I have put together two essays that describe my Foot Flip Drill and my Sideways Shoulders Drill.

The Pitching Mechanic - October 2006