My favorite pitcher is Greg Maddux. I think he epitomizes what a pitcher is; someone who throws as hard as necessary but who gets people out due to things like deception and movement and not just raw velocity.

Greg Maddux and Proper Pitching Mechanics

Let me illustrate what I think proper pitching mechanics look like using a number of frames from a video clips of Greg Maddux.

Greg Maddux

Before I do that, there are three things that I should point out about this image sequence.
     First, it was taken by a scout named Doug McMillan when Greg Maddux was 19 and could hit 93 MPH.
     Second, while Greg Maddux goes from the wind-up in this clip, if you compare the arm and body action when he is going from the wind-up position to his arm and body action when he is going from the set position (aka "stretch"), you will see that they are pretty much identical from Frame 82 on. The only real difference is the height of the leg lift. As a result, I teach most of my young pitchers to always go from the Set position since going from the wind-up really won't buy them much and gives them more things to mess up.
     Third, the mechanics shown in this clip show the same basic mechanics that Greg Maddux uses today, especially when it comes to his arm action. However, his stride in this clip is a bit longer and more aggressive and his lower body action is a little more drop-and-drive (or really drive-and-drop) like Tom Seaver's than it is today. Greg Maddux likely changed this because he found that, while shortening his stride may have cost him a few MPH, it improved his control and increased the downward plane of his pitches.

Greg Maddux

Notice how when going from the wind-up, Greg Maddux takes a step straight back with his GS foot as he brings his hands above and behind his head.

Greg Maddux

Greg Maddux then swings his GS knee around his PAS leg to get his body sideways to the target.

Greg Maddux

As Greg Maddux's body gets sideways to the target, he then starts to lift his knee up.

Greg Maddux

By this frame, Greg Maddux's GS knee has reached its maximum height and he has locked his eyes on the target.

Greg Maddux

In the frame above, Greg Maddux is breaking his hands at his belly button or belt buckle. He has also bent his PAS knee and has started to slide his hips sideways toward the target by pushing sideways off of his PAS foot. AS he strides, he leads with his GS butt cheek. He is also swinging his GS leg out toward third base, which helps to keep his hips closed.

Greg Maddux

After breaking his hands, Greg Maddux then drops his PAS hand down to behind his PAS butt cheek. While doing this, he keeps his eyes locked on the target and stays sideways with his shoulders sideways to the target. This helps to hide the ball from the ball and is one thing that helps to increase his deception and make him sneaky fast.

Greg Maddux

Greg Maddux

Greg Maddux

Greg Maddux

After dropping his PAS hand and the ball to his PAS butt cheek, Greg Maddux then starts to bend his elbow in order to get his PAS forearm vertical and to the high-cocked position. One thing to note in the next few frames is that Greg Maddux's elbow stays quite low as he does this. Rather than breaking his hands with his elbows, and getting his elbows up high, he keeps his PAS elbow low and instead moves just his PAS hand and the ball. This action of keeping his PAS elbow down below the level of his shoulders is one of the things that has helped to protect Greg Maddux's PAS shoulder.

Greg Maddux

Greg Maddux

Greg Maddux

In the frame above, Greg Maddux's GS foot is just about to plant and his PAS forearm has just passed through the horizontal. Notice how his PAS elbow has continued to stay quite low throughout his arm swing.

Greg Maddux

In the frame above, Greg Maddux's shoulders are just about to start turning and his PAS forearm is almost vertical. This lack of rushing is one thing that has helped to protect Greg Maddux's shoulder.

Greg Maddux

In the frame above, Greg Maddux's GS foot has planted and his PAS forearm is vertical and passing through the high-cocked position. One thing to notice is that Greg Maddux landed pretty much flat on his GS foot, but slightly on his heel. A second thing to notice is just how low Greg Maddux's PAS elbow is. It is well below the level of his shoulders making the shape of a "W".

Greg Maddux

Greg Maddux

Greg Maddux

As the three photos above show, this "W" shape is something that Greg Maddux has continued to make over the course of his career.
     It should be clear from this that the advice to get your PAS elbow above the level of your shoulders at this point has no basis in fact (neither do warnings about dropping the elbow). Neither Greg Maddux nor Roger Clemens get their elbows above the level of their shoulders at this point. Greg Maddux and Roger Clemens can keep their PAS elbows low at this point, but still throw from a fairly high arm slot, because the arm slot depends on how much the shoulders are tilted at the release point, not how high the PAS elbow is at this moment.

Greg Maddux

In this frame, Greg Maddux's shoulders are turning rapidly. This has caused his PAS upper arm to externally rotate and his PAS forearm to lay back roughly 45 degrees.

Greg Maddux

Greg Maddux

Greg Maddux

The frame represents the Release Point. There are a number of things to notice about this frame. One is how far Greg Maddux's PAS foot has come off the pitching rubber. This helps to maximize the rotation of his hips. Another thing to notice is how Greg Maddux's GS knee is still bent rather than locking. This helps to absorb the shock of the delivery and protects his elbow and shoulder.

Greg Maddux

As the photo above shows, Greg Maddux throws from a 3/4 arm slot. However, he achieves this by tilting his shoulders at the release point, not by getting his PAS elbow above the level of his shoulders as it passes through the high-cocked position.

Greg Maddux

There's a reason why Greg Maddux has won 14 gold gloves. He finishes in a very strong fielding position. As the photos above and below show, he finishes facing the target with his glove at his GS pec.

Greg Maddux

This means that Greg Maddux's glove is next to his face and his sternum, a pitcher's two most vulnerable areas. This protects him in the case of a come-backer and also allows Greg Maddux to field ground balls or bunts to either side of him.