Importance of Legs
Legs are the foundation through which kinetic energy is initiated--the mechanism by which the total body mass is delivered down the mound. This is achieved through what we call weight transfer. This weight transfer turns potential energy into kinetic energy and helps determine the efficiency of both the timing and force thus affecting the amount of energy getting through the body to the baseball. Proper weight transfer sets up the efficient interaction and timing of rotational and directional momentum.
Ball velocity is optimized when:
- Posture is maintained.
- The back leg stabilizes while the back knee flexes, firms up and loads (isometrically) during front leg lift.
- There is an aggressive first forward movement with butt and center of gravity leading head/spine into front foot contact.
- During this one second of weight transfer, a pitchers lift leg should stay off the ground as long as possible to create a longer stride.
- Head/spine stay on a natural line into a natural landing (foot strike) position.
- Landing leg stabilizes, landing knee flexes, firms up and loads (isometrically) to translate kinetic energy up through body and out onto baseball at release point.
The Role of the Hips and Shoulders
Our research has indicated 80 percent of ball velocity is generated by rotational momentum when:
- Hips and shoulders separate between 40- 60-degrees around an upright spine.
- Hips and shoulders maintain their angle of separation as long as strength and flexibility will allow while total body tracks forward into landing foot.
- Throwing shoulder/glove shoulder delay rotation until hips have slowed/stopped their rotation.
- Scapular loading is allowed to be an unconscious accommodation that helps the throwing shoulder to stabilize and compensate for the weight of the throwing arm/ baseball as they change direction and snap from external rotation into release point.
What the Spine/Torso Do
Our research has indicated 20 percent of ball velocity is generated by directional momentum when:
- Total body tracks head and spine on line in the exact direction created by shifting weight from posting foot to landing foot.
- Low back/spine hyperextend to keep torso upright and stacked as shoulders square up and track into a flexed and firm front leg.
- Glove swivels and stabilizes over front foot as throwing arm lays back in external rotation.
- Low back/spine goes into flexion just before throwing forearm snaps straight into release point.
Again, the spine/torso (squat thrusts) of a golfer swinging a club does the same thing as the spine/torso (stack and track) of a pitcher throwing a baseball.
With the availability of the velocity study data comes the obvious question: Can we become more mechanically efficient so we can make the most of our genetic potential to throw the ball faster? The answer is, clearly, yes!