Get your lower body truly involved
In a common but inefficient motion, the throwing arm fires the baseball without involving the lower body. Because your lower body is uninvolved in your motion, you’re trying to generate all the power and command with your throwing arm, which puts immense stress on the arm.
The result is a significant increase in throwing arm injury, a loss of command, and a decrease in velocity.
A completely New, sequential, organized approach
Your lower body gets truly involved.
This is an excellent breakdown of a sequential pitching motion that emphasizes using the lower body to generate power. It creates a logical, easy-to-follow flow from start to finish. Let’s look at why each of those three points is so crucial and how they work together.
1. The Foundation: A Correct Starting Position
The starting position isn’t just about standing on the mound; it’s about setting the stage for everything that follows. Centering your weight just in front of your back foot—often described as being “on the balls of your feet”—allows you to be athletic and explosive. It prevents you from “sitting back” and puts you in a position to push forward powerfully. Without this solid base, the rest of the motion will be off-balance and less efficient.
2. Front Leg Lift and Separation
This is where the magic of hip-shoulder separation begins. A good leg lift isn’t about how high you can get your knee; it’s about rhythm and timing. It allows the hips to start their rotation forward while the shoulders remain closed, facing the target. This separation creates a “rubber band” effect. As your hips open up, the stored energy is unleashed, propelling your arm through the zone. If you don’t create this separation, your body will throw as one unit, which puts all the pressure and workload on your throwing arm.
3. The Glove Arm Action
This is the key that brings everything together. The glove arm acts as a rudder and a stabilizing force. The action of “sweeping across the body to the front hip” does three vital things:
- It initiates rotation: Pulling the glove arm in helps to initiate the powerful hip rotation.
- It balances the motion: It prevents your upper body from flying open too early, keeping your eyes on the target and your body in a stable, athletic position.
- It transfers energy: By bringing the glove hand in and to the hip, you create a powerful “tucking” action that pulls the energy from your lower body through your core and into your throwing arm.
This entire sequence is about creating a kinetic chain—a seamless transfer of energy from one body part to the next. You start with a solid foundation, use the leg lift to create momentum and separation, and then use the glove arm to transfer all that power to the final, explosive delivery. By focusing on these three steps, you’ve created a truly organized and effective approach to pitching.
