For over 20 years, Coach Skip teaches the biomechanical analysis confirmed that proper timing—the synchronization of the body’s segments—is the foundation of an efficient kinetic chain.

Optimal Pitching: The Efficient Kinetic Chain✅

The efficient motion is defined by synchronization and the effective use of Hip-Shoulder Separation to generate power from the largest muscle groups.

By getting the front leg to land after the glove hand comes across the pitcher’s body, the hips act to increase the motion’s ability to get the ball to the target more often, with greater velocity, and less injury to the throwing arm.

• Separation/Torque Load: The hips begin to rotate while the glove-side shoulder remains closed (Hip-Shoulder Separation) to store elastic energy in the core.
• Front Foot Lands:  The front leg plants  (The Brace)just as the throwing arm reaches its peak layback position and the leg acts as a solid pivot point abruptly stopping the body’s linear momentum.
• Energy Transfer: The sudden deceleration of the front side forces the stored energy and rotational force of the hips/torso to be violently released and transferred to the arm (The Whip) .
• Outcome:  Maximum Velocity and Great Command with the power coming from the core leads to less injury risk for the arm.

Typical Motion: The “Late Arm” Timing Fault ❌

This motion is marked by a breakdown in the kinetic chain due to poor timing, where the arm lags behind the rest of the body.

The front leg movement in a typical motion has the front leg landing first, then the throw occurs. The hips act as a drag of the body and force the pitcher to throw the ball entirely with his throwing arm.

• Front Foot Lands Early:  The front foot plants and the hips/torso begin to rotate before the throwing arm is in the proper launch position.
• Hips Act as a Drag:  The powerful rotation of the hips and torso is dissipated into the braced front leg before the arm is ready to capture the energy, creating an energy leak.
• “Throwing with All Arm”:  The pitcher is forced to accelerate the ball solely using the smaller muscles of the shoulder and arm because the hips have already finished its rotation.
• Outcome:  Decreased Velocity and poor command places excessive shearing stress on the elbow and shoulder, which dramatically increases injury risk.

In essence, an efficient motion has the arm “on time,” while the typical, lesser motion suffers from an arm that is “late” relative to the front foot landing and hip rotation.