pitching coach | Pro Pitching Institute

How to Pitch with Your Entire Body, Not Just Your Arm

The Problem

“Foot Strike, Then Throw” is initiated by a forward weight shift after the front foot has already landed.

This common approach is inefficient and prone to injury because the starting position is flawed, the front knee is behind the front hip, and the kinetic chain is disrupted.

The body is fighting against gravity and balance, forcing the throwing arm to “muscle” the ball to the target.

This leads to a loss of control, reduced accuracy, and a higher risk of throwing arm injury.

The Solution

By contrast, “Foot Strike and Throw” is an efficient and powerful delivery method where the foot strike and throwing action occur in unison.

The motion begins with a balanced weight position just in front of the back foot.

The glove hand initiates the stride, and the lower body initiates the throwing action.

This engages the kinetic chain, a simultaneous action of the foot strike, which allows for better timing and a more efficient transfer of momentum.

Pitch Smart

This organized, fluid motion results in a consistent and repeatable delivery, leading to superior velocity and command while significantly reducing the risk of throwing arm injury.

We’re so confident in our instructions that, if we can’t help you get the ball to your target via live or Zoom instruction, your instruction is FREE, no questions asked.

Coach Skip Fast
“Proprioceptively Accurate Starting Positions”
https://propitchinginginstitute.com
856-524-3248
#ElitebyChoice

Shoulder Alignment: The Key to Pitching Power, Accuracy, and Injury Prevention

Proper shoulder alignment is a conduit for transferring energy from the lower body to the throwing arm.

Direct Path to the Target

When a pitcher’s shoulders are properly aligned, they create a direct, efficient path for the throwing arm to follow towards the target, reducing unnecessary movement and enhancing accuracy and command.

Energy Transfer

Proper shoulder rotation allows for the efficient transfer of energy.

As the hips rotate, this kinetic energy moves through the core and into the throwing arm.

Aligned shoulders ensure that none of this energy is lost, contributing to a pitcher’s command and velocity.

Injury Prevention

Misaligned shoulders put undue stress on the shoulder joint, which leads to common pitching injuries such as shoulder impingement and rotator cuff tears.

Pitchers improve their shoulder alignment and overall pitching mechanics by strengthening the muscles around the shoulder joint, building a strong core, and improving their range of motion.

Connection to Lower Body

Shoulder alignment reinforces the kinetic chain, where every part of the body works in a coordinated sequence.

Pitch Smart

When the lower body and core are engaged correctly, the stage is set for proper shoulder alignment.

We’re so confident in our instructions that, if we can’t help you get the ball to your target via live or Zoom instruction, your instruction is FREE, no questions asked.

Coach Skip Fast
“Proprioceptively Accurate Starting Positions”
https://propitchinginginstitute.com
856-524-3248
#ElitebyChoice

Understanding the Concepts of Core Engagement

The lower body driving through the core and into the throwing hand optimizes pitching performance.

Balance is Critical

The position of the feet significantly influences the position of the front knee, overall balance, power, and accuracy.

The placement of the front knee in relation to the front hip is crucial for engaging the core.

Weight Distribution

Proper weight distribution is essential for core engagement.

As you stride, your weight shifts progressively to and through the core, creating a counterforce for upper body rotation, and is vital for generating torque and velocity.

Core Engagement

Legitimate core rotation occurs when the front knee stays in front of the front hip, and the lower body moves through the core to the throwing arm.

A strong core acts as the body’s stabilizer, preventing excessive rotation, maintaining postural control, and generating power and accuracy.

Legitimate rotation efficiently transfers energy from the lower body to the upper body, maximizing force production and promoting better balance, power, and a healthier throwing arm.

Pitch Smart

When your glove hand sets up for your lower body to drive your throwing action, you deliver the ball precisely where you want it.

We’re so confident in our instructions that, if we can’t help you get the ball to your target via live or Zoom instruction, your instruction is FREE, no questions asked.

Coach Skip Fast
“Proprioceptively Accurate Starting Positions”
https://propitchinginginstitute.com
856-524-3248
#ElitebyChoice

Core Philosophy: Organized vs. Unorganized Motion

Balanced Starting Position

The critical difference between an “Organized Motion” and an “Unorganized Motion” highlights the importance of body coordination and efficiency.

Organized Motion

Legitimate Internal Rotation is characterized by a coordinated and efficient use of the body’s natural balance mechanisms.

By initiating the movement correctly with the glove hand, you establish a precise kinetic chain that naturally leads to optimal hip rotation and arm acceleration.

The glove hand movement is fundamental in establishing an organized, balanced, and coordinated delivery, channeling energy effectively.

Unorganized Motion

False Internal Rotation is a compensatory mechanism where the body attempts to maintain balance in response to an incorrect movement initiation.

This often occurs when the throwing arm takes precedence over the lower body, resulting in an unorganized motion that leads to significant inefficiencies and increased unnecessary stress on the throwing arm.

Visualize This Coordination.

Imagine a dancer performing a pirouette.

Their body is in constant balance, fluidly shifting weight and adjusting posture to maintain equilibrium.

Your instruction strives for a similar level of coordination and control in your pitching motion.

Pitch Smart

When your glove hand sets up for your lower body to drive your throwing action, you deliver the ball precisely where you want it.

We’re so confident in our instructions that, if we can’t help you get the ball to your target via live or Zoom instruction, your instruction is FREE, no questions asked.

Coach Skip Fast
“Proprioceptively Accurate Starting Positions”
https://propitchinginginstitute.com
856-524-3248
#ElitebyChoice

Foot Position and Command: Mastering Your Pitching Delivery

Your motion is profoundly influenced by where your feet make contact with the ground.

Precise foot positioning ensures stability, serving as the foundational element that promotes excellent glove work and exceptional command.

Conversely, when your foot positioning is off, your entire body moves out of balance, your glove work becomes a reactionary scramble, and your command inevitably suffers.

Poor Foot Position

When your heels are too far apart, your motion immediately loses balance.

This imbalance renders your glove almost ineffective, as your body struggles to compensate, and your command will undoubtedly suffer.

Good Foot Position

However, when your heels are in line with your target and approximately one baseball width apart, your motion stays in optimal balance.

This specific alignment enables your glove hand to actively promote your motion, resulting in command with uncanny regularity.

This precise foot placement maximizes your body’s internal sense of position, providing you with the consistent feeling necessary for efficient delivery.

Pitch Smart

When your foot position sets up for your lower body to drive your throwing action, your glove work becomes a powerful asset in delivering the ball precisely where you want it.

We’re so confident in our instructions that, if we can’t help you get the ball to your target via live or Zoom instruction, your instruction is FREE, no questions asked.

Coach Skip Fast
“Proprioceptively Accurate Starting Positions”
https://propitchinginginstitute.com
856-524-3248
#ElitebyChoice

Uncanny Accuracy: Glove Hand Precision

Pro Pitching Institute is one of the top 100 baseball blogs on the Internet.

Your internal feel enables precise timing and control, which optimizes rotational energy transfer and ultimately enhances accuracy and velocity.

Consequences of No Glove Hand Control

Where there’s no glove hand palm movement, the front foot is positioned poorly behind the hip, and the pitcher’s shoulders aren’t in line with his target.

In this case, the glove hand moves in a passive, uncontrolled manner and acts primarily to maintain balance.

The lack of control over the glove-hand palm leads to a larger target area and reduced accuracy.

Your Glove Hand Palm Flip Prompts Accuracy

A well-timed glove-hand palm flip with the palm facing the target allows for a smaller target area and greater accuracy.

Where the pitcher’s body is in balance, the front foot is aligned with the back toes, the front toe is toward the target, and the glove hand naturally turns over palm toward the target.

By controlling the timing and direction of the glove-hand flip, pitchers achieve a smaller target area and significantly improve their accuracy.

Pitch Smart

The specific, seemingly small action of the glove-hand palm flip is a powerful indicator of proper pitching mechanics.

We’re so confident in our instructions that, if we can’t help you get the ball to your target via live or Zoom instruction, your instruction is FREE, no questions asked.

Coach Skip Fast
Pro Pitching Institute
https://propitchinginginstitute.com
856-524-3248
#ElitebyChoice

Proprioception, the Kinetic Chain, and Pitching Biomechanics

Pro Pitching Institute is one of the top 100 baseball blogs on the Internet.

A proper balance, guided by accurate proprioceptive feedback, enables the kinetic chain to operate efficiently, resulting in optimal velocity and remarkable accuracy.

Proprioception: The Foundation of Balance and Accuracy

Fundamental to balance, proprioception is your “sixth sense” that allows your body to know its position, movement, and effort unconsciously.

You feel your center of gravity precisely over your back foot instep.

You sense the natural upward turn of its palm, guiding your throwing arm.

This means your brain is receiving clear signals about limb positions and muscle tension, allowing for smooth, coordinated movements.

Kinetic Chain: The Mechanism for Power and Direction

Driven by proprioception, the kinetic chain is the sequential transfer of energy from the ground up through the body.

Not just for balance, the glove arm plays a crucial role in the kinetic chain, counter-rotation, and directing energy.

As the lower body rotates, the glove arm’s controlled movement across your body leads the shoulder and arm, creating elastic energy, and ensuring that the force generated up the kinetic chain is directed precisely towards the target.

Pitch Smart

The glove arm’s role is indeed crucial in both maintaining balance, contributing to the efficient direction and transfer of energy through the chain.

We’re so confident in our instructions that, if we can’t help you get the ball to your target, via live or zoom instruction, your instruction is FREE, no questions asked.

Coach Skip Fast
Pro Pitching Institute
https://propitchinginginstitute.com
856-524-3248
#ElitebyChoice

Front Knee Forward: The Key to Pitching Command

Pro Pitching Institute is one of the top 100 baseball blogs on the Internet.

The precise positioning of the front knee relative to the front hip has a significant impact on a pitcher’s ability to maintain a coordinated motion, which in turn leads to highly accurate throws and improved command.

The Power of Proper Alignment

When your front knee is in front of your front hip, you create the optimal conditions for the rest of your body to contribute powerfully to the throw.

Sequential Engagement

This balanced landing allows you to correctly land your stride, effectively engage your lower body to power the throw, and create a more coordinated sequence of the energy flowing smoothly from the ground up.

Arm Efficiency

Because your lower body is properly controlling the movement and generating the primary force, your throwing arm naturally stays in front of your body. It enables you to deliver the ball with uncanny regularity and precision.

Trusting the Lower Body

Significantly missing the target is often a direct indication that your throwing arm went behind your body, signaling a breakdown in balance and sequence.

Pitch Smart

By ensuring the front knee stays in front of the hip, you’re more likely to consistently hit your target and have a proper command over your pitches.

We’re so confident in our instructions that, if we can’t help you get the ball to your target via live or Zoom instruction, your instruction is FREE, no questions asked.

Coach Skip Fast
Pro Pitching Institute
https://propitchinginginstitute.com
856-524-3248
#ElitebyChoice

Foot Positioning and the Kinetic Chain

Pro Pitching Institute is one of the top 100 baseball blogs on the Internet. Foot positioning is a critical part of the kinetic chain for a consistent and accurate throw.

Improper Timing

Starting with your front foot too far forward disrupts the throwing rhythm and, to compensate, you use an exaggerated stride to shift your weight forward, which makes it challenging to locate the pitch.

Better Direction

A balanced stance, with your front foot even with your back foot, allows for an even weight distribution at the start of the throw, leading to better control over the ball’s direction.

The Glove Hand Connection

When your front foot is balanced, your glove hand staying back creates tension, builds up potential energy, and allows for a smooth transfer of energy from the lower body through the core and into the throwing arm, resulting in a more controlled and accurate throw.

Proprioception

A balanced stance allows for smooth weight transfer and proper timing with the glove hand, which is a key part of the pitcher’s feel for the motion and a direct result of proprioception, the body’s ability to sense its position and movement.

Pitch Smart

Consistent mechanics, facilitated by proper front foot positioning, lead to throws that consistently hit your target.

We’re so confident in our instructions that, if we can’t help you get the ball to your target, via live or zoom instruction, your instruction is FREE, no questions asked.

Coach Skip Fast
Pro Pitching Institute
https://propitchinginginstitute.com
856-524-3248
#ElitebyChoice

Unleashing Your Pitching Power: The Kinetic Chain

Pro Pitching Institute is one of the top 100 baseball blogs on the Internet.

Positioning the “back knee behind your back foot” during the bent-knee stance creates a powerful coil, storing elastic potential energy, which is the very first and most potent link in the kinetic chain.

Efficient Linear Momentum Generation

The subsequent “leg movement” (the drive off the loaded back leg) efficiently translates this stored energy into linear momentum, propelling the body powerfully towards the target.

Hip-Driven Rotation

The front foot’s positioning facilitates powerful and sequential hip rotation, ensuring that the larger, slower segments initiate the rotational transfer of energy.

Glove Arm as an Accelerator

The lower body movement prompts your glove arm to initiate the throwing action, creating a counter-rotation that rapidly accelerates the torso and efficiently transfers energy to the throwing arm.

Synergistic Energy Transfer

Linear momentum from the stride, rotational energy from the hips and core, all combine to maximize the energy transferred to the throwing arm, creating a powerful “whip.”

Pitch Smart

The highly efficient and synchronized energy transfer achieved by this footwork, where all segments work in concert, forces are consistently channeled directly towards the target, and predictability leads to “uncanny regularity” in ball location.

We’re so confident in our instructions that, if we can’t help you get the ball to your target via live or zoom instruction, your instruction is FREE, no questions asked.

Coach Skip Fast
Pro Pitching Institute
“Unleashing Lower Body Power Through Proprioception”
https://propitchinginginstitute.com
856-524-3248
skip@propitchinginstitute.com
#ElitebyChoice