A presentation on the mechanics of

Pitching a Baseball.

Copyright Jerry Gardner, July 2005

‘ABSOLUTES’ of Pitching

Balance & Posture Equal & Opposite Late Rotation & Torque Fixed Glove

Balance & Posture

• Balance is referred to as the ability to keep your head of over your center of gravity.

• Posture will be considered appropriate if you:– Have good Balance.– Keep good Balance

through the entire pitching motion.

• The foundation of the pitching delivery is balance/posture.

Equal & Opposite

• Equal & Opposite refers to the position of the arm at foot strike.

• Defined as lining the elbows up, while having the same forearm angles in both arms.

• This mirroring of the arms is a very strong position that creates a good timing mechanism.

Late Rotation & Torque

• Defined as the hips delaying any rotation until at least 75% of the stride length.

• The later the rotation, the better the pitcher.

• Helps to hide the ball better.

• Gets the release point of the ball closer to the plate.

Fixed Glove

• Fixing the Glove is defined as keeping the glove out in front of the body from the time the glove gets on target, to through release of the ball.

• A fixed glove will get you farther out on your stride, and will allow you rotate later.

• A front side (fixed glove) that does not work properly will take you away from your target.

Sources

Coaching/Teaching Resources

Husky Baseball Clinic. Ken Knudson. Feb. 24, 2003. Seattle, Wa.

All-School Sports Clinic. Tom House “Pitching Mechanics Update”. Feb. 24, 2004. SeaTac, Wa.

Photo Resourceshttp://www.msbaseball.com/photogallery/http://espn.go.comhttp://www.mlb.com