Why Narrower Feet Equal Greater Command

A common mistake among pitchers is the belief that a wider stance provides a more powerful base.

Over-extending your feet creates a mechanical disconnect, paralyzing your lower-body drive and rendering your glove hand ineffective.

Why does a wide stance sabotage your delivery?

When feet are too far apart, your front leg lift starts behind the front hip, forcing you to "push" out of a hole rather than "driving" from a peak.

Your body is so focused on maintaining balance that the glove hand becomes a mere stabilizer rather than an active trigger for momentum.

A wide base leads to a "collapsing" backside, changing your release point on every pitch and killing your command.

Expanding: Driving from the Pillar

By bringing your feet closer together, you transform your lower body into a high-tension spring.

A narrower base allows the back leg to stay under the center of mass longer, providing a more consistent "push-off" point.

With a stable lower body, your glove hand is free to bring your chest perpendicular to your target.

You achieve a repeatable release point, which is the singular secret to professional-grade accuracy.

Our Guarantee

Proper foot placement is the foundation of every strike. When you narrow your base, and your ball still misses the mark, see the website for your mechanical update.

Coach Skip Fast
“Pitchers: Get the Lower Body Involved^©”
Pro Pitching Institute
https://propitchinginginstitute.com/lower-body/
856-524-3248
skip@propitchinginstitute.com
#ElitebyChoice

Copyright © 2026, Pro Pitching Institute.

Mastering The Front-Side Launch

 

Your Front Shoulder

By using the glove hand and front shoulder as the primary triggers, you ensure that your momentum stays locked on a linear path toward the plate.

Your front shoulder acts as the tip of a spear.

Before your lead foot even gains ground, your front shoulder and glove move toward the target, and your center of mass moves directly toward your catcher’s glove, preventing the "spinning" motion that causes inconsistent command.

Mechanical Breakdown

Your Glove Hand, Front Shoulder, then Stride Leg creates elite command:

By engaging the front shoulder first, you create a firm "wall" on your lead side.

When the stride foot finally plants, that wall is already established, allowing you to rotate against it with maximum force and when your shoulder leads, your arm doesn't have to "catch up."

Torque and Coil

While your front shoulder moves forward, keeping your back hip coiled creates significant tension in the obliques.

Think of the front shoulder as the latch on a spring-loaded door; once your glove hand initiates, and your shoulder pulls your body forward, your hips snap through with violent speed.

Our Guarantee

When your motion still sends your ball away from your target, contact skip@propitchinginstitute.com for your update.

 

Coach Skip Fast
“Command by Choice, Not by Chance”
https://propitchinginginstitute.com
856-524-3248
skip@propitchinginstitute.com
#ElitebyChoice

Copyright © 2025, Pro Pitching Institute.

BODY BALANCE IN PITCHING

 

FAULT - Weight Too Far Forward

You’ll find your weight starts in front of the back foot, you feel rushed or “falling”, and, instead of balance, your stride becomes the trigger.

A disrupted balance causes an overreliance on the stride to initiate the throw and inconsistent mechanics.

Your location is poor, and your command is reduced.

FIX - Balanced Starting Position

You begin with your weight slightly before the back foot, not drifting forward. You stay tall, centered, and grounded, and you let a simple lift of the front leg initiate the motion.

Your throwing motion starts naturally and smoothly with better posture, proper rhythm, less effort, and more efficiency.

WHY IT WORKS

Balance creates freedom. Your balance allows the body to move in sequence.

Your lower body leads without forcing the stride, your arm works effortlessly within the motion, and your control improves immediately.

OUR GUARANTEE

Your true pitching power and accuracy come from a balanced, grounded position—not a forced stride.

If we can’t help you consistently hit your target, your instruction is free. No questions asked.

 

Coach Skip Fast
“Command by Choice, Not by Chance”
https://propitchinginginstitute.com
856-524-3248
skip@propitchinginstitute.com
#ElitebyChoice

Copyright © 2025, Pro Pitching Institute.

Understanding the Stride and Glove Hand in Pitching

 

The Stride

The primary purpose of the stride is balance and controlled momentum.

A proper stride keeps the pitcher stable, aligns the body for delivery, and efficiently transfers momentum toward the plate—setting the foundation for power and consistency.

The Glove Hand

The glove hand guides the body and orchestrates delivery.

The glove hand helps maintain balance, guides the throwing arm, and steers the ball toward the target.

Precise glove-hand action reduces unnecessary movement, tightens the release window, and improves accuracy and command.

Ideal Synergy

When stride and glove hand work together, the stride flows seamlessly into the delivery, the glove hand guides the body and throwing arm toward the target, momentum transfers efficiently through the kinetic chain, and velocity and accuracy improve without added effort.

Repeatable mechanics, exceptionally consistent glove-hand behavior, are essential for reliable performance.

Our Guarantee

Practice these techniques, and you will improve both accuracy and power.

We’re so confident in our instructions that if we can’t help you consistently deliver the ball to your target, your instruction is free—no questions asked.

 

Coach Skip Fast
“Command by Choice, Not by Chance”
https://propitchinginginstitute.com
856-524-3248
skip@propitchinginstitute.com
#ElitebyChoice

Copyright © 2025, Pro Pitching Institute.

Weight Distribution: The Secret to Consistent, Accurate Throws

The Problem: Too Much Weight in Front

When your weight drifts forward, your throwing arm is forced to work overtime to compensate for poor balance, you lose your natural ability to aim, and you pull your throws.

Because your lower body can’t contribute fully and your arm ends up doing all the work, your power production drops, and you increase stress on your shoulder and elbow.

This “weight-forward” mistake creates inconsistency and makes accurate throwing feel harder than it should.

The Solution: Keep Weight on the Back Leg

The foundation of consistent, powerful throwing is centering your weight between your feet with a slight bias toward the back leg, keeping your body stable, and allowing your throwing arm to move freely and efficiently.

To store energy and stabilize your upper body, you stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, your weight favoring your back leg, and, as you begin your throwing motion, maintain that back-leg emphasis.

You shift your weight forward only as you throw, letting your legs and hips power the movement rather than your arm, and you land on a balanced front side with a relaxed follow-through.

Our Guarantee

Practice these techniques, and your accuracy and power will improve, or we’ll work with you to consistently hit your target, no questions asked.

Top of Form

Coach Skip Fast
“Command by Choice, Not by Chance”
https://propitchinginginstitute.com
856-524-3248
skip@propitchinginstitute.com
#ElitebyChoice

Copyright © 2025, Pro Pitching Institute. 

Mastering Glove-Hand Activity for Unmatched Pitching Control

Your glove hand initiates your upper-body sequence, maintains balance, and helps transfer energy cleanly into the throwing arm.

The Pitfalls of Passive Glove-Hand Activity

An inactive glove hand derails your delivery.

When your glove hand fails to engage, the connection between the lower and upper halves results in reduced velocity and effort-based throwing.

An inactive glove side changes how your throwing arm accelerates, leading to poor accuracy and unpredictable misses.

Without an active glove side, your body struggles to stay aligned through foot strike and release.

Achieving Optimal Glove-Hand Activity

To maximize glove-side efficiency, start with a balanced leg lift.

Merely, keep your front side stable while your throwing hand faces second base and your glove hand faces home plate.

As you move into the stride, rotate your glove hand to bring your elbow from facing up to facing down. Your controlled inward rotation activates your kinetic chain and syncs your upper body with the lower half.

Your engaged glove side anchors the torso, promotes a repeatable stride and consistent drives the ball to the target with remarkable regularity.

Our Guarantee

A properly trained glove hand unlocks robust, accurate, and repeatable pitching.

We’re so confident in our system that we offer a simple guarantee: If we can’t help you throw to your target consistently, send your video to us and we’ll tell you what to fix.

Coach Skip Fast
“Command by Choice, Not by Chance”
https://propitchinginginstitute.com
856-524-3248
skip@propitchinginstitute.com
#ElitebyChoice

Copyright © 2025, Pro Pitching Institute.

Mastering the Starting Stance

The goal of the starting stance is to enable a controlled, forward weight shift into the back hip.

Proper Stance or the Balanced Load

Front Foot Position is placed parallel to the rear foot allowing the weight during the leg lift to naturally shift down and into the back hip.

The pitcher achieves a "stacked" position where the head, torso, and center of gravity are vertically aligned over the bent drive knee.

This creates stored elastic energy in the back hip and leg, which is required for the explosive forward drive down the mound.

A visual: Imagine loading a spring by pushing down on it to create maximum linear momentum which is transferred up the kinetic chain.   

Improper Starting Stance or the Momentum Killer

Front Foot Position is placed too far back, often positioned behind the plane of the rear hip/foot which forces the weight to prematurely shift backward as the pitcher begins the leg lift.

The center of gravity moves away from the target, and the pitcher loses the feeling of being “stacked."                                                            

The pitcher generates a slower delivery and inconsistent velocity because the arm must compensate for the lost lower-body energy.                    

A Visual: Imagine trying to load a spring by pushing the spring sideways.

Let's hear from you!

By following these tips and seeking guidance from Coach Skip Fast, you elevate your pitching game and achieve your full potential.

Coach Skip Fast
“Command by Choice, Not by Chance”
https://propitchinginginstitute.com
856-524-3248
skip@propitchinginstitute.com
#ElitebyChoice

Copyright © 2025, Pro Pitching Institute.