Foot Positioning and the Kinetic Chain

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

Copyright © 2025, Pro Pitching Institute.

Kinetic Chain and Proper Back Knee Positioning

The sequence of body segments and joints that work together to generate and transfer force signifies the importance of the kinetic chain.

Improper Back Knee Position Disrupts the Kinetic Chain

When your back knee is ahead of or directly over your back foot, your body tilts.

To regain balance, you change your head position as you lift your front leg, which disrupts the coordination between your upper and lower body.

You lose control of your glove work and lower body movement, and your lower body cannot contribute efficiently to the throw.

Proper Back Knee Position Optimizes the Kinetic Chain

With your back knee positioned slightly to the side of your back foot, at second base, your weight distribution remains centered, your body stays balanced, and you prevent tilting.

Your glove hand transfers energy from your lower body through your core and into your throwing arm.

This allows your lower body to pull your throwing arm into the throwing motion effectively, facilitates a proper back knee position, and leads to more accurate throws.

Pitch Smart

Consistent mechanics, facilitated by proper back knee 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
“Unleashing Lower Body Power Through Proprioception”
https://propitchinginginstitute.com
856-524-3248
skip@propitchinginstitute.com
#ElitebyChoice

Copyright © 2025, Pro Pitching Institute.

Unleashing Your Pitching Power: The Kinetic Chain

 

Optimal Lower Body Loading

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, ensures 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, 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

Copyright © 2025, Pro Pitching Institute.

Your Glove Hand: The Proprioceptive Key to Pitching Accuracy

The critical role of proper glove hand movement in achieving accurate throws is linked directly to proprioception.

Awareness and Control

Your glove hand is constantly receiving information from the muscles, tendons, and joints of your glove arm allowing for precise position, movement, and the tension without your mind having to look for it.

Guiding Mechanism

Your brain uses the proprioceptive input from the glove arm to make fine-tuned adjustments, ensuring it moves in a coordinated way to lead the throwing arm.

Without this proprioceptive awareness, the glove hand's movement would be erratic and ineffective as a guide.

Feeling the Connection

Good pitchers feel the connection between their glove hand and throwing hand and this feel is proprioceptive; it's the internal sense of how the two arms are working together in sync.

Pitch Smart

Proper glove hand movement is not just an aesthetic part of pitching; it relies heavily on proprioception.

Your glove arm acts as an initiator of the throwing sequence, a guide for the throwing arm, and a mechanism for transferring and directing energy generated by the lower body and core towards the 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
“Unleashing Lower Body Power Through Proprioception”
https://propitchinginginstitute.com
856-524-3248
skip@propitchinginstitute.com
#ElitebyChoice

Copyright © 2025, Pro Pitching Institute.

The Archer's Secret to a Pitcher's Bullseye

 Archery is a fantastic and easily understandable way to explain the critical roles of proprioception and the kinetic chain in achieving consistent pitching accuracy.

Stance & Nocking the Arrow

Just as a consistent nocking of the arrow ensures a predictable release, a stable stance and controlled leg lift set the stage for a consistent pitching motion.

While keeping the front knee in front of the front hip, the pitcher creates a solid foundation for their balance and weight distribution.

Drawing & Releasing

The energy generated in the legs and hips (drawing the bow) is transferred through the core and torso to the arm (releasing the arrow).

The timing and coordination between the glove work and the lower body is crucial for efficient energy transfer and accuracy.

Precise Aim

When the front knee finishes ahead of the front hip, a more complete and efficient transfer of energy through the lower body and into the throwing motion allows the pitcher to direct their power more accurately towards the target.

Control & Focus

Through repetition, the pitching motion becomes more ingrained in the pitcher's muscle memory, allowing them to execute it with less conscious effort, like the archer's instinctive release.

Pitch Smart

We're so confident in our instructions that, if we can't help you get the ball to your target regularly, 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

Copyright © 2025, Pro Pitching Institute.

Archery Simplifies Pitching

 

An archer effectively simplifies and explains complex pitching mechanics.

Stance & Nocking the Arrow

Keeping the front knee in front of the front hip during the front leg lift is compared to nocking the arrow, keeping the body balanced, and setting up the power.

Front Knee Ahead of Hip Leading to Accuracy

Relating to pitching, the front knee finishes ahead of the front hip, the glove work effectively engages the lower body, and the ball hits the target.

Drawing & Releasing

Analogous to drawing the bowstring using back muscles, glove work initiates the power from the lower body, which in turn drives the throwing arm.

Front Knee Position Directs the Glove Work and Power Transfer

Like an archer's instinctive release, the front knee ahead of the front hip directs the glove work to initiate hip rotation and power transfer, leading to a more automatic and controlled throwing motion.

Unbalanced & Inefficient

Any deviation from proper mechanics is compared to an unbalanced archery stance, throwing off aim and making it difficult to execute the initial steps correctly.

Pitch Smart

An archer hitting the target consistently explains the importance of stance, glove work, lower body engagement, and accuracy.

We're so confident in our instructions that, if we can't help you get the ball to your target regularly, 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

Copyright © 2025, Pro Pitching Institute.

The Key to Pitching Command and Glove Work

To improve command and glove work, a foot distance of one baseball width frees the throwing arm to focus on accuracy, enabling the glove hand to contribute effectively to the overall motion.

Foot Distance and Weight Distribution

A foot distance greater than one baseball width causes the pitcher's weight to be primarily on the back foot.

Impact on Throwing Arm Engagement

The throwing motion then involves the throwing arm initiating the weight transfer from the back foot to the front foot and becoming less focused on command.

Glove Work and the Kinetic Chain

The glove arm reacts to the throwing shoulder's movement and, as the throwing arm shoulder moves towards the target, the glove hand path follows, becoming a secondary and less effective movement.

Ineffective Glove Work

When glove work is a reaction to the throwing arm's balance efforts, it does not actively contribute to stability, direction, or a clean transfer of energy throughout the pitching motion.

Pitch Smart

A wider-than-ideal foot stance compromises pitching command and glove work because it forces the throwing arm to prioritize balance over its primary function of delivering the ball accurately.

We're so confident in our instructions that, if we can't help you get the ball to your target regularly, 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

Copyright © 2025, Pro Pitching Institute.