Monday, January 30, 2017

How does your balance impact your results?



"Balance" means your shoulders and hips are directly one another and your hips are level to the ground.
- When in "balance", your upper body is free to move any way you want.
- With an "imbalance", you lose control of your movements until you get your body back into "balance". 
(Your "balance" response is called a "righting reflex".) 

You want to create ONE late "imbalance" - You generate ONE "imbalance" by coming into your front leg lift with your body in "balance" and then produce a planned "imbalance" that forces you to land your foot plant with your chest facing your target and your front hip lower than your back hip.
By doing this, you get back in "balance" by ...  
1. Your shoulders rotate to match your hips. (You engage your lower body.)
2. To satisfy your mind's urge to get your body back in "balance", without any effort you make totally spontaneous and naturally productive throwing action. 
No matter the pitch called, your consistent fastball arm speed, late ball movement and pinpoint command challenges your opponent to make solid contact with your pitch.

An early "imbalance" isn't nearly as effective - By ending your front leg lift with your hips tilted, you lose your lower body and end up throwing all upper body.
By ending your front leg lift with a hip tilt... 
1. You come out of your front leg lift with an "imbalance".  (With only one foot touching the ground, it becomes a physical impossibility to get your body back in "balance".)
2. Only after your front foot gets back on the ground and you get your hips back to level do you regain use of your upper body. 
3. In the process, your "balance" gives your body nothing to react to and you're forced to delivery each pitch with your shoulders whirling around your neck.
You never really know where your pitch is going to end up or whether your opponent picked on your throwing arm angle tipping your pitch. 

Now you know that the best way to have "balance" impact your results comes from your "balance" into the top of your front leg lift allowing you to generate ONE late "imbalance".

In fact, when you do this, you can use your results to measure your front leg lift.  (When you miss your target by an unacceptable distance, you merely revisit and refine your movements into your front leg lift.)

L.A. “Skip” Fast
Pro Pitching Institute
Independent Major League Pitching Coach
skip@propitchinginstitute.com

“My simple, yet extremely powerful, business rule: fix it once and move on!”  



Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Are you an “A” or “B” rated pitcher?

The difference between an "A" and "B" rated pitcher is like day and night.
  • An "A" Pitcher's foot placements keep their throwing arm uninvolved with their balance.
  • A "B" Pitcher's foot placements force them to use their throwing arm for balance.  
There's no middle ground. 
Either your body uses your throwing arm for balance or not!!!

“A” Pitchers
Overview - You’re an “A” pitcher when you know the movements to make that'll deliver every pitch directly to your target with different velocities and various movements.

There's ONE way to produce “A” performances!

Your focus – You focus on your foot placements, your front leg lift and your upper body throwing trigger.
Your foot placement choice – Your foot placements keep your hips level into the top of your front leg lift.
Your upper body – Your upper body remains uninvolved with your balance and free to move any way you want.
Your throwing trigger – You land your foot plant with a hip tilt to your glove hand side by rotating your chest toward your target out of your front leg lift.
Your throwing action – Your hip tilt forces a totally spontaneous and naturally productive throwing (re)action.

“B” Pitchers

Overview You’re a “B” pitcher when you do well against hitters with a flaw you can exploit and/or hitters who don’t recognize and fail to drive the pitches missing over the plate.

No matter what, everyone else is a “B” Pitcher!

Your focus – You’re more focused on what you see yourself do, not the actions causing you to do what you see yourself do!
Your foot placement choice – Your foot placements cause your hips to tilt into the top of your front leg lift.
Your upper body – You need your throwing arm to offset your hip tile at the top of your front leg lift.
Your throwing trigger – Before you can complete your delivery, you need to get your front foot back on the ground and get your hips back to level.
Your throwing action – Your throwing arm works independently to bring your throwing arm through your release window.

Contact us to find out how to transform your “B” foot placements into “A” performances.

L.A. “Skip” Fast
Pro Pitching Institute
skip@propitchinginstitute.com

“My simple, yet extremely powerful, business rule: fix it once and move on!”