The Pro Pitching Institute

Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Narrow Footwork Builds Command

A stable base and efficient power transfer from your lower body to your throwing arm allows you to generate maximum velocity, resulting in a fastball with good zip.

Footwork plays a crucial role in setting the stage for good glove work and exceptional command.

Wide Footwork and Balance Issues

When your foot distance is too wide, most of your weight stays on your back foot. Your throwing arm "pulls" you forward to maintain balance and takes away focus from controlling the throw.

With your arm busy with balance, your glove work becomes reactive rather than proactive, follows the path of your throwing arm, and loses its ability to guide the throw precisely.

Narrow Footwork and Glove Control

By narrowing your foot distance, you establish a proper center of balance right in front of your back foot. You create a stable base freeing your throwing arm to focus on generating power and delivering the ball accurately.

Now, your active glove work can take charge. The glove initiates the throwing motion, guides your throwing arm along a predetermined path, and leads to a more controlled and precise throw.

Benefits of Proper Footwork

A stable base and efficient power transfer from your lower body to your throwing arm allows you to generate maximum velocity, resulting in a fastball with a good zip.

When your mechanics are sound and your glove work guides the throw precisely, the grip you use on the ball becomes the primary factor dictating its movement (curveball, slider, etc.).

Better Balance

The Pro Pitching Institute teaches you to begin your motion with your Feet close together, or your instruction is free … No questions… No hassles… and no hard feelings.

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

Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Good Foot Positions and Glove Hand Movements

Your Glove Hand action shifts your Lower Body energy through your core into your throwing arm, you land your stride, and you deliver the ball to your target.

Don’t Do This

When your Foot Positioning is off, your Body moves out of balance, your Glove Work is reactionary, and your command suffers.

Your Foot Position

Your motion depends on your Foot Positioning.

The correct Foot Positioning promotes great Glove Work and exceptional command.

With your Heels in line with your target and one baseball width apart keep your motion in balance, your good Front and Back Heels promote your Glove Hands and give you good posture.

Your Glove Work

Your Glove Hands maintain your balance, and your balance produces your location.

Your Glove Hand moves out and in from your body and, most importantly, your Glove Work causes your Lower Body to open and land your stride.

Your Throwing Action

Your Glove Hand action shifts your Lower Body energy through your core into your throwing arm, you land your stride, and you deliver the ball to your target.

Your Lower Body drives your Throwing Action, and your Throwing Action takes the ball directly to your target.

Need Your Foot Positioning?

If you want your Body to be in balance and drive your pitch, the Pro Pitching Institute can do this for you.

The Pro Pitching Institute teaches you to manage your Lower Body … No questions… No hassles… and no hard feelings.

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

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

A Rubber Band and Pitching

Visualize "winding up" your lower body during the leg lift and then releasing that energy through your hips and core as you throw.

Rubber Bands

The concept of using your lower body to generate power in your throw is similar to the rubber band and propeller in the toy airplane.

Just like the rubber band stores potential energy that's released to spin the propeller, your legs, and core can be "wound up" during the pitching motion to create potential energy through hip rotation and core engagement.

In Pitching

The energy release is a smooth transfer of power that travels from the legs through the core and into the throwing arm.

Your hips forcefully rotate creating a significant amount of torque before your upper body starts its movement.

The torque generated by your hips travels up through your core and into your throwing arm and contributes to producing velocity and accuracy of your throw.

The Rubber Band Analogy

The rubber band analogy highlights the importance of using your lower body to generate power in your throw.

While the analogy simplifies the mechanics, the concept of storing and transferring energy is relevant.

Working Your Motion

Visualize "winding up" your lower body during the leg lift and then releasing that energy through your hips and core as you throw.

Practice drills that emphasize leg drive, core rotation, and a smooth transfer of power from your lower body to your upper body.

The Pro Pitching Institute teaches you to manage your Lower Body … No questions… No hassles… and no hard feelings.

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

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Your Shoulders and Hips Produce Torque and Location

In a good pitching motion, your weight is centered just in front of your back foot making a sequential transfer of energy:

Bad Mechanics

When the weight is over your back leg, the hips and shoulders move together. Your hips and shoulder move as a rigid connection.

Standing on one leg, isolating hip movement, and throwing the ball don’t translate directly to your pitching motion. During the throwing motion, the weight transfer from the back leg to the front leg allows for a powerful rotation with one foot planted.

Good Mechanics

In a good pitching motion, your weight is centered just in front of your back foot making a sequential transfer of energy:

Your legs and core initiate the movement of creating power, then your hips rotate to transfer the power upwards, and, finally, the arm whips through to release the ball with “uncanny” accuracy.

During the leg swing and weight transfer, torque is generated. The back leg pushes off the ground, transfers power to the front leg, and allows for a powerful hip rotation before the upper body starts its movement.

Proper lower body mechanics are crucial, and pitching involves a complex interplay of all body parts.

Coaching

Understanding the connection between hips and shoulders is helpful for pitching mechanics.

Finding a coach who emphasizes proper weight transfer, lower body engagement, and a smooth, coordinated throwing motion is your goal.

Want Your Lower Body to Fire?

The Pro Pitching Institute teaches you to manage your Lower Body … No questions… No hassles… and no hard feelings.

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

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Throwing Hand Control and Command

Your Glove Hand takes your motion out of balance and fires the ball to your target with uncanny regularity.

Preliminaries

Your Starting Position impacts your Throwing Hand.

The correct Throwing Hand movement promotes balance and command.

However, when your Throwing Hand merely reacts to your Starting Position, your Glove Arm ends up under your Armpit, and your command greatly suffers.

Poor Throwing Hand Movement

When your Front Leg goes behind your Front Hip, your weight is over your Back Foot, and your Front Leg is forced to take you out of your Starting Position.

Your Front Leg taking you out of your Starting Position causes your Hands to keep your Body in balance.

Your Hands keeping your Body in balance has your Throwing Hand acting on its own.

Each different pitch you throw may have a slightly different release point and arm speed.

Good Throwing Hand Control

However, when your Front Leg stays in front of your Front Hip, your weight is centered right in front of your Back Foot, and things change dramatically.

Your Glove Hand takes your motion out of balance and fires the ball to your target with uncanny regularity.

No matter the grip, your Glove Arm firing your Throwing Hand keeps the batter guessing about the pitch by showing the Hitter a constant fastball speed!

Accomplishing This?

Want your Body to produce a good Glove Arm movement?

The Pro Pitching Institute system accomplishes this by using your Glove Arm to bring the ball to your target with precision.

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

Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Glove Hand Palm and Your Location

When you begin your motion with your Front Knee in front of your Front Hip, your weight is just in front of your Back Foot and your Starting Position naturally impacts your Glove Hand Palm.

Poor Glove Hand Palm Movement

When you begin your motion with your Front Knee to the Second Base side of your Front Hip, your weight is entirely over your Back Foot.

Your Glove Hand Palm merely reacts to your Starting Position, your Body moves out of balance, and your command suffers.

Your Body recognizes this position and naturally reacts with your Throwing Arm taking over your motion.

Your Throwing Arm works by itself to bring the ball to a point between where you want the ball to go and one your Body wants.

Good Glove Hand Palm Movement

When you begin your motion with your Front Knee in front of your Front Hip, your weight is just in front of your Back Foot and your Starting Position naturally impacts your Glove Hand Palm.

The correct Glove Hand Palm movement tells your Body to deliver the ball to your target.

Your Body recognizes your Starting Position and reacts with your Glove Hand Palm driving the ball into the target.

Your Glove Hand Palm fires your Throwing Hand and sends the ball to your target with uncanny regularity.

Accomplishing This?

Want your Body to produce a good Glove Hand Palm movement?

The Pro Pitching Institute system accomplishes this by using your glove hand palm to bring the ball to your target with precise reliability.

Coach Skip Fast
“Location by choice, not by chance!”
Pro Pitching Institute
https://propitchinginginstitute.com
856-524-3248
skip@propitchinginstitute.com
#ElitebyChoice

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Your Glove Hand and Location

When you begin your delivery with your front foot even with your front hip, your glove hand becomes much more active.

Preliminaries

Your starting position impacts your glove hand movement, and your glove hand impacts your pitch location.

No Glove Hand Movement

When you begin your delivery with your front hip behind your back hip, your glove hand reacts to your movements and takes on a path of its own.

From your initial movement to your throwing action, your glove hand balances your motion.

Your glove hand ends up under your armpit, and, without your lower body, your delivery ends with your throwing arm firing the ball into your target area.

Your glove hand counts on the hitter swinging at pitches not in the strike zone and more particular hitters end up walking.

The Right Glove Hand Movement

When you begin your delivery with your front foot even with your front hip, your glove hand becomes much more active.

Your good Starting Position focuses your weight just in front of your back foot, and your front leg lift maintains your weight distribution.

Your body’s good position triggers your glove hand to drive your lower body and your lower body pulls your throwing hand into release.

Your glove hand initiates your lower body to take the ball to your target with uncanny regularity!

Getting Quality Instruction!

The Pro Pitching Institute system uses your glove hand to bring the ball to your target with precise reliability.

Coach Skip Fast
“Location by choice, not by chance!”
Pro Pitching Institute
https://propitchinginginstitute.com
856-524-3248
skip@propitchinginstitute.com
#ElitebyChoice