If you do not understand what I mean by the stride and throwing phase of the delivery, then let me tell you what I am talking about. Pitching mechanics can best be broken down into two phases. Yes, there are many different components or parts to pitching but it is easier to take a bigger perspective of pitching by dividing the entire delivery into two sections or phases.

The Stride Phase

The stride phase of the pitching delivery starts with the leg lift and ends with the landing of the lift leg or also described as front foot strike. This is the phase of the delivery where the arm is not active. The only responsibility of the arm is to get into the cocked position at front foot strike. The cocked position is when the arm is at shoulder height, behind the head, in line with the closed shoulders. If you notice in the animation of Chapman in the stride phase here his lower kinetic chain is involved in all of the activity. The 3X Pitching eBook goes into detail of what is occurring during this phase. This detail describes how power is generated through triple extension or 3X. You will find that very few pitching coaches will teach this phase of the delivery. Most velocity is first generated in this phase of the delivery. I recommend purchasing 3X Pitching to learn this secret to real velocity.

The Throwing Phase

This is the phase of the delivery, after front foot strike, when the arm is responsible for throwing the ball. Most pitching coaches only coach this phase of the delivery. This phase involves the rotation of the shoulders and the release of the pitch. This phase occurs only during the last few tenths of a second in the delivery. At this point power has already been generated in the lower kinetic chain and is now transferring to the upper kinetic chain into the ball.This power is transferred through triple flexion which is also described in detail in the 3X Pitching eBook that you can purchase at the bottom of the page here.

If you want to learn how to throw hard then you must learn how to use the stride phase of the pitching delivery to generate more power. The American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI) has proven that all low velocity pitchers do not use the stride phase as effectively as high velocity pitchers. Here is an excerpt from the ASMI case study a Comparison of High Velocity and Low Velocity Pitch Deliveries which talks about this difference.

Another finding of interest is that early in the pitching motion, the two groups (High Velocity Group and a Low Velocity Group) were dissimilar in the timing of their movements, while their later movement timing was much more similar. This implies that early trunk and torso movements are more varied among pitchers than late arm movements. Read study here…

The study is suggesting that early trunk and torso movements, which is occurring during the stride phase, was more varied among the groups than during the late arm movements of the throwing phase. This means hard throwers spend more time in the stride phase than low velocity pitchers. This is the secret to throwing hard. If you want the secret to throwing even harder then it is called the Ace Pitcher Handbook. The Ace Pitcher Handbook holds the Fusion System which is a training program that trains power through triple extension. Triple extension is the reason hard throwers like Aroldis Chapman has a 7.5 foot stride length and his fast twitch muscle fiber is the reason he can move through that stride faster than pitchers with shorter strides than him. It is not enough to understand that triple extension is the key to building power in the stride phase, you must have a strength and conditioning program that can condition you to remodel more fast twitch muscle fiber so you can move through triple extension like the elite athletes/pitchers. If you are serious about gaining velocity then there is no better place than this site. So get started TODAY, because those other sites out there are not worth the time!

There are two forces that add velocity to a pitch:

Momentum

Rotational Torque

For momentum to effectively transfer to the ball, the pitcher must use all rotational pivots in order from the bottom up.  The hips must rotate before the shoulders and the shoulders before the arm internally rotates. For this to happen effectively these pivots must be free to rotate completely. Notice the picture of Tim Lincecum at the bottom of the page (Tim Lincecum is a phenom because of his size and ability to reach his top velocity continuously.)  Notice in the picture his weight is slightly leaning to his left. This would be like tilting an open door backwards so the open door slams closed due to gravitational forces. This gravitational pull is helping to create full range of motion in Tim Lincecum’s hips and shoulders at front foot strike. If he or the door was tilted the opposite way then these gravitational forces would work against his momentum by decreasing full range of motion in his rotational pivots. Using the force of gravity to increase the range of motion in your hips and shoulders will have a significant effect on your velocity. This is a big reason why Tim Lincecum can throw so hard for his size. He is working with the forces of nature to generate his power.

If you study the animated image here of Tim pitching you can see clearly the effective transfer of momentum through his rotational pivots. Watch his front leg land and his back hip rotate all the way around as his back leg triple extends. From here the momentum moves into the core because his front leg has stabilized  and his weight is being held back because his back shoulder is waiting for his hips to open to the target. This forces the core to tighten because the hips are rotating before the shoulders. His core looks like a rag being rung out or a rubber band being twisted at this point in the delivery. After this tightening of the core the momentum travels up into the shoulders. This torque pulls the back shoulder around and he sets the fulcrum, for the rotating shoulders, with his glove hand over his front leg.  The front leg continues to stabilize as his weight begins to shift over his front knee allowing the momentum to transfer into the final pivot. This is the shoulder pivot or the rotator cuff. Notice that when his trunk is fully forward, his arm is completely externally rotated. Now the arm fires like a rubber band and begins to rotate forward as also all the momentum from the body jumps into the ball like a passenger riding in a car and hitting a brick wall at 100 mph.

What Tim Lincecum continues to teach us is how to pitch with the entire body and that the arm is only along for the ride. This is exactly why little guys can throw so hard and old pitchers can still compete. Tim Lincecum uses gravity to aid momentum and his momentum to build torque in all of his rotational pivots. He also fires those pivots in the perfect order at the perfect time for effective momentum transfer. Everytime Tim Lincecum pitches, you should be watching because it is a lesson in Top Velocity.

I have written about this component in just about every article on pitch velocity. I will once again define this into more detail. I am doing this because of how important it is to master the pitching component of “Separation.”

The picture here of Felix Hernandez pretty much says it all. You can see the “Separation” from his hips to shoulders. It is like he is a towel being rung out to dry. Tim Lincecum calls this tightening his “Rubber Band.” The “Rubber Band” being his core. To understand core torque and its effectiveness, you must understand how torque is generated in a 90 MPH pitcher.

When throwing a pitch, we rely on the rotation of three pivots. The hip pivot, collar pivot and the shoulder pivot. If we remove torque in one of these pivots then the other two are forced to handle more torque to keep the same velocity, which leads to poor velocity and injury. The most common loss of torque in young pitchers is because of poor “Separation.” To understand why this happens, let’s take a look at each pivot.

The Hip pivot builds torque just when the front foot lands and the back leg “Triple Extends.” View animation. This is the first pivot to build torque and it is important to achieve full range of motion in this pivot. If the hip pivot does not open completely to the target when the front foot lands, then you are not building maximum torque. The most effective way to build torque is with momentum. Without momentum, the torque is created with only a rotational force. A good example would be the old saying, “Squish the bug.” This would be turning the hip pivot instead of using the driving force from the legs and the fall, to build the torque. Using momentum to build torque is much more effective for generating top velocity.

In between the hip pivot and the next pivot I will discuss, this is the moment “Separation” must occur. If  “Separation” of the hips and shoulders DO NOT occur then the pivots are moving together. This combines the pivots into one pivot and the pitcher losses the opportunity to build core torque. This is because, when “Separation” occurs, the hip pivot and the collar pivot stay separate. The core is now stuck in the middle and forced to tighten or stretch like a towel or rubber band. Once again notice the picture of Felix Hernandez above with hip to shoulder  “Separation.”

The next pivot in the chain of building maximum torque would be the Collar pivot. The collar pivot occurs after “Separation,” or “Scap Loading.” If the collarbone or shoulders would have traveled with the hips, then this pivot would have built zero torque. This is like removing the back two tires from a race car. This is so important to velocity and longevity that it is surprising how very few young pitchers know about its importance. If the collarbone or shoulders stay back, while the hips open to the target, then the spine or core builds torque. Every vertebra of the spine begins to tighten like a towel being rung out. This is just like those little model race cars you had as a kid. The ones that you press to the floor and role back slowly on its wheels to wind the engine. There is a little rubber band like engine within the car that is building torque and when you let it go, BAM, it takes off. This is the same concept behind the pitching component “Separation.” This is why this component is so effective in generating top velocity. Adding more torque here means adding less torque to the last pivot. Which is the Shoulder Pivot.

The shoulder pivot is the most common and most familiar pivot. It is the pivot of the shoulder joint. When the arm externally rotates backwards this is building torque. The reason this pivot is so familiar to the average pitcher is because it is the easiest to use. This is only because it is used all of the time. It opens bottles, doors, used with a screw driver and any other house hold tools. It is very important to a persons quality of life. The problem is the shoulder pivot or joint is designed with a very delicate and intricate system of muscles. This is because it is the only multidirectional joint in the body. The key to top velocity and a long career is preventing this pivot from handling most of the torque. This pivot should mainly be used to guide the pitch to the target.

To visually understand how to  build torque in all three pivots is a lot easier than actually performing the task. The reason is because we are dealing with three pivots. For each pivot to build torque and then to use that torque to generate velocity, takes as much timing as physical strength and coordination. Learning this timing can take an entire career. This is why it is important to continuously analyze your pitching mechaincs to make sure you are building maximum torque within the first two pivots and using that torque to generate top velocity in the 3rd and final pivot.

It is very important to remember the keystone to this entire system of pivots is “Separation.” Master this component and the rest will come naturally. Best of luck!

I do not own these animated photos. This is a collection I obtained from the web.
To view more Professional Pitching deliveries select here.

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ALKALINE / ACIDIC FOOD CHARTS

The charts below are provided for those trying to “adjust” their body pH through their diet. The pH scale is from 0 to 14, with numbers below 7 acidic (low on oxygen) and numbers above 7 alkaline. These charts are intended only as a general guide to alkalizing and acidifying foods. Note that there may be some discrepancies between foods included on these charts.*

To learn why this diet is important for athletes and pitchers read this article Pitching Nutrition and Supplements.

For more info visit http://www.essense-of-life.com/moreinfo/foodcharts.htm