During the prime of the likes of Nolan Ryan, the popular way of generating more momentum back then was the “Stand Tall and Fall” style developed by Nolan Ryan and his pitching coach Tom House, who may have coined the term. This proceeded the popular style of “Drop and Drive” used by the great Tom Seaver. These two styles of pitching are still used today. What is changing is pitching mechanics are evolving from an art form into the world of science.

Instead of hearing terms like “Stand Tall and Fall” or “Drop and Drive,” we are now hearing terms like “Core Torque,” “Triple Extension” or “Scap Loading.” What we are learning is the more science we can put into pitching, the more benchmarks we have to help pitchers make their improvements. If pitching mechanics are only seen as an art form, then they are based on opinion, which has been the case for some time now. When pitching mechanics are seen as a science then through analysis pitching mechanics must meet certain benchmarks to be labeled efficient and effective.

What we have learned from these two styles, “Stand Tall and Fall” and “Drop and Drive,” is more momentum equals more velocity. What we know today is that digital science has proven that momentum is only effective if it transfers from the lower half to the upper half of the body before it can move into the ball at release. This is the importance of “Separation.” “Separation” is when the front leg lands and the back leg is extended, the back hip is around and the back shoulder and body weight is still back. Notice the picture of Tim Lincecum above in this position. You can develop all the momentum in the world with a Nolan Ryan leg lift or a Tim Lincecum jump off the mound but if you do not let that momentum travel up your body into the ball with proper “Separation” then this means you will be stuck with just your arm to generate the velocity of the pitch.

I like to use the analogy of a moving car. Imagine a car traveling at 100 mph. The drivers side door is closed but it isn’t closed all the way. All of a sudden the driver slams on the brakes and stops the car in its tracks. What would happen to the door? It would fly open because once the momentum of the car is stopped by the brakes, the momentum moves into anything that is not secured down. The door was not secured down, so it picked up the momentum and flew open. This is exactly how momentum must travel through a pitchers body. To transition from the moving car analogy into the delivery of a pitcher we could say the car is the legs and core of the pitcher and the door is the shoulders and arms. Once the pitcher puts on the brakes with his front leg during front foot strike and the shoulders are closed with weight back, then the momentum will travel into the shoulders and arms driving them open towards the front knee. If the front leg continues to stabilize, the momentum will jump into the ball once the shoulders and arms cannot travel any farther.

This analogy makes it sound simple but it is not because there is a sequence of rotational pivots that must rotate perfectly in order for the ball to reach your potential velocity. To learn more about these pivots read Pitching-torque-and-the-3-pivots. It is also a major feat to train your muscles to move your “car” at speeds that cannot be seen by the human eye but I believe it is possible and so should you. Purchase the Ace Pitcher Handbook for a complete training program to help you grow bigger, stronger, faster.

The picture here of Roy Oswalt illustrates this optimal “Triple Extension” and “Separation.” Good separation from back hip to back shoulder builds torque in the core. An indication that a pitcher is developing that torque is noticeable in the twisting of the front of the jersey which is obvious in the picture of Oswalt. This is the most difficult position to master in the pitching delivery. It is a challenge to learn the muscle memory that allows the shoulders to stay back while the hips drive forward. The reason for the difficulty is that this requires a lot of core and leg strength. This is why I promote a very intense lifting program for pitchers that develops fast twitch muscle fibers and optimal core and leg strength. You will not master this position or this core torque until you are strong enough to achieve it.

Watch this video here or read my article on, “Olympic Lifting Increases Pitching Velocity” to learn more and purchase the “Ace Pitcher Handbook” to start the lifting program.

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.

This question can stir up a big argument but there is only one answer. The arm does not generate the velocity. It only guides the pitch. Therefore the arm must follow the body and does not come into play until the body has done its job.

I have been in many arguments about this issue. I have listened to coaches tell their pitchers that if they want to throw harder they need to speed up their arms. My question is how will speeding up your arm increase your velocity? This doesn’t make much sense because if you arm leads your body, it must leave the body behind. If you leave the body behind then it is up to the small muscles of the arm to take the entire workload of generating 90+ mph.

I think to prove my answer to the question above we must once again look at the little pitchers in the game. This is because these guys must work a lot harder to generate 90+ mph. I go once again to my favorite little man Tim Lincecum; 5’7 165 lbs. Notice the picture here of him at front foot strike. Now, where is his arm? It is hiding behind his body. YES, all you coaches out there who are coaching your pitchers to speed up there arms, it is behind his body. This means his body is driving the pitch. This means his body is generating the velocity. This means the arm is along for the ride.

The coaches who will argue my point here are the coaches who use giant pitchers like Randy Johnson as their example of pitchers who have a lot of arm action. This is true but these pitchers have more leverage on the ball than the average man. If you are 6’8 like Randy Johnson then congratulations you are in a small percentage of baseball players but if you are 6’2 and under take it easy on your arm and learn to work your body as a single unit in your delivery. When you work on generating velocity, work on pulling it from your legs and core and not your arm.

I recommend using medicine balls as often as you can. I have many throwing drills with these balls that force the pitcher to use every muscle they have to make the throw. This is how we must pitch if we want to throw and withstand 90+ mph.

The Ace Pitcher Handbook has a full medicine ball workout.

The Benefits of the Windup

1. This means no one is on base, so you potentially have more time to build momentum through your stride but you can also do this in the stretch.
2. This also means, you have more time once you start your delivery, to focus up on the target. Not to say you can’t do this in the stretch either.
3. It is a more intimidating position to face the batter which will give the pitcher more confidence.

The Benefits of the Stretch

1. You will throw your most important pitches here.
2. You have a more simple delivery mechanically.
3. You can get a good foot position on the rubber.

I believe that the deciding factor, of a pitcher who would either like to use the stretch or the windup without runners on base, is the foot position issue. You can get your foot in a more comfortable and athletic position when in the stretch. This would really benefit pitchers who are playing on bad fields. You know that mound that has a crater in front of the rubber that annoys the hell out of you! Here is a velocity quick tip that covers how to effectively position your foot on the rubber.

Pitchers that prefer the windup over the stretch, when acceptable, usually say the reason is because they feel more comfortable in the windup. If this is the case for you or your pitchers then this is fine. The only problem is if there is a significant difference between the pitchers delivery when in the windup as opposed to the stretch.  There should be no difference once the lift leg hip begins towards the target. Notice the video of John Smoltz below. His two deliveries are seamless between his windup and stretch.

I recommend pitching in the stretch more often because you will throw your most important pitches there. If you are more comfortable in the windup then this is usually because you throw more practice pitches in the windup. If this is the case, then I recommend throwing your bullpens in the stretch the majority of the time. This will also help you when you have runners on base. When runners are on base you must do your best to help your catcher to hold the runners on by being as quick as possible during your delivery. This means you may need to slide step. The problem is if you are a pitcher who likes to throw in the windup with a big leg lift, when in the stretch and slide stepping, you lose velocity. The key to not losing velocity in the slide step is focusing on the “Load” position. This position is when your hips are driving towards the target and you are squatting hard on your back leg. If you work hard to build momentum in the “Load” position, you can build as much momentum as you do with a high leg lift. Read my article on “Lift for Show, Load for Doe” to understand more about the “Load.”

I also recommend, when in the stretch, to start with your head and hips just inside your drive foot.  Have your feet almost shoulder width apart and your lift leg hip ready to fire to the target. This will help you get your lower half moving even faster to the target which will allow you to build maximum momentum along with optimal speed to hold base runners on.

It is important to remember that whatever you do to your delivery in the windup or stretch they must match each other once the hips begin moving towards the plate. If this does not occur then it will be very hard to stay consistent mechanically through the entire game. This will have a big effect on your balls to strikes ratio.

The best way to achieve separation is with your hips. You must understand that there is a delay from your hips to shoulders. This means your hips start first and your shoulders hold and when your hips stop, your shoulders commit. Just like the picture above, you must see the component “Separation” as a split perspective. Your lower half and then your upper half. Your lower half works first, then your upper half follows. Most young pitchers do this in reverse. This will cause arm problems and poor velocity. This happens because if the upper half starts first then the lower half is left behind and has no opportunity to be used.

I recommend you take a picture of yourself during the point of “Separation” and cover up first the upper half of your body in the picture. You want to see your hips completely open to the target like the picture above. Then cover your lower body and you want to see your shoulders in line with the target like the picture above. If you do not see good separation then you need to work on getting your hips moving faster while delaying your shoulders until just before front foot strike.

Notice the picture here of Mariano Riviera. The greatest closer in the game. His hips have started his delivery and are driving towards the plate while his shoulders stay back.  His arms are relaxed and waiting for his hips and legs to reach full stride, before the shoulders are ready to fire. The shoulders must fire after the back leg has triple extended and the back hip has completely committed to the target. This is the point of Separation.

This split perspective is essential to developing good separation. You must see this as a split second delay in your lower half to upper half and the hips leading the process. This is a challenge to learn and perform well but this component alone is what separates average pitching from above average pitching. Combining good “Separation” with a total body Olympic style strength and conditioning program, equals a Top level Pitcher.

I am not talking about hormone levels like body builders talk about hormone levels. I am speaking for athletes who are always looking to grow more athletic. Your hormone levels are a major component to your athletic ability, so it is essential that you learn about your Endocrine System. The chart below comes from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. This chart describes how to manipulate your hormone levels naturally to gain athletic benefits.

What this chart teaches us athletes is that performing lifts that recruit major muscle groups and as many muscle fibers as possible, will cause more muscle fiber damage overall. In return the body is forced to heal this massive  event of controlled muscle damage as quickly as possible, to prevent damage from continuing. The body then sends out and army of natural occurring anabolic hormones to heal up the damaged muscle fibers.To make sure this event doesn’t continue, the body builds more muscle fibers for future events.

The difference in training muscles without recruiting as many groups of muscle fibers per repetition, like with aerobic conditioning or light weight training, is the body dumps only a small about of testosterone and GH to heal the small amount of damage. This is why body builders are bigger and more powerful than long distance runners.

To take advantage of this new information, it is important that you train smart. Training smart is not going one extreme to the other. So DO NOT take off with this new information and start throwing on weight that you can’t handle and perform 1-2 reps a set. That is unsafe. Just like pitching everything must be controlled and you must make small adjustments for a healthy career. This information should motivate you to start working for quality lifts instead of quantity. Another important piece of advice is not to take this mentality of bigger, stronger, faster into the weight room while in season. This is an off season mentality only.

The major misconception of pitching, that continues to ruin arms, is the belief that velocity comes mainly from the arm. Stop thinking with your arm! This will cause so many problems mechanically and physically your career will eventually come to a halt. You need to beat it into your head everyday that your legs and core throw the ball and the arm follows and guides the pitch. When starting your delivery on the mound your first step should NOT be lift leg so I can break my hands and get my arm moving fast. This is pitching with all your arm. This is only recruiting your arm to handle the workload of the pitch. You must learn to recruit from the major muscle groups in the legs and core, to handle the workload of the pitch. In return this will generate so much more velocity and save your arm from absorbing all of the stress.

Pitching from the bottom or ground up is visualizing your lift leg as a log you are about to role down the hill or mound. Pick it up, feel its weight, hold back your upper body and throw the log down the hill leading with your butt to the target. It is extremely important that you load your weight back while the front leg moves to the target. Notice the picture above of Gagne in this “Load” position. Notice his weight is back, his back leg is sitting and his lift leg is moving to the target. This is the essence of bottom up pitching. Now notice the young man in the picture to the right of Gagne. He is almost at the same moment in the delivery but he is in a different position. His weight is forward, his arm is up and his stride is short. The difference between the two pictures is, once Gagne’s foot lands he can then transfer all the weight that he is loading in the back leg into the pitch. The young man has no weight loaded and is forced to only whip his arm to generate any velocity. The young man is pitching from the top down and he will be one of Dr. Andrews next patience if he does not make the adjustment.

Another sign of pitching from the top down is driving your glove hand to the target. This will also throw your weight forward preventing the “Load.” If you are a pitcher who pitches from the top down then thank God you read this article. You know need to understand what you are doing to cause this and learn to pitch from the bottom up. If you can make this adjustment, you will not only save your career as a pitcher, but you will increase your velocity by about 10-15 mph. The problem is this adjustment isn’t easy! It will not happen over night or within the year. It is a long process of changing muscle memory that you developed when you were very young. This means you will need a coach or video analysis to make this adjustment. You will also need to understand how to finish your delivery from the “Load” position and most important you must work on this adjustment everyday.

Please do not let this article discourage you. You have been given a gift with this knowledge. Most pitchers in high school and even college do not understand this consciously or subconsciously. Therefore this will put you ahead of the game.

If you are a tall and skinny freak who throws 90+mph then stop reading and have a great career. If you are like most of us, average in size and believe you have the potential to throw a lot harder without causing injury, then you must begin to learn what the strength and conditioning world has discovered.

The strength and conditioning profession has proven that pitching is an anaerobic exercise. An exercise that does not involve oxidation. The systems involved in creating energy for pitching, during the anaerobic exercise, are phosphagen and glycolysis systems. This is the use of creatine phosphate and sugars to make ATP (energy). What this means is, if a pitcher trains these systems in the off season then the muscles will develop more fast twitch muscle fibers to support the anaerobic exercise. More fast twitch muscle fibers means you have a higher capacity and storage of ATP. You also have the ability to recruit more muscle fibers, to add to the intensity of the workload. More muscle fiber recruitment creates more muscle strength during exercise. This increased muscle fiber recruitment during exercise causes more damage in the muscle during fatigue and in return promotes more testosterone to be released in the muscles to heal the damage tissue. This will build more muscle mass for future damage control. These side effects of high intensity anaerobic training, without a doubt, will lead to an increase in velocity. This is why pitchers who get bigger, stronger, faster, throw harder. When I say bigger, I do not exactly mean larger muscles like a body builder. I am talking about muscles that are more dense. A good example would be a light weight Olympic lifter. They look like little kids and can lift like machines.

I have dedicated this website to the secrets of velocity. They are velocity secrets because conventional wisdom doesn’t want you to know. Conventional wisdom sees pitching more as an art, instead of a science. If you have the desire to take it to the next level of pitching, you are going to have to overcome the old school techniques of coaching this position. You must learn the science of strength and conditioning for athletes. You must understand that if you need the most out of your body, you must learn what that is and what does it take. The first step in this process is questioning conventional wisdom and learning the science in everything you do. The next step is training fast twitch muscle fiber in the off season and maintaining the gains into the season. It isn’t an easy task but done correctly, it will mean the difference from a college career to a professional career.

I recommend the Ace Pitcher Handbook as an excellent off-season and in-season program that will promote fast twitch muscle fiber development.

The reason we need 5-6 servings of vegetables a day is because the natural whole food vitamins and minerals are essential to all of our muscular functions as an athlete. It is also essential to muscle recovery. Read my article on Pitching Nutrition and Supplements to learn more on this topic.

Here is a product that offers you 5-6 servings of vegetables in a pill form.

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If you would like more information on a nutrition product please post your request in the comments below and I will do some research for you.