Speed is why pitchers must use video analysis to discover flaws and to make effective mechanical adjustments to their deliveries. The entire pitching delivery of a high velocity pitcher from the peak of the leg lift to pitch release is less than 1 second. The human eye is not capable of recording all the movements a pitcher makes during this short amount of time. This is why most young pitchers have a poor understand of high velocity pitching mechanics, like how the stride effects hip rotation speeds and how hip rotation speeds effects the rest of the pitching delivery.

Here is a study that reveals these high velocity pitching mechanics and more importantly the comparison of the hip rotation speeds between high velocity and low velocity pitchers.

Study Proves High Velocity Pitcher’s Use Faster Hip Rotation to Increase Momentum

A study performed at the Institute of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan, called, Kinematic Comparisons Of Different Pitch Velocity Groups In, Baseball Using Motion Model Method, proves that High Velocity Pitchers rotate their hips earlier and faster at front foot strike which allow them to increase momentum up the kinetic chain. Low Velocity Pitchers do not show an increase in momentum up the kinetic chain because of the lack of hip rotation speeds. Here is a summary of the results from the study:

The pitching motion was divided into three phases by four events: the first phase was defined as a phase from the instant for maximal knee height of the stride leg (MAXkne.) to the instant for minimal ball height (MINball ), the second phase from MINbau to stride foot contact (SFC), and the third phase was from SFC to ball release (REL).

Figure 2 shows the angular velocities of the hip and shoulder rotation during the third phase. The angular velocities of the hip and shoulder rotation of high velocity group (HG) and low velocity group (LG) increased from 0% of the third phase. Hip rotation angular velocity of HG rose to peak at 27% of the third phase, while shoulder angular velocity kept increasing until 60%. On the other hand, LG could not increase shoulder angular velocity from approximately 30% to 50% of the third phase since LG increased hip rotation angular velocity until 48%. Stodden et al. (2001) indicated that when pitchers were in a position to optimally rotate the pelvis and upper torso, they could generate increased momentum and transfer it from the trunk to the throwing arm.

Read the entire study here: http://w4.ub.uni-konstanz.de/cpa/article/viewFile/687/607

This study is proof that high velocity pitchers not only rotate their hips earlier and faster than low velocity pitchers but they put themselves into better positions at front foot strike to create earlier and more explosive hip rotation than low velocity pitchers. This optimal position for hip rotation must be a product of the second phase from the case study which is described as from minimal ball height to stride foot contact, better known in 3X Pitching as the Stride Phase. 3X Pitching has also proven, through extensive video analysis, that high velocity pitchers are doing something in their stride phase to put themselves into this position for optimal hip rotation.

The 3X component that is creating this early and explosive hip rotation is called Triple Extension (3X). Achieving 3X before front foot strike will put the pitcher in this optimal position by starting hip rotation just before front foot strike which will create early and explosive hip rotation like in the high velocity group from the case study above.

Notice in the animated sequence of Brandon Morrow’s stride phase above his 3X before front foot strike is opening his hips before he lands which is supporting his optimal high velocity hip rotation. 3X before front foot strike is the secret to creating early and explosive hip rotation which will then convert to optimal hip to shoulder separation as the momentum from the stride increases and moves up the kinetic chain.

The Steps to 3X Before Front Foot Strike

Learning power pitching mechanics like with 3X Pitching and having a significant effect on increasing your pitching velocity is always easier said than done. Here are the steps to benefiting from early and more explosive hip rotation but it takes more than these steps. It takes a proven program to train the pitcher to have the power to move through these steps along with throwing drills to help the pitcher program these movements into his central nervous system so he can perform them in a game without thinking about the process. The 3X Extreme Pitching Velocity Program is that program but these steps below will help you get started!

1. Start your leg lift with a linear first move.
2. Align the Force Vector into a linear position.
3. Load into good dorsiflexion of the drive leg.
4. Use foot sync to trigger hip rotation before front foot strike.
5. Triple extend the drive leg before front foot strike.

To understand this revolutionary approach, let’s first define holism or holistic.

“Characterized by comprehension of the parts of something as intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole.”

The purpose of the term holistic is to understand that the big picture here is what is most important to 3X Pitching. The big picture to 3X Pitching is that 3X Pitching is a power pitching approach. It holds all of the tools that are available for the pitcher to become a power pitcher and increase velocity. The problem is if you try to understand 3X Pitching only from the perspective of its mechanical parts, you will become frustrated when you try to put it all together in the end. The components of the approach are important but they don’t tell the entire story. This is why most newbies to 3X Pitching are intrigued by its mechanical parts but do not totally understand how it will develop the power pitcher.

I encourage those new to 3X Pitching to open your minds and just spend the beginning learning the approach. Once you have soaked up everything, you then need to step back and see the big picture or see the power pitcher as a whole.

The Complete Approach to 3X Pitching

Is it rotational pitching, linear pitching, momentum pitching? It is 3X Pitching!

Where 3X Pitching throws most people off is because the mechanical foundation of the approach is being used as the name. This means it sounds like 3X Pitching only means triple extension which is one part of the whole mechanical system. It just happens to be the root of the entire system because it connects the mechanics to the strength and conditioning. This is why I used the name but it is critical to understand how the rest of the entire system is built on top of 3X, so you can see it as a whole or so you can get the big picture of what we are doing here.

The entire 3X Pitching system is composed of the pitching mechanics, the strength and conditioning of the pitcher and how it links together. This is where 3X Pitching rises above the rest and stands alone. If a pitcher can learn to implement triple extension into his pitching mechanics and at the same time train his body to move more explosive through triple extension then you will have a power pitcher. This means the approach uses its proprietary drills to develop the motor coordination around the 3X mechanics and its proprietary strength and conditioning program to train the pitcher to move explosive through these mechanics. There is no better system to develop the power pitcher and this is what is missing in the game of baseball. There are tons and tons of trainers who understand the bio-mechanics of the athlete but do not fully understand how it works for a power pitcher, so they are training athletes but not pitchers and there are tons and tons of pitching coaches who think because they have played the game that they understand the mechanics of pitching but their knowledge of the bio-mechanics of the athlete is very poor, so they are developing pitchers but not athletes (The power pitcher is the makeup of both the athlete and the pitcher). So, the result is tons and tons of approaches to pitching that only address some of the parts of the whole but never the whole. This is why I am getting these emails. These parents, coaches and players have yet to learn how all of these approaches relate to the whole of power pitching until NOW.

3X Pitching is the Answer You Have been Looking For

All of these styles of pitching like rotational pitching, linear pitching, momentum pitching are all parts of the 3X Pitching system. 3X Pitching is linear because it trains triple extension before front foot strike. 3X Pitching is momentum pitching because it trains the importance of the linear force vector and its effects on momentum or speed through the stride. 3X Pitching is rotational because it teaches how triple extension before front foot strike leads to more hip rotation which results in more hip to shoulder separation. 3X Pitching is even “Stand Tall and Fall” and “Drop in Drive” in one but 3X Pitching is also a mental and muscular approach to power pitching. It is the answer you have been looking for because it is a Holistic approach to Power Pitching.

To learn more about 3X Pitching continue reading the FREE Pitching Articles.

Head Position Through 3X Mechanics

This is the full list of the 3X Mechanics which is included in the 3X Pitching Programs. The 3X Pitching Programs include a full detailed description of every one of these components. These descriptions will only include the head positioning.

1. Lift Leg Momentum – This component begins the delivery and the head position should be over the belt buckle. When what we call the “First Move” occurs, the head must stay tucked and behind the belt buckle.
2. The “Load” Position – This is the component of the 3X Mechanics which is just before the launch phase of the delivery when power production occurs. The head again must be behind the belt buckle in this position. It also must be balanced over the shoulders. This means it is not hanging over the chest. Pitchers like Tim Lincecum like to even “Tilt” their heads back over their butt in this position.
3. 3X and Separation – This is the foundation of 3X Pitching and it is the toughest component to implement effectively into your delivery. Every single power pitcher uses it and the 3X Pitching Velocity program will train you to master it. The head during this position must be tucked hard behind the belt buckle and balanced again over the shoulders. If the head flies out of this position during this launch phase then power production is limited. If the chin begins to push forward past the belt buckle during this component this is fine unless it reduces the implementation of the following component.
4. Chest Thrust External Rotation – This is the first component in the 3X mechanics that is almost eliminated completely from the delivery when the head has been out of position most of the delivery. This means the easiest way to implement this 3X component more effectively is by working on the head position through the entire delivery.  When I see my pitchers not implementing this component, I always start with the head position from the previous components. The head position for this component is tucked  but this is the first time that the head can push out with the torso in front of the belt buckle. The key is to continue to tuck the chin like you are trying to keep it behind the belt buckle but the force of the upper kinetic chain is to great.
5. Elbow Extension – This component emphasizes the importance of NOT pulling down your arm to release. The head position does not change from the previous component.
6. Stabilization – This may be shocking to those who are not familiar with the revolutionary pitching mechanics called 3X Pitching but yes the head never moves out of the tucked position. As you continue to stabilize your front leg, you must continue to stabilize your head position and not let it relax until ball release.

The head position is so critical through all of the 3X mechanics because once the head throws itself forward, it will always bring the arm with it. I suggest you try this to fully understand the effect. Stand up with your feet shoulder width apart. Tuck your glove arm and lift your throwing elbow above the shoulder. Now let your arm externally rotate behind your head while tucking your chin into your throat. From this position quickly and aggressively throw your head forward out over your toes and down. Notice how your arm follows your head.

The reason this head movement will kill pitching velocity is because velocity comes when the body has built power before the arm begins to throw the pitch. The earlier the arm throws the ball in the delivery then less power has been produced and converted into the velocity of the ball.

The 3X Pitching Mechanics are proven power pitching mechanics that will increase pitching velocity and prevent injury. To learn more, check out this revolutionary program here that has been sweeping the country.

The problem with the traditional Long Toss was discovered in the latest case study performed by the famous ASMI which was backed by the famous Dr. Andrews. You can learn more about this study here. The final results proved that the traditional long toss, along with the popular extreme long toss, not only is destructive to your pitching mechanics but it puts a tremendous amount of stress in the elbow. The 3X Power Throws were developed to eliminate this stress in the elbow while also promoting the 3X pitching mechanics. The results have been revolutionary.

The Benefits of the 3X Power Throws

1. Increase your volume of throws, without abusing your arm.
2. Use distance to challenge your power production without effecting your mechanics.
3. Help maintain total body strength while in-season.

The Difference Between 3X Power Throws and Long Toss

Long Toss is an approach to conditioning the athlete using distance throws. The problem is most practices of Long Toss do not focus on pitching mechanics. This means the athlete is developing throwing mechanics that are different than pitching on the mound. This is the case because when Long Tossing the athlete usually starts with a light toss mainly only using the arm to throw the ball and then as the athlete increases the distance, he may close the shoulders more and develop more hip to shoulder separation. The problem is when the athlete starts to use a “Crow Hop,” or a run, or step into the throw. This will take the power production away from the drive leg during the delivery because momentum or power is being produced through the steps before the throwing delivery begins. This can force the athlete to wipe the arm around the body to power the throw or force the athlete to develop the power before the throw even begins, by using the traditional “Crow Hop.”

The 3X Power Throws start in a position that promotes optimal pitching mechanics and then builds the power demands on the entire body by increasing the distance without changing the mechanics. The distance used is based on the pitchers power production. Once he can no longer keep the ball on a line during the throw and/or he struggles to keep his pitching mechanics working together then this is his max distance. Just like weight training you must not sacrifice technique for weight. This means you must not sacrifice pitching mechanics for more distance when 3X Power Throwing.

 Why You Should Use the 3X Power Throw over Long Toss

3X Power Throwing is not only better for your arm than Long Tossing but it will help you take your off-season power gains and velocity gains on the mound while in-season. It will also help you keep your velocity and pitching mechanics more consistent through a long season. 3X Power Throwing is the upgrade to the “Old School” approach of Long Tossing. It is like using the bat technology of today as opposed to using the bat technology from 40 years ago. It is a no brain-er! The challenge is learning the 3X Mechanics behind 3X Power Throwing. To learn these mechanics it does require that you complete the off-season 3X Pitching Velocity program but you will discover that there is no better way to transform yourself into the dominate 3X Power Pitcher.

Important Notice: 3X Power Throws or the “Old School” Long toss should not be used in an off-season velocity development program. You do not want to use a high volume of throws off-season when trying to increase velocity. You must take stress off of your rotator cuff and elbow while in your off-season and focus on mechanics and power development during your off-season to effectively increase velocity and build a strong base before your season. To learn more about the ultimate off-season Velocity program check out the 3X Pitching Velocity program.

This is a great pitching mechanics 101 video to watch if you are first learning this approach to pitching. This approach to pitching in this pitching 101 video will not only add 5-10 mph to your velocity but it will help reduce the chance of injury, increase longevity and give you more confidence on the mound. Here is what is included in this introductory video to 3x Pitching.

3X Pitching 101 – 3x mechanics

• 2 Phase Delivery
  • Stride Phase
  • Throwing Phase
• 3X Components
  • Lift Leg Momentum
  • The Load
  • Triple Extension & Separation
  • Chest Thrust & External Rotation
  • Internal Rotation & Elbow Extension
  • Stabilization

Pitching Mechanics 101 Video

You can view this pitching mechanics 101 video above or here at youtube under pitching 101. If you like this pitching 101 video then please select the thumbs up or the like button. Thanks and I hope this pitching 101 video helps you reach your pitching velocity goals.

If you have completed this pitching mechanics 101 video and you are interested in learning more or starting the 3X Pitching Velocity Program then please check out the 3X Pitching Velocity Program.

There currently is a gimmick that supposedly helps the pitcher to get into this position but the problem with these gimmicks is if you cannot pitch with this device in a game, what use does it have for the pitcher? If the pitcher can not put himself into this power drive position without the device then it is a total waste of money. I have never worked with the device, so this is not a review.

The 3X Pitching Velocity Program trains the pitcher through drills to achieve this Power Drive Position. I will cover some of these components here that are in full detail in the 3X Pitching Velocity Program.

The Pitchers Power Drive Components

1. Lift and Lead – Lift your lift leg as you lead with your hips. You want to start your momentum towards your front foot as quickly as possible while closing off your hips with your lift leg.
2. Align your Force Vector with your Front Hip – Your force vector is your ankle to knee. This must get in line with your front hip as soon as possible. You can make this happen by driving your shin into the ground as you push your hips towards the target.
3. Power Pads Force Production – You want your drive leg foot completely flush against the rubber with your weight sitting on your power pads. This is the area from the ball of the foot towards the arc. This is where you want to start applying force as you align your force vector with your front hip and as you move into triple extension. This is where you use ground reaction forces to generate your power.

This is definitely not an approach to pitching from the conventional wisdom of the game. Critiques of this approach would say that this goes against the old school “Balance Position.” Those who think this way do not have a physiological understanding of explosive movements. Lifting the leg and pausing to establish “Balance,” does not support an explosive movement by definition. To the explosive athlete “Balance” is the athletes ability to control the momentum of the body and direct it towards the goal. This balance is most important during the stride when power is generated and at front foot strike when power is converted to torque.

Great examples of pitchers who put themselves into a Power Drive Position would be all hard throwers. My favorite example is Trevor Bauer, Tim Lincecum, Aroldis Chapman, Felix Hernandez, Nolan Ryan, etc.

Learn the Pitchers Power Drive

To learn more about all of these power pitching components read more articles here or purchase the 3X Pitching Velocity Program.

Brent Pourciau
Alright this is Brent Pourciau at TopVelocity.net and I am here with Jim “The Rookie” Morris and we are going to talk some baseball today. Jim, I would like to say it is an honor to have you here at TopVelocity.net, I want to tell everybody that you have a great story. Everyone can go out and see the movie, The Rookie, but today I would like to talk some pitching with you mainly. Maybe you could start with telling everyone what you are doing today.

Jim Morris
As of now I am a motivational speaker. I speak all over the world and I talk about second chances and chasing your dreams and having faith in sometimes things that we can not see, to go out there and reach a little farther than we thought we could actually go. That was my whole deal with my high school kids at Reagan County High school and that was the deal with me. I mean I pushed it on them and they pushed it back. Because of that now they showed me that sometimes we are not to old to chase our dreams and I get to go around the world and talk about it.

Brent Pourciau
That is great! What kind of groups do you speak too?

Jim Morris
I speak to all sorts of people. I speak to corporations, I speak to churches, universities, high schools, elementary schools. I am a spokesperson for a organization called arms of hope that gives kids and women get out of abusive relationships second chances.

Brent Pourciau
Alright, well that is great! Like I said it is great to have you and I want to, for the community, I sent you that analysis I did of your pitching did you get to look at that?

Jim Morris
I did! Chapman was a little more centered than me.

Brent Pourciau
Yes, I just felt like, I mean, it is amazing when you are being compared to Chapman who is able to throw three digits. Your velocity was already exceptional. All I saw in the difference was his ability to generate a little more momentum into his front foot.

Jim Morris
He certainly did and he was very limber looking. The tendon strength and the ligament strength that goes with the joints make him able to really reach out there and pop it!

Brent Pourciau
That brings up a good point. I would like to start with you going over your surgeries. Is it true that you had nine surgeries?

Jim Morris
Yes, I have had five elbow surgeries and well now five shoulder surgeries.

Brent Pourciau
Wow, I can’t imagine surviving that. So, can you go into when your arm started to breakdown what kind of pains were you having and experiences you were having on the mound?

Jim Morris
Mine started when I was a teenager. I played summer league ball, I was in a football town, so football was number one and we knew baseball was a step child. So we got to play 10 games a summer and if we got in the playoffs a few more but I started getting sore…You know when your father is the coach and he goes can you pitch? Your not going to say, NO! I wasn’t able to say, NO because I wanted the ball and I wanted to be able to throw the rock and consequently I got sore but it would pass and I thought nothing of it. Two years into minor league ball I wake up in extended, not extended, fall league down there with the Brewers and my roommate is Plezia, Dan Plezia and I wake up and my arm is locked from the elbow. My arm is swollen like a softball and you know we are stupid and we are young. So I set my arm out on a table and Dan is trying to straighten it and we can’t get it straight. So I have to go into the trainers, the athletic trainers and I said you know I can’t straighten my arm out and basically what happened by that point was Doctor Frank Jobe went in and did Tommy John surgery on me. He took a ligament out of my ankle and stuck it in my elbow and when I woke up he said, “Jim, you did most of this damage when you were 15 or 16 years old.” I looked back at that when I was a coach and said, “You know what that makes sense because I teach my kids fastball, fastball, change up, fastball, fastball, change up until they are old enough to throw breaking pitches and everything else that goes with that and I keep a steady count or pitch count which I never did as a teenager. I was paying the price for it and he said. “You completely tore your Medial Collateral ligament and 80% of it was done when you were a teenager.

Brent Pourciau
Which is a common injury today. Andrews’ statistics show that Tommy John surgeries have gone up 700% in the past 5 years. What would you credit this too besides throwing a lot of pitches? Would you say it is a mechanical issue?

Jim Morris
For me learning how to pitch! I was a little bit jerky when I was younger and overthrowing I think is a good term. I think I tried to overthrow, I tried to throw the ball through a wall every pitch. I didn’t try to hold back at all and I was not smart in that. In today’s society we have a bunch of kids who want to get to the big leagues so they are pushing their bodies as hard as they can. They know have their own personal trainers and they play select ball. So instead of playing a good schedule for a teenager of 40 or 50 games, they are playing 150. They are playing as much as the big leaguers are and I just think that is wear and tear.

Brent Pourciau
Right and you even look at these travel teams and they 13 kids on the team and not only do those kids play in the field but they are also the pitching staff.

Jim Morris
Yeah, they never rest.

Brent Pourciau
Yeah they don’t give them a rest and you are right if they are a kid or pitcher who gets on the mound and they are just trying to throw it as hard as they can every time then they are just making themselves more vulnerable to injury, especially if they have bad mechanics.

Jim Morris
Absolutely

Brent Pourciau
So why did your surgeries move into the shoulder?

Jim Morris
You know after I had the Tommy John surgery I concentrated so much on getting my elbow back into shape that I neglected my shoulder. Consequently I didn’t do any stretching or any weight work and to credit the old school thought when I started playing minor league ball you didn’t lift weights. You ran and then if you were sore you ran some more and on top of that you ran a little bit more. So weights were not a big deal and then the second time I came back weights were huge. So I think that if you keep your body in tone with weights and cardo then I think you are a lot better off. Now a days I think the training regime is a lot better for kids but I still think a lot of kids get out there and see a radar gun behind the screen and the first thing they want to do is light it up.

Brent Pourciau
What shoulder surgeries did you have? What did they work on?

Jim Morris
The big one that I had was the first one when Dr. Jobe went in and tightened the rotator cuff muscles, all four of them and then later on after I had really quit minor league ball and gone back to college I had one and I had a three and a half inch bone spur with a prong on it that went up the top part of my arm into my rotator cuff. It had sheared my cuff and they had to go back in and shave the joint out so it would fit properly and they cut 80% of the top of my deltoid out because I had fraid the muscle so bad.

Brent Pourciau
Is that like an acromioplasty where they shave the tip of the acromion?

Jim Morris
Yes, Sir.

Brent Pourciau
I had a similar operation as well. So, what was, about four surgeries in the shoulder or was that three?

Jim Morris
Up into that point. That was the fourth one. I have had one since then because if you start having bone spurs then you have a tendency to have them again. It was just a little bone spur and they pulled it out before it got bad and I have been fine ever since. I can go out and throw now. I just can’t find anybody to throw catch with me!

Brent Pourciau
You should come down here I would love to play catch with you. How old where you at your last surgery? Not the one you had later in life but that one you had while you were still playing or were you still playing?

Jim Morris
By that time I had quit. I was playing college football at that point and I was 28 years old when I had that surgery.

Brent Pourciau
28, what number was that when you were 28? How many more did you have after you were 28?

Jim Morris
I only had one more in my shoulder. That was the big one and when I woke up Dr. Ryan, the guy who did it for me said, “Jimmy, you are not going to pitch again, you can’t, you do not have anything in there to pitch.” The body is an amazing thing and I speak at churches for a reason because I have a lot of Faith. For whatever reason I came back not only throwing extremely hard but a lot harder than I had been throwing before when I was supposed to be so young and talented.

Brent Pourciau
So how old were you at that last surgery?

Jim Morris
28

Brent Pourciau
So basically from 28 to 35, 35 is when you went to that tryout, correct?

Jim Morris
Yes, Sir.

Brent Pourciau
So that was 7 years and that was when you were with the boys, with the team and you were pretty much a coach. You weren’t considering yourself a player anymore, right?

Jim Morris
I was coaching around the state of Texas in different high schools and I have a thing against pitching machines because if I stand behind the plate I do not see the kids swings as well as I do on the mound throwing to them. So I taught myself basically from step one over again how to be smooth and not put much pressure on my arm while I am pitching to these kids so I can throw everyday to them. In doing that I can watch them in their approach to the balls that are coming at them and over that period of time, 7 years of batting practice, my arm strengthened up.

Brent Pourciau
Do you credit all that batting practice to your rehabilitation or were you doing any other type of conditioning or anything?

Jim Morris
I was lifting a lot of weight! Not only that I was stretching at the time because I was throwing long toss everyday with my outfielders and pitchers. Just the mechanics of needing to throw everyday, making yourself as smooth as possible, taking as much pressure off of the arm as you possibly can, the ball started jumping. I didn’t even realize that I was throwing hard because it was so free and easy. It wasn’t like I was trying, like when I was young, to really gut it out. I was just letting it go.

Brent Pourciau
It sounds like you said you were lifting weights, you had a good strength and conditioning program. Were you doing that with your team? Was that why you were lifting?

Jim Morris
I did that through my high school with my high school baseball kids. We lifted three times a week, rain or shine we lifted and if it took away from batting practice so be it because I wanted my kids strong. Not only just for baseball but for the rest of their lives. The more you can learn and the more you can mentally strengthen yourself the better off you are.

Brent Pourciau
Right, I am a big advocate of strength and conditioning but it has to be a very intelligent program. Can you tell us more about the lifting program you all were doing?

Jim Morris
We had a basic strength program where you do dead lifts, squats, a lot of leg stuff and a lot of core stuff. We did a whole lot of abdominal things and we did Dr. Jobe’s exercises for the shoulders and cuff. It wasn’t just get out there and lift the gym. It was little bitty tiny increments of weights and strengthening the joints, so that they could take the stress of either throwing, hitting or running, anything that we had to come up. I wanted them to be prepared for. So we did heavy weights but we also did little things that sometimes people think are tedious but man they sure do save you a lot of heartache and pain.

Brent Pourciau
Exactly, I experienced about a 10 mph in a velocity gain in my career and I credit your motivation story to the mental side of it. I had rotator cuff surgery and Doctors pretty much gave up on me. They said I would not be able to compete in college again and I was 24 at the time (correction, I was 18 when I had the surgery and 24 when I got my velocity back). I worked with the Olympic lifting Coach, his name is Coach Gayle Hatch, and one of his portage Kurt Hester and they trained me through the Olympic lifts which are all total body lifts and it was my key too. The one thing that Kurt said to be was, “Brent, if you can’t through hard anymore then why not just be the strongest guy on the team.” So I took that mentality and said yeah, at least this gives me some hope and what I learned was that the stronger I got, all of a sudden my arm started to come back. Ultimately what it was teaching me was that I was developing total body strength and when I was throwing I was throwing like I was performing my power cleans, I was using my total body and not just my arm anymore. I was able to get up to 94 mph. I am just excited to hear that you did have a great strength and conditioning program. Not that credits everything to it but it is probably what got you feeling strong again.

Jim Morris
I think that when you have a program like you did and I did with the kids and you get in their with them and you show them that you are doing it along with them. It pumps them up some. The mental pluses from doing that are incredible because it makes you mentally tough and it makes you think like you said, I may not be able to throw as hard as I did but if somebody charges the mound I am going to be ready and all of a sudden you are throwing hard and you don’t even realize it because you are just utilizing things that you took out of the weight room and bring them on the field and then all of a sudden you are throwing gas You are then like, Wow, where did that come from?

Brent Pourciau
Exactly, I think the one thing you pointed out was the fact that as a coach you were pushing your kids by competing with them in the weight room and on the field and I think that is critical. I mean I have started coaching some and I have seen the most impact on my players when I am actually getting dirty with them and pushing them as well.

Jim Morris
Absolutely, I think the whole thing is a competition. We did everything that was competitive man, we would have batting practice. We would run them out and would have teams with squads, A, B, C and D and we would get in there and as long as you could hit you could stay in the batting cage and that would make everybody want to hit more. When we had the field and if you didn’t make any errors in your group then your group got to hit again. Everything was a competition to get us ready for the next level.

Brent Pourciau
Did you focus on diet with the kids? Did you make it clear that it is just important that you put good things into your body and all that stuff?

Jim Morris
Diet is very important. Getting sore and drinking water is number one. You can drink Gatorade while you are performing. If you just drink Gatorade while you are sitting around all you are going to do is gain weight because that is for actually maximum output. So water, cleansing your body everyday, getting the lactic acid out, stretching, running some. I wasn’t one of those guys who got up there and screamed and yelled and cursed my kids. I didn’t make them run from dawn until dark, we were actually trying to achieve a goal in every single thing we did and do the best at it we could, 100% of the time.

Brent Pourciau
You said diet was big. Did you really get into diet with them or you just told them guys just be aware of what you are putting into your body or did you get into it like guys I want you eating a lot of protein, alkaline green vegetables?

Jim Morris
In 99 that wasn’t as big as it is now. Back then I was just telling them to be aware of what they were putting into their bodies because whatever you put into your body is going to be reflective of how you play and so we just tried to be smart and healthy at that time. Now a days it is even more out front. Diet is really a huge deal now. I look at the people throwing so hard now and pitchers really dominated this season in the Major Leagues. It was fantastic to watch.

Brent Pourciau
Yeah they really were. You mentioned running. What kind of running program did you have? Was it a speed and agility based program. I want to believe that you stayed away from long distance running or could you just elaborate more on that?

Jim Morris
We did no long distance running whatsoever. We did bleachers and we did cones. We did stuff on the base path and little bitty things. Pickup drills and anything to help us stretch, move and perform at our top level all the time. When we hit the field and it was on. We are moving from the beginning to the end and we are not stopping until we are done. The long distance stuff tears down all the muscle that we are building up in the weight room and it serves no purpose for me. If you want to do something like that go get on a bike and ride to strengthen your legs. Don’t sit there and tear down all the body muscles you just built up in the gym.

Brent Pourciau
As much as I am not really surprised that you had this great program across the board from diet to strength and conditioning to speed and agility, anaerobic training but to me it is becoming more conventional wisdom to train like this for pitchers. It just was so forbidden so opposite of how they taught it five to even ten years ago. How did you learn all of this? Where were you getting your information from because this wasn’t the normal of how pitchers and baseball players where training?

Jim Morris
It was a trial and error deal for me. I knew from the other surgeries that I had that what I was doing was not working. So I figured that if it could make someone in their 30′s stronger and able to compete better then it was going to make teenagers stronger and able to compete better. It was one of the biggest things that we did and the kids hated it at first and then they begin to start loving it, was a jump rope program. It builds up quick twitch muscles and helps you move a lot quicker and react faster and so we had jump rope programs and jump rope stations and pick up drills. It was just a trial and error deal for me and if it worked for me then it had to work for them and when they started seeing results they totally bought into it.

Brent Pourciau
I think that is a credit to you and your success as a coach and your ability to come back and play Major League Baseball. It is just great to hear that you were doing a total fusion of things that not only helped your team do as well as they did when you were coaching but was really your success to getting back to playing Major League Baseball.

Jim Morris
Well I appreciate that! Part of my degree is in Kineseology. So body movement is a critical deal and I had great professors at my college. You know you learn good things for your sport by looking at other sports. In doing that you can integrate those with you because there are some of the same movements and some of the strength requirements that you need from other sports. I just took those and incorporated it into baseball.

Brent Pourciau
I think that is brilliant. That is really what I have tried to do with TopVelocity.net. I believe it is a fusion of things and it really is all based on science. Science has really revolutionized sports and unfortunately baseball has kind of been the one lagging behind but I think it is now catching up and that is why you are seeing a lot of talented ball players. Strong powerful hitters and strong pitchers out there. I wanted to go into. We are leaving one big thing out, as much as I like to focus on what we have to do to get our bodies to be an elite athlete, I think of course the mental game, like Yogi Berra said how important the mental game to baseball is. I would like to go into the mental side of it. What were you doing mentally with your team and what were you doing mentally with yourself that was giving you these improvements?

Jim Morris
What I did with my team was an everyday deal. The day that they came up with a challenge for me was a huge deal because basically what they threw back at me was you teach us how to act and react to every situation that comes up then why are you telling us to chase our dreams if you are not doing it yourself. So what I did all the time was that we could be in the middle of practice or in the middle of a game and sometimes I would call timeout to just go and talk to the pitcher so I could pull everybody in and go, “What just happened here?” and have them answer me. We would have a quiz in the middle of the game and if it was a tense situation or whatever kind of loosen everyone up I would get everybody to giggle a little bit and then we would go back totally ready. I think everybody gets so serious with everything they do, it has to be just picture perfect. Well not everybody is going to hit the pitch that they need to hit, not everybody is going to make the pitch they need to make and not everybody is going to catch that ball that they need to make or make the throw over to first. Pick each other up and support each other and so we had a big support system with our team. I didn’t allow anybody to get on anybody else or get on the other team. We respected the game for the game and we played it the best that we could.

Brent Pourciau
As far as individually, I mean I think that is a great mental approach for the team, individually can you talk more about the mental side to what you were doing, not only your team was overcoming and perform when the history of your school was that you were not a good team and then also you going from Doctors telling you you will never play again to all of a sudden I am throwing the ball in the upper nineties and I am going to go tryout. Individually what were you doing mentally to pull that kind of success out of your players and yourself? Was there a lot of inner dialog?

Jim Morris
Absolutely! I think that anybody who has coached for any period of time and you know this and I am just going to be redundant because you already do this, every person is different and every makeup of every person is different. And you have got to coach the kids to their makeup and some kids you put a little more pressure on them and it makes them perform better and other kids you put that pressure on them and they fold. You just have to learn who your team is and the individuals there is and every individual makes up that team. So you have to be able to communicate and get your point across to every single kid while you are teaching the whole team sport. Being able to do that I was able to kind of coach myself and from point A to point B make myself as smooth as possible from my approach standing on the mound to making a pitch to throwing it to my kids to telling them how to hit it and learning where some of my hitters holes were. I mean I had some pretty good hitting kids. The big deal about that was at the beginning of the season in 1999 my kids couldn’t hit anybody and at the end of the season I am not getting high school kids out man they are killing me and I am like yeah, I am going to go impress a scout. Then I find out my kids are hitting a 98mph fastball everyday and I thought, Wow they have learned and I have learned and every person is different and every person needs to be taught to their strengths and made to feel apart of the whole situation. They are all different.

Brent Pourciau
Lets jump into when you went to that tryout, amazing things happened, you got picked up, how did your mind set change now that you are on the road, you are playing minor league ball and you know that you are far away from your family and you want to get to big league ball as quick as you can or get out? What were you doing mentally to prepare yourself for each game and to really push yourself to reach that goal and to get to major league ball?

Jim Morris
I think the biggest difference I made between 19 and 25 and then being 35 was I knew about life, and I knew what it took to get to the point that I was now at. I started off with the Rays higher than I had ever gotten too in then minors the first time. The first time I thought I have to go out and strike everybody out because that is my job and I have to do the best that I can. When I went back at 35, I am going to do the best that I can and what ever happens happens and if it is bad I am going to come back again the next day and be ready again. You just prepare yourself, anything can happen on the baseball field. If it is bad, so what! You know they say a good hitter hits 300. That means he fails 70% of the time. In pitching it is the same thing. We are not all going to have 100% great outings. Take whatever lesson you can out of what went wrong the night before and you go now I am ready, I have learned that part and that is not going to happen again. I will now attack it from this way and you talk good thoughts to yourself basically and you let the bad stuff go because if you let it eat at you, you are just going to come up the next time going, I can’t do that again and all your body hear’s is, you are going to do that again. So you repeat those habits and those things that went wrong over and over, instead of improving on yourself. I don’t want to say I didn’t take it as seriously but I didn’t put as much inner pressure on myself to perform all out, all of the time. I did the best I could every night and if it wasn’t good enough, I will get them tomorrow night.

Brent Pourciau
So what did you do, kind of to jump back to the physical approach, what did you do during time in minor league ball and into major league ball to keep your velocity up? It was really tough for me, when I played a little minor league ball after I overcame the arm injury and arm surgery, was to keep my velocity up, especially after surgery. What was your approach, I mean were you having any issues with keeping your velocity up because you were really known for your velocity?

Jim Morris
No, my velocity was when I went back pretty much true every night out. There were some nights, especially in Durham, when I didn’t feel good man I wasn’t used too being able to be called in every night. I might throw for one hitter or I might throw for three innings. I can remember one night I came in and they had the gun in the left center field area and I would throw a warm up pitch and I would turn around and it would go 84, I was like “OH NO.” Another one 84, “OH NO.” Then the guy would step in the box and I would let one go and it goes 98, then I am like, “There it is!” It is a lot of long toss and keeping up your weight regimen. You can’t let down in your workouts just because you are tired. That is when you have to get after it. That is when you do the most good for your body and then again the diet and the drinking of the water to flush out the system all helps get rid of the lactic acid so you are ready to perform day after day. A lot of people do not like to drink water but that is number one.

Brent Pourciau
Yes, you are correct. I mean I read all of these studies that are coming out even today that talks about hydration and it is still what separates great athletes from average athletes. Great athletes hydrate better than good or average athletes. Also on that same note you brought up long toss. There is a lot of controversy around it like how far do you stretch it out? Can you talk about when you would throw long toss how would you stretch it out as far as the distance?

Jim Morris
We would go three or four minutes at 60 feet. Three or four minutes from 90 feet and three or four minutes from 120 – 150 feet. I am not talking about throwing the ball from the right flag pole to the left flag pole or any of that stuff but just getting your whole motion like you would be on the mound, except you are putting an extra step in there to let the ball go a little bit farther but you have the same follow through on your arm with the same release point and you make sure your hand is out in front of you every time. So you are releasing the ball the same way as you were if you were on the mound.

Brent Pourciau
So when you are 120 – 150 are you keeping it on the line?

Jim Morris
You know that depends, sometimes I didn’t feel that great and I couldn’t put it on a line but most of the time if I can put it on a line then that is what I am going to do because that is where I got the most benefit from.

Brent Pourciau
Do you do a lot of long toss with your guys in high school, with your team?

Jim Morris
Absolutely

Brent Pourciau
I think what we are leaving out, the last point I would like to go into which I believe is important, I contacted my news list, my list of subscribers at TopVelocity.net and I told them that I was lucky enough to do this interview with you and if they had any questions and faith came up which I think is an excellent topic, it is a critical topic. I would like you to go into the importance of faith in your life and in your success as a ball player.

Jim Morris
Faith is a huge do for me. My grandfather was a man of faith and was my grandmother and to have something to lean on is incredible but I went into baseball at 35 knowing that I had failed every single time when I was supposed to be young and talented. I had to lean on my faith to sustain me. There were times that I had never been away from my kids. They were 8,4 and 1 at the time and I thought how do I do this? Basically I would just pray, “God I am hard headed and if you really want me to do this then you need to show me that you want me to do this.” Everyday I would go out and perform. It was the most amazing thing, there were periods of time in Triple A that I wanted to quit and I thought I can’t keep going on. I miss my kids, I am not able to pay any of my bills, I am making minor league money, “What am I doing?” It always came back to my high school kids. Who I made them a promise that if you ever get a chance to chase your dreams you chase it. So the prayers continued. For instance, I couldn’t pay bills and I am like I need to quit, I got to go home, I have a coaching job in Fort Worth at a big school. I got to start drawing a pay check and Louisville Slugger had given me a glove just to use the next week it ends up in Sports Illustrated with the arm out and the whole motion thing and Louisville written right across there in perfect vision for everybody in the picture and they gave me a contract. They sent the money home and I stayed a little bit longer. The next time I needed money it was a spike contract and all of a sudden there I am in a pair of spikes in this huge newspaper article on the front page with my leg kicked up and the logo of the spike sticking out there. It was just things happened in such sequence that God had his hand in it and there is no denying that. I could sit there and go it was because I lifted weights, it was because I stretched, it was because I threw and taught those kids the perfect way to do things therefore I was perfect. That is not it at all. God took care of it from day one. I went to the tryout and found out I was throwing 98 and I thought you have got to be kidding me man and they made me come back in two days and I threw 97 ever pitch in the rain. I thought WOW and then they send me into Double A and the first night there, in Double A, in Zebulon, North Carolina I throw 91, 92 miles per hour every pitch and I thought, oh, I am dropping off. The next night I throw two innings and throw 98, 99 mph and strikeout five people in two innings. From then on it was just lights out and I attribute my faith to all of it.

Brent Pourciau
If you could pick a percentage of your success, what percentage went to faith? Or what percentage of your success would you credit to faith?

Jim Morris
100% – There were a lot of things I think, because of my faith, I was able to learn the things that I needed to learn to put me in that position to begin with and through learning to do all those things and do them the right way. You know it was all trial and error, figuring out what was best for my body therefore figuring out what was best for my high school kids. All of it built up to that ultimate point where God said your ready and I think he said I am going to give this to you because you are going to learn something from this but a whole lot of other people are going to learn from it and once you do that you are going to go and do something for me and that is what I am trying to do now with my speaking.

Brent Pourciau

I have one more question from my subscribers I just wanted to get it out there. It was kind of interesting, he was a big fan of Ron Guidry and Ron Guidry during his time, even though we talked about weight training, during when he was young he would work on a farm and did a lot of heavy lifting and Glen wanted to know if you had done any, even when you were coaching, were you doing any other work, farm work, or something, this is what he is asking?

Jim Morris
You know I took care of our whole baseball field and in doing that you know we, I brought in dirt from Oklahoma to put on the infield because out in west texas you have kolache and it is hard as a rock. You can water it and five minutes later you are sliding on gravel and so I brought in dirt and when you put dirt all over the field and I put my grass seed and I tilde up my field and I worked everyday and we made a batting cage and we poor concrete and we did all that stuff. All of it! Anything you can do to make your body stronger.

Brent Pourciau
We are just simulating that kind of work when we are in a weight room.

Jim Morris
Absolutely! I taught myself so much then that I feel like I have to do it now and now I have a ranch and I do stuff everyday that pushes me to my limit but it makes me feel better the next day. I wake up and I feel a little bit stronger and I am like, YEAH. So I go out and do more the next day.

Brent Pourciau
Yes, because you are also connecting with Gods earth too you know, when you are out there.

Jim Morris
Absolutely!

Brent Pourciau
Well I think a good way to end it would be, I know there is going to be a lot of guys listening to this, because I get them on my site, they are kind of the guys we were before God intervened and really say someone who is 24, 25 or even 18, 19 that are not throwing hard or they are really not grabbing attention when are on the field and they want so bad to be you know the ace pitcher for their team or they want so bad to get picked up or looked at by scouts or an opportunity to play some professional ball. What advice would you give to those kids who just need an inspiration, besides watching your movie because that is a great inspiration, what words of advice would you give to them?

Jim Morris
A couple of things. I think the dream that we start chasing may not be the dream that we end up loving. It could be coaching or it could be anything to do with baseball. Some of us or just no players but we learn while we are there and for those who do not want to hear that I think one of the biggest things I taught my high school kids was and did myself was if you want to be the best person that you can be then surround yourself with the best people possible. If you surround yourself with positive people who are looking out for you and you are looking out for them and it is truly a team effort then you are making yourself better every day whether you realize it or not. If you hang around people who are questionable or you do questionable things then you are causing your own failure. So surround yourself with the best people possible so you can be the best you that you can possibly be and hold your head up. You are getting to play a game that people would kill to play. This is the greatest game our country has ever known, it has with stood wars and everything else and it has brought us through so many bad times. It is a great game and it is also a game that you can set along side life. It is like a chest match. We try to out do the other team one move at a time and guess what they are going to do so we can be ready for it. It is a fantastic game. Have fun while you are playing it and don’t put that inner pressure on yourself so much that you are squelching your own success. Have fun with it!

Brent Pourciau
I think that is excellent Jim. I know when you speak this is probably a reflection of what your speeches are about and of course you speak to teams. Do you speak to teams a lot?

Jim Morris
Yes, sir. Absolutely, I do. The questions they have are very insightfully and there are things they are going through and I think….I am very fortunate. I am the guy next door who had something incredible happen and it happened through a group of high school kids. If God doesn’t have his hand in that then what does he have his hand in? I mean because I get to go around the world and talk to adults and kids who are looking for that dream and it doesn’t matter what the dream is they are just looking for that dream. To be able to talk to these young baseball players and tell them hey, I failed every time when I was supposed to be good and it took until I was 35 to be ready for it. Give it a chance!

Brent Pourciau
Like I said this was a great honor and I am sure everyone you speak to feels the same way and I would just like to say thank you again Jim for having this interview with me and I wish you the best and if you are ever down in the New Orleans area please look me up I would like to show you around town.

Jim Morris
I would love to come down there are see what you are all about. Keep working with those young kids.

Brent
Thanks Jim. Hopefully we will talk soon, if not everyone can listen to this great interview or hire you and get you out there to speak to their team or church or business.

Jim Morris
Thanks Brent. I appreciate it!

Brent
Thanks Jim best of luck!

Jim Morris
Thank you!

Many studies have confirmed the correlation of hip to shoulder separation to pitching velocity (1,2,3,4,5). Therefore if you are going to increase velocity, you must learn to increase hip to shoulder separation by learning triple extension (3X) and 3X foot sync. Once you learn how to incorporate full triple extension into your pitching delivery, you will not see its benefits until you master the final factor. The final factor in learning any new muscle memory is the timing factor. The timing factor of 3X is critical to creating 40-60 degrees of hip to shoulder separation which research has shown to be the Major League average.

3X Timing Factor

The 3X Pitching component before 3X occurs is the “Load” position. This is when your lift leg is coming down into a linear position and your squatting on your drive leg, as your hips begin to build momentum towards the target. The speed of your lower body at this position is moving at a slow pace. You are mainly working to get everything in position for 3X. Most pitchers who do not understand the timing of 3X would try to triple extend quickly while still in the “Load” position. This would prevent good hip to shoulder separation at front foot strike and the pitcher would leap towards his front foot landing instead of driving into front foot strike.

To prevent premature 3X, you must wait for your hips to be as far away from the rubber as possible with you drive leg still bent, linear and ready to fire. Your lift leg is just about ready to land. Notice the photo of Joba Chamberlain in this position. Now that you know when to fire your drive leg into 3X you must now understand the speed of the movement.

Remember momentum must continue to accelerate to ball release. Therefore if you accelerate two early in your delivery it will cause you to decelerate before ball release. You want the climax of your speed to hit when the ball is launching out of your hand. As for the speed of triple extension, you must start your leg drive after the “Load” position at a slow pace to make sure your drive leg and hip are moving before your back shoulder. Once you feel the separation of back hip to back shoulder begin and your core is starting to tighten then this is when you explode into full triple extension. If you do not feel the separation of hips to shoulders before you triple extend then you could easily triple extend your drive leg and your back shoulder would move along with it, killing your chance of creating optimal hip to shoulder separation. So, once you feel your core tightening, then it is time to fire that drive leg into 3X and push your hips to your target.

Notice in the video clip of Joba here he does not accelerate his lower half and triple extend until he is coming out of the load position and his lift leg is starting to open and land. You will notice that it looks like his knee is driving down into the ground. This is the effect of the extension of the drive leg as the body is moving down hill.

Another indicator that you created good core torque is if you can hear your drive foot dragging before your shoulders and chest start towards the target. This dragging sound should happen just before your chest is thrusting forward. Notice in the video clip of Joba that his shoulders begin following the hips towards the target just after his drive foot is dragging. Most young pitchers will see in video analysis that their drive foot drag happens after their shoulders commit towards the target.

In conclusion, you will not be able to implement 3X effectively into your pitching delivery and increase pitching velocity until you have mastered the timing factor of 3X into front foot strike.

3X Pitching References

1. Tom House, PhD, et al. National Pitching Association Velocity Study conducted 2005-2006.
2. Glenn S. Fleisig, James R. Andrews, et al. Comparison Of High Velocity And Low Velocity Pitch Deliveries. ASMI 2007.
3. Dave Fortenbaugh, MS, Glenn S. Fleisig, PhD,* and James R. Andrews, MD. Baseball Pitching Biomechanics in Relation to Injury Risk and Performance. Sports Health. 2009 July; 1(4): 314–320.
4. Rod Whiteley, University of Sydney, Australia. Baseball throwing mechanics as they relate to pathology and performance – A review.  ©Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2007) 6, 1-20.
5. Keizo Takahashi, Norihisa Fujii, and Michiyoshi Ae. Kinematic Comparisons Of Different Pitch Velocity Groups In Baseball Using Motion Model Method. Doctoral Program in Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan. Institute of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan.

Learn 3X Pitching

To learn the 3X Pitching approach you must first understand the timing behind the science. Timing is everything when you are trying to develop more efficient and explosive mechanics. If your timing is off, everything can go wrong. This will not only effect velocity but accuracy and most important it could cause injury because this approach is using small muscle groups to drive big muscle groups. So when learning 3X pitching, start at a low intensity until you develop sound mechanics.

With 3X pitching we are not focused as much on the lift leg as the drive leg. The reason for this is because the drive leg is more important in generating momentum than the lift leg. A good example is a pitcher like Dontrelle Willis, who had an enormous leg lift in the windup and a normal leg lift in the stretch but has the same pitching velocity between both deliveries. This is because of the power in his drive leg and most important the timing of his drive leg.

3X and Separation

Before we go over 3X timing we need to cover hip to shoulder separation. Notice in the picture of Tim Lincecum that his shoulders are completely closed and his hips are almost facing home plate. This is creating core torque in his delivery which you can see in the front of his jersey. His jersey looks like it is being rung out to dry. The key to creating this much hip to shoulder separation is by making sure that the lower half starts before the upper half. This means that the arm is the last projectile to launch in this ballistic movement. This degree of separation will allow for optimal torque to be generated in the big muscle groups of the core while holding the arm and shoulders back so the body can accelerate to its maximum speed. If this degree of separation is not created and the back hip and shoulder are in sync then the arm will throw the ball before maximum torque can be generated. This means that 3X will have very little effect on the pitching velocity of the ball.

To allow 3X to have a big impact on your pitching velocity, the timing must come just before front foot strike. It must work with the stability of the landing leg to generate torque while accelerating momentum. If 3X occurs to early or too late then momentum will slow down into front foot strike which will decrease both torque and momentum. Therefore, 3X must occur just before front foot strike if maximum torque is generated which will produce top velocity in return.

3X Pitching is very difficult to learn because of these types of body movements that must occur at the correct time, along with the ability to generate extreme amounts of power when performing the movement. To learn this approach to pitching along with all of its components, so it can help increase your pitching velocity, you must not only use drills that will help you develop the muscle memory around the 3X mechanics but you will also need to increase your bodies ability to develop power as a single unit.

The 3X Pitching Velocity Program has drills and a training program that focuses on the 3X approach to pitching.

Stodden DF, Fleisig GS, McLean SP, Lyman SL, Andrews JR. Relationship of pelvis and upper torso kinematics to pitched baseball velocity. Journal of Applied Biomechanics 17(2):164-172, 2001.

Matsuo T, Escamilla RF, Fleisig GS, Barrentine SW, Andrews JF. Comparison of kinematic and temporal parameters between different pitch velocity groups. Journal of Applied Biomechanics 17(1): 1-13, 2001.

Stodden, DF, Fleisig, GS, McLean, SP, Andrews, JR. Relationship of Biomechanical Factors to Basebal Pitching Velocity: Within Pitcher Variation. Journal of Applied Biomechanics 21(1): 44-56, 2005

Methods

In three published studies, Dr. Glenn Fleisig and Dr. James R. Andrews from ASMI worked with other researchers in studying many of the parameters that affect baseball pitch velocity. Two of the studies looked between different pitchers and one study looked at variations within each pitcher. Motions during delivery were analyzed using a high speed (200 frames per second) infrared three-dimensional motion analysis system.

Results

In the study by Matsuo and others, pitchers with higher ball velocity were compared with pitchers with lower ball velocity. Four significant differences were found between these two groups. Compared to the low ball velocity group, the higher ball velocity pitchers demonstrated less lead knee flexion velocity after front foot contact and greater lead knee extension velocity at the time of ball release. Extending the lead knee in this manner may provide stabilization allowing better energy transfer from the trunk to the throwing arm, and could be a critical factor in pitch velocity. Maximum shoulder external rotation and forward trunk tilt at ball release were also greater in the higher velocity group. Greater shoulder external rotation causes a stretch of the internal rotators allowing energy to be stored in these muscles, and creating greater internal rotation during the arm acceleration phase.

Two variations were found in the timing of events. Maximum elbow extension angular velocity and maximum shoulder internal rotation angular velocity occurred earlier in the motion of higher velocity pitchers. The maximum shoulder internal rotation angular velocity also occurred closer to the moment of ball release in the higher velocity pitchers. This optimal timing may aid in generating higher velocity pitches.

Another finding of interest is that early in the pitching motion, the two groups 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.

In the first study by Stodden and others (2001), pelvis and upper torso variables were studied in 19 elite baseball pitchers. The study found that when the arm was completely cocked back (that is, maximum shoulder external rotation, or “MER”), more “open” pelvis and upper torso orientation correlated with increased ball velocity. More open pelvis angle at the time of ball release (REL) also correlated with increased pitch velocity increased. Additionally, pelvis angular velocity from front foot contact to MER, and upper torso angular velocity from MER to REL increased with increased velocity.

The data indicate that a pitcher who is able to position himself properly, and rotate his pelvis and upper torso more quickly is able to generate greater momentum. Theoretically, this increase in momentum leads to greater velocity of the throwing arm and thus greater pitch velocity.

The most recent study by Stodden and others (2005) showed that for a given pitcher, increased elbow flexion torque, shoulder proximal force and elbow proximal force produced greater ball velocity. In addition, the maximum shoulder horizontal adduction occurred later and maximum shoulder internal rotation occurred earlier at greater ball velocities. Higher ball velocity also resulted in decreased shoulder horizontal adduction at foot contact, decreased shoulder abduction during acceleration, and increased trunk tilt forward at ball release.

Conclusion

A pitcher with increased shoulder external rotation, faster pelvis and upper trunk rotation, and greater front knee stabilization and extension will throw with greater ball velocity. Improved timing to maximize arm velocity closer to the time of ball release will also help ball velocity. Increased torque and force produced at both the shoulder and elbow will also lead to greater ball velocity.

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.

The Science Behind Momentum Pitching

Instead of hearing terms like “Stand Tall and Fall” or “Drop and Drive,” we are now hearing terms like “Core Torque,” “Triple Extension” or “Separation.” 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 at front foot strike when the hips are open towards the target and the shoulders are still closed. Notice the picture of Tim Lincecum above just about to land 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, then the momentum will travel into the shoulders launching 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 3X Pitching Velocity Program for a complete training program to help you grow bigger, stronger, faster.

1. Momentum
2. 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.

The Bio-Mechanics of Tim Lincecum

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.

The Lessons to learn from Tim Lincecum

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.

Most of the articles on this site pertain to pure pitching velocity but what is the value of top velocity when the pitcher can not locate his pitch? Zero is the answer. There is no value in pitching velocity that doesn’t end in a strike. I have witnessed many hard throwing pitchers or should I say throwers in my career who could not hit “the broad side of a barn.” These guys never made it anywhere because of this major problem of poor accuracy. The problem with coaching accuracy is that most pitching coaches over do it. They create pitchers who look like they should be throwing darts instead of fastballs. This is why I focus on velocity first and then I teach my pitchers how to control it.

I recommend that you read at least three articles on this site about pitching velocity before continuing on with this article.

The Value of Good Pitch Location

Pitch location is as important as pitching velocity. For a pitcher to be successful on the mound he must disrupt the batters timing. There are many ways a pitcher can do this. Pitch speed, pitch movement and pitch location. I believe the two most effective is pitch speed and pitch location. If you can reach your top velocity and locate your pitches then you can make it into minor league ball with just a fastball and change up. I would recommend you use this strategy in your own career because if you start throwing breaking balls and you have poor mechanics, it can be devastating to your arm. So why take the risk when you can be just as effective or even more effective with your top pitching velocity and good pitch location?

Before you can start hitting your spots with pin point accuracy, you must understand how to control your pitches. Conventional wisdom would talk about the balance point and go on about it for hours. I will show you a different perspective.

Accuracy is controlling your momentum. To control your momentum you must have balance but that should be second nature. The goal is to control your momentum without effecting it. This is where most pitchers fail. They try to control their momentum to a point that it slows them down. This is no good. This is why I teach top velocity until it becomes second nature and then I teach how to control that increase pitching velocity.

How to Control the Front Side of the Pitcher

An elite pitcher uses his front side to locate his pitches. You must take aim with your front side as you begin to start your momentum towards the target. This is important because once your hips start building momentum towards the target, you must do everything in your power to release every ounce of explosive energy from your body, while using that energy to fire certain muscle groups at specific times in your delivery. So once you lift your leg and kick that butt out to start your load and build momentum, you must setup your front side for pitch location. To do this you must separate your hands and relax your throwing arm while closing off your glove hand. You must also slightly turn your lift leg foot inward to close off your hips. Notice the picture above of Jon Lester performing this setup. This is a similar moment in the delivery as a sprinter would perform just before taking off. The sprinter would setup his body for take off to control his launch and give his body the best opportunity to reach his top velocity as quick as possible, which is the same thing we are trying to do as pitchers.

The reason for closing off the front side is because it makes it easier for our momentum to travel straight to the target. If the glove arm was to open early or the lift leg, then this would throw our weight off to the side and more than likely the pitch would follow. So staying closed is important because it keeps our momentum going straight to the target. Just like a sprinter wouldn’t want to start leaning to his left before he fired out of his stance.

Another important tip is to stay closed as long as possible because of the same reasons and also because it will help you build more torque with good hip to shoulder separation. “Separation” is when your hips have opened to the target and your shoulders are still closed like the picture below. Building more torque means more velocity.

Do not forget that you must not effect your pitching velocity when adjusting your mechanics for pitch location. To prevent this you must close your shoulders and hips off first and then the rest of the delivery you must keep them closed while hitting all the key components of velocity that I have described in detail on this site. This takes an advanced level of coordination but remember not everyone has the ability to pitch in the top levels on the game. The only way you will developing an advanced level of coordination is first by learning the technique and then second by performing the reps necessary to program the new muscle memory.

Does the Windup or Stretch Decrease Velocity?

This is the next question I usually get about the two deliveries. I will refer to the science on this one because that is the only way to answer this questions. Here is the results and conclusion from a case study called, “Biomechanical comparison of the fastball from wind-up and the fastball from stretch in professional baseball pitchers.” It was performed at the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, AL.

RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the 2 pitch variations for the kinetic, kinematic, or temporal variables. The difference between the ball velocities was statistically significant, but the mean difference was only 0.2 m/s.
CONCLUSIONS: The pitching biomechanics between the wind-up and stretch fastball showed no statistical differences in joint kinetics, kinematics, or timing, and clinically insignificant differences in ball velocity.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The current results suggest that pitching the fastball from the stretch is not necessarily more stressful to the shoulder and elbow.
Read the case study here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17986632

The Benefits of the Windup

1. You have more time, once you start your delivery, with the back step to focus on the target.
2. It gives a more intimidating feeling to the pitcher as he faces the batter which can 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 while your hips are moving forward. 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 past shoulder width 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 Key to Separation is the Hip Slide

Most coaches do not coach “Separation” because it is a challenge. The only way to coach this component and to perform this component correctly you must focus on the “Hip Slide.” What I mean by “Hip Slide” is that your hips should be seen as a slide or car and when you first lift your leg to start your delivery, the slide must start down the mound. Everything else on your body must stay back while the slide is heading down the hill. Therefore the faster you can get your slide down the hill while holding everything else back, the faster your velocity. It is also just as important to velocity if the slide comes to a complete stop at front foot strike. The hips slide must stop, so the momentum it generated, is transferred up the core, into the shoulders, into the arm and finally the ball. The reason you must focus on the hips to develop “Separation,” is because if the hips move faster than the shoulders, you will create good “Separation” naturally.

Accelerating your slide down the hill as fast as possible and slamming the hips into your front leg to completely stop its momentum is your best opportunity to generate your potential top velocity. It is also just as important the distance the slide covers before it is stopped by the front foot strike. This distance is called your stride. A good stride is at least your body length. A good stride means that you had more time to generate momentum before front foot strike.

When your slide is building momentum down the mound while you are holding everything else back, which is called “Loading,” this will increase your stride length. The best way to perform this is by loading hard on your back side until your back ankle to back knee is pointing towards your front hip. Once your back leg lines up into a good linear position, then you must triple extend your back leg to add that last push to your slide which will build more momentum and increase your stride power. Read my article “Lift for Show, Load for Doe” to learn more about the “Load.”

What makes a BAD pitching Coach?

Someone who has no experience in playing the position at the top levels of the game, or someone who has no certified education of how to coach the position.

How can a BAD pitching Coach effect a pitcher?

Pitching takes a tremendous amount of muscle coordination. The body must naturally understand how to build maximum momentum and torque, to deliver an above average fastball to a specific location. It is a pitching Coaches job to guide the pitcher to reaching his athletic potential. This takes an expert understanding of the position and the athlete. If the pitching Coach is far from an expert then the chances of him being a guide to the pitchers athletic potential, is very poor. This could be detrimental to a young pitchers career because promoting bad mechanics, due to the lack of experience or education, will decrease velocity and cause injury. It happened to Me.

What are the signs of a BAD pitching Coach?

1. No experience in the top levels of the game.
2. No certified education in the world of pitching and athletic training.
3. A poor understanding of Physics Driven Pitching Mechanics.
4. A poor understanding of the physiology and psychology of his pitchers.
5. Over throwing his staff of pitchers.
6. Discouraging his pitchers from using a strength and conditioning program.
7. Forcing his pitchers to throw more breaking balls than fastballs.
8. Using Long Distance running to build endurance in his pitchers.
9. Excessive amounts of long toss.
10. A poor warm-up and dynamic stretching routine.
11. Not educating his pitchers on proper athletic nutrition and rehabilitation.
12. Not educating his pitchers on the mental game.
13. Uses a lot of poor conventional wisdom to coach his pitchers.

What are the signs of POOR conventional wisdom of pitching mechanics?

These are old techniques of pitching, that have been proven throw science, to decrease velocity or cause injury.

This would be Coaching the pitcher to:

1. Take the ball out of the glove and reach it to the sky.
2. Get into the T position. Glove hand to target and ball to center field.
3. Pull the glove hand in hard to your body, while pulling the throwing arm down to throw.
4. Kick the back leg up high after release. He may even use a chair for the pitcher to kick his leg over, after release, to force this bad pitching mechanic.
5. Keep your landing leg bent at release. Do not let it straighten!
6. Pull your head down hard during pitch.
7. Wipe your arm.
8. Slam your chest into your landing leg.
9. Move your arm faster.
10. Drive your glove hand to the target.

How to PLEASE a BAD Pitching Coach?

I will be the first to tell you that this isn’t easy. Due to the high percentage of BAD pitching Coaches in all levels of the game, ever pitcher will deal with a BAD pitching Coach a few times to many in their career. The best way to deal with a BAD pitching Coach, without him having an effect on your career, is not to avoid him but to please him. Here is some TIPS that will help.

1. Do whatever he says when he is looking and then do what you think is best when he isn’t looking.
2. Study the game, the position, physics driven mechanics and strength and conditioning. Become your Coach.
3. Do not let him catch you educating the other pitchers. Especially if he is a HOT HEAD.
4. Do not screw around when he is around you.
5. Do not talk bad about him to other players.
   This is the MOST IMPORTANT TIP:
6. You must IMPROVE.

The hardest thing that any pitcher or athlete must learn, is that it is a rare case for you to find a Coach that will propel your career to the top levels of the game. This is because, they are just as concerned about their job as you are about your job. So if you want to make it as a professional one day, you are going to have to knock down a lot of doors. You will always find support but the only person that is going to help you get their is yourself. I will leave you with this quote from Nolan Ryan.

“Pitching in the big leagues is a dream. Preparing to pitch in the big leagues is a nightmare.”

Scap Loading Issues

The problem with coaching ”Scap Loading” is that it can promote the infamous inverted W.  The inverted W is the mechanical flaw linked to many rotator cuff and UCL injuries in professional baseball. This is when the elbows fly above the shoulders during the stride and before the shoulders fire towards the target. ”Scap Loading” can lead to this issue because ”Scap Loading” is the throwing of the elbows behind the back during the stride. Throwing the elbows behind the back or above the shoulders is both considered putting the shoulders and elbows in what the Physical Therapy world calls the “Red Zone.” This is a vulnerable position for the arms to be in during an explosive movement like pitching.

If you have ever watched a Major League Pitcher in slow motion you will most always find the pitcher putting his elbows behind his back or maybe even above his shoulders. It would be impossible for a Major League Pitcher to throw a 90+mph fastball without some type of “Scap Loading”. This is almost proof that ”Scap Loading” is a reaction to the stride. In my experience coaching myself and coaching pitchers is that slower strides create more “Scap Loading”. This is why I do not coach the action of “Scap Loading”. The only time I coach a voluntary action to load the scapular is when a pitcher has such a quick stride that he is having a hard time preventing the shoulders from opening early. This is when I coach the pitcher to only load the scapular of the throwing shoulder. This will sometimes help the pitcher hold the throwing shoulder back into front foot strike, to promote more hip to shoulder separation.

I really believe most pitcher coaches fail when they coach velocity through the upper kinetic chain like when coaching “Scap Loading”. Velocity comes from the body movements through force production of the lower half first and then the conversion of these body movements and power into the upper kinetic chain. This means you will benefit more from coaching the force production in the lower half. This means ”Scap Loading” is a failed approach to coaching hip to shoulder separation because hip to shoulder separation is a product of an action of an explosive lower half movement creating a reaction in the inactive upper half at front foot strike. Voluntarily ”Scap Loading” the shoulders during the stride to promote hip to shoulder separation will take the focus away from the lower half speed and also activate the shoulders before hip to shoulder separation occurs at front foot strike.

3X Pitching

This approach, I have defined here, is the 3X approach to pitching. If you are a bit confused then start with this video to learn the entire 3X approach to pitching. This is the approach to pitching velocity that is behind the ever popular 3X Pitching Velocity program.

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 why this is so effective in increasing velocity and preventing injury, we must first look at the bio-mechanics of pitching.

The Bio-Mechanics of Pitching

During a high powered pitching delivery, the hip pivot opens and builds torque when the back leg triple extends and the front foot lands, as you can see here in the animation. This is the first pivot to build torque and it is important to achieve full range of motion in this pivot to build maximum torque. If the hip pivot does not open completely to the target when the front foot lands, then the pitcher is not building maximum torque because his chances of creating hip to shoulder separation is limited.

The most effective way to open the hips at front foot strike is with momentum or drive leg power. Without momentum being generated through the drive leg, the hip rotation is reduced. The most effective way to develop optimal drive leg power is through triple extension (3X). This 3X combined with front leg extension at front foot strike or 2X, causes the hips to rotate completely open; very similar to how pistons and rods move the drive shaft in an engine. Using momentum to create hip rotation through 3X and 2X is far superior to building core torque than any other approach.

Once hip rotation is created at front foot strike then optimal hip to shoulder or collar separation has occurred. This means the muscles of the core are being stretched like rubber bands. This is every single muscle of the core, from the stomach muscles to all the small muscles that stabilize the spine. The end result is torque. This torque will then continue multiplying the original force from the stride momentum or power, up the kinetic chain.

The next pivot in this chain is the collar pivot. For this pivot to fire at maximum speed through a full range of motion, this pivot must remain closed to the target until front foot strike. Once core torque has occurred then the collar pivot will fire opening the shoulders towards the target. This force will not only cause the collar pivot to rotate open but also to travel forward tilting the torso towards the target. This forward tilt of the torso along with the speed of rotation of the collar pivot, will force the next pivot to move into its full range of motion while building maximum elastic energy.

The next and final pivot is the shoulder pivot. When the collar pivot fires and the arm stays relaxed in the cocked position, this action will create a reaction in the shoulder as the arm externally rotates behind the pitchers head. This external rotation is building torque in the shoulder. Once the shoulder has reached its maximum level of torque, it will then internally rotate and fire the arm, hand and ball towards the target. This third and final pivot is made up of the smallest muscles of the body and therefore must work as a reaction of the transfer of energy through the first two pivots and not as a single action to create all of the pitchers velocity. As a reaction this pivot should mainly be used to guide the ball 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, which are working together to enhance energy. 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 mechanics 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!

The drill below should be performed 2 – 3 days a week, for at least 3 – 4 months. The drill should also be performed after completing the “Flexibility Training” portion of the Fusion System which can be found in the Ace Pitcher Handbook included in the 3X Pitching Velocity Program.  You will also find a ton more drills in the 3X programs. Try to push each drill to muscle fatigue, if possible.What you will need to perform the drill is your glove, a hiking or weight belt and some resistance bands or tubing. All of these products can be purchased here at the Equipment Store.

The purpose of this drill is to learn how to develop more momentum in your lower half through triple extension (3X) and use that momentum to build torque in the core. Connect the bands to the belt and then to a fence or preferably have someone hold the bands.

Instructions:

Start in the stretch position, with the bands held tight behind you.  Lift your leg and lead with your front hip towards the target as you drive the belt forward, as if you are pitching the ball. Remember to keep your head over your belt buckle as your hips move forward and do not let your back knee bend forward over your back toes. Now, move into the “Load” position (select “Load” to view). This will help you build more momentum.

This picture does not show a good stride because of the frame restrictions. Triple extend your drive leg before your front leg lands into a full stride with at least a 6 inch drag line in your back foot. The goal is to generate as much power as possible, without letting your shoulders commit to the target. Drive your back hip through hard, by kicking your drive leg ankle through before your front foot lands. You should work hard to get your back hip close to your front knee and your back shoulder over your back leg when finished, like in the picture.

If you are having a hard time holding your shoulders back, as you drive your hips forward, then use a broom stick to keep your shoulder back and loaded.

The goal of the drill is to train momentum by building as much power as possible through triple extension in your back leg. DO NOT let your shoulders travel with your hips. This will prevent you from using your hard earned power to build torque in your core, like in picture #2. You want to generate as much hip to shoulder separation as possible.

Most pitchers do not have any understanding of optimal core torque. If this is the case, when you hit Pic #2 it may feel awkward. Just make sure you are in the same position as the picture. This component is called “Triple extension and separation.” This drill should fatigue your hips and legs. Work Hard!

Purchase the 3X Pitching Velocity Program to add 5-10mph to your fastball with a ton more excellent drills like the Sled Drill.

To start the analogy we have a car, a hill and a wall. The car is sitting on top of the hill and the wall is built at the bottom. The wall is high enough to just peak over the hood of the car. There is a passenger in the car not wearing a seat belt. To begin, the car starts down the hill at full throttle. The farther it travels, the more speed it gains. It reaches the end of the hill and slams into the wall at full speed. The wall does not break or move. At this point I would like you to really visualize this event. I am sure you have a good enough understanding of classic physics to know what is going to happen to the passenger. Yes, the passenger is propelled through the windshield and flies through the air and lands about 40 feet in front of the car. So, why did this happen? Yes, I could throw a bunch of scientific jargon at you but it shouldn’t be this complicated. The passenger flies out of the vehicle after hitting the wall at full speed because it was the only part of the car that wasn’t secured to it. Energy must go somewhere, so when the wall stopped the car, all the momentum transferred to the passenger because it still had the potential to move.

How does this relate to pitching? Good question! The best way for you to understand this comparison is if I describe the correlation. Let’s start with the car. The frame of the car in the analogy of the car crash is the pitchers core. The hill is of course the pitching mound and the wall is when the pitchers front leg lands and stabilizes in his delivery. Now, the front leg is important in this analogy. It is playing the role of the wall. That is no easy role to fill because the wall, in this case, was able to stop the car dead in its tracks. So as the pitchers core travels down the hill, like the car, it gains momentum then the front leg lands and plays the role of the immovable wall. What happens now? Let’s continue to keep this simple. To understand what happens now we must label the last correlation of the car crash analogy. That being the passenger and …..What is playing the role of the passenger during the pitching delivery? I will tell you! The ball is the passenger. The ball is along for the ride like the passenger and it also is the only part of the ride that isn’t secured to the vehicle or in this case, the pitcher. So, if the front leg does its job of playing the wall, then the ball will be forced to receive all of the momentum generated; in return reaching its top velocity potential.

You may still be a little confused at this point, so to help you pull it all together I will go into more detail about the wall. Let’s bring back up the event of the car crash again. Let’s say the car speeds down the hill and hits the wall but the wall does not hold. It gives away but manages to only slow the car some. What happens now to the passenger? The passenger does not fly through the windshield. This occurs because the wall didn’t completely stop the car. It was allowed to continue moving until all the energy created from the inertia of the car dissipated. Therefore the passenger was saved because he wasn’t forced to receive all of the momentum from the car. This will be the same case with the ball, if the wall or leg does not stabilize completely. This will mean the pitchers front leg will continue to bend instead of hold and the body will not transfer all of the momentum to the ball. For the pitcher to reach his top velocity potential he must stabilize from the front leg all the way up to the chin. The arm and ball should be the only part of the body moving after the chest has extended as far out as it is capable of going. Watch the video above of Edison Volquez performing this almost perfectly in the video above. Also view the pic here of Chien-Ming Wang in complete stabilization of his front side.

In conclusion, you should have learned that comparing high pitching velocity to a car crash really isn’t a long stretch at all. It hopefully helped you see high velocity in a different perspective which will change how you play the game.