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

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

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

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

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 transfered 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.

Driving your slide down the hill as fast as possible and slamming the slide 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 knee starts to straighten out. Once it begins to straighten, you must triple extend your back leg, to add that last push to your slide which will build more momentum and increase your stride. Read my article “Lift for Show, Load for Doe” to learn more about the “Load.”

The two greatest pitchers of our time is Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens. Their success came from their genetic make up and also their work ethics. Both of these pitchers had intense training programs. Roger Clemens was even using illegal drugs to enhance his work ethic and increase his improvements. Both of these pitchers grew bigger, stronger, faster in their careers and they both threw harder the older they got. This is because their work ethics improved their overall strength, which helped keep their flawless mechanics consistent and efficient. If they had slacked on their off-season training programs then you would have noticed a decline in their careers. This wasn’t the case and it is known today that they both where extremely hard workers.

Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens careers are proof that proper weight training and plyometric training will lead to a successful career. So why do coaches ignore this fact? Because they usually do not have first hand experience. If you want to be a high performance machine then you must train your body to become one.

Why should pitchers use a good strength and conditioning program?

1. To enhance pitching mechanical efficiency, which will lead to more consistency and increased longevity.
2. Help the body heal faster.
3. Develop fast twitch muscle fibers which have a higher capacity for explosive energy.

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

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

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

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

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.

“Loading” is when the pitcher holds his weight back over his back leg, while his front side continues building momentum towards the target. This is why strong legs and core, produce powerful pitching. Look at Eric Gagne in this picture. He is squatting on his back leg, waiting for the perfect time to fire his hips and then his shoulders.

A component of velocity is produced when torque is generated in the two rotational pivots. The rotation of the hips, to the rotation of the shoulders. Tim Lincecum calls this the “Rubber Band.” Think of your core as the “Rubber Band.” Rotating the shoulder and hip pivot separate from each other would tighten the “Rubber Band.” This sounds a lot easier than it actually is to perform. This is why a small amount of athletes can throw a baseball over 90 mph.

The importance of the “Load” is that it holds the weight back until the first pivot, the hips, are ready to build maximum torque. Triple extension in the back leg drives the momentum into front foot strike, forcing the hips to pivot. Then “Separation,” or “Scap Loading” must occur to build torque in the core. There is that word again “Loading”. Notice the pitcher here in this position. His hip rotation is now complete. It has built maximum torque. You can see this in the tightening of his “Rubber Band.” Notice his shirt is stretching like a rubber band would. Now, all that is left to do, is to fire the last pivot, the shoulders forward and then stabilize. Stabilization allows the momentum generated from the body to transfer to the ball.

If the pitcher didn’t “Load” his weight back, as his front side continued to build momentum and set the first pivot of the hips, then top velocity could never be achieved. It would also put more stress on the rotator cuff, because the torque would build more in the shoulders than the core.

The “Load” is also just as important for hitters to develop power. Notice this picture of A-Rod in the “Load” position. The difference is hitters are more compact because they have to defend the strike zone. Therefore, a hitter cannot have a long stride like a pitcher. This brings up another good point. A good stride is considered to be the length of your body height. The “Load” position also increases your stride. So when you here a Coach yell out that you need to stride out more, then you will understand that this means you are not “Loading.” The importance of the “Stride” is that it moves you closer to the plate, shortening the distance the ball must travel, which increases velocity and a good “Stride” gives you more time to build momentum.

In conclusion, a good “Load” position is more valuable for a pitcher than a high lift leg. It generates as much or more momentum but is critical in generating optimal hip to shoulder separation. Here is a gallery of more pitchers in the “Load” position. View gallery here.

Introduction

Specificity of Training principle is one of the most utilized training principles used by exercise professionals today. (Kramer et al., 2002) discussed the principle of training specificity and explained that the training responses elicited by a given exercise mode are directly related to the physiological elements involved with coping with the specific exercise stress. What this means is that if an athlete wants to perform better at a particular event or skill they must train specifically for that particular skill. For example, if an athlete wants to become stronger one must lift heavy weights and if an athlete wants to jump higher one must jump. As a strength and conditioning professional one must know if the movement patterns as well as the methods of the training will lead to neuromuscular or metabolic training adaptations to their specific sport. This goes back to an important rule of coaching which is, “Know your athletes.” This is important because if a strength and speed coach wants to work on a vertical jump for a 15 year old female volleyball player and she does not have the lower body strength to handle the eccentric load of landing or she does not know how to land she could injure herself. Therefore, before training specifically to enhance particular sports movements always evaluate the athlete first.

The principle of specificity is also important for Strength and Speed coaches when designing strength and speed programs to their particular sport. The coach must know the type neuromuscular adaptations the athletes need during the particular time of the year whether; it is off-season, pre-season or in-season this is important because as a coach, one does not want to stress the neuromuscular system. Ronnie McKeefey Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for The University of South Florida believes that sport specificity goes too far when exercises that are prescribed place undue orthopedic stress on the body and are not principled based. He goes on to explain that there must be more exercise than just trying to mimic sport movements while under load (2). Specificity is important principle in all of these training modules because the exercise or training protocol must be specific to the type of action required so that the body is neuromuscular adapted to the particular demands of the type of training.

Research Finding and Specificity

As professionals coaches understand that explosive Olympic lifting and other forms of weight training will help athletes on the field however, many coaches feel that a sprint training program should also include strength specific exercises like sled sprints or weighted sprints. Young, W., Grant, D., and Pryor, J., (2001) did a study on resistance training for short sprints and maximum-speed sprints and found that the quadriceps muscles were important for short sprints and the hamstrings were more important for maximum sprinting. They go on to explain some specificity exercises for sprinting, for the short sprints 10 meter or less the exercises are sled sprints and inclined sprints both from static standing starts. The maximum speed exercise were speed bounding and weighted vest sprinting. As strength and conditioning professional these are great specific exercises to help become a faster athlete. The short sprint exercises really target the quadriceps and glutes, helps with stride frequency and helps increase the force on the motor units. The max speed exercises target the hamstrings, helps with stride length and helps increase the rate of the motor units. This is a great specificity example for speed because through this specificity training an athlete has increased the size and force of the motor unit as well as the rate at which the motor unit fires which in turn with proper mechanics should make the athlete a faster runner. Alcaraz, P., Palao, J., Elvira, J., and Linthorne, N., (2008) also did a study on resistance sprinting but they wanted to find out more specifically the effects of three different types of resisted sprint training on the kinematics of sprinting at maximum velocity. They used three types of resisted sprint training devices which were a sled, parachute, and weighted belt to compare sprinting kinematics during maximum velocity. What they found was that all three types were appropriate training for the maximum velocity phase of sprinting and only induced minor changes in the athletes running technique. These two studies are great examples on the specificity principle they show if an athlete’s wants to get faster than the athlete must sprint to become faster.

Another athletic movement that we train specifically is the vertical jump. Although as professionals one knows that resistance training and explosive training can get you stronger but if an athlete wants to jump higher than they must train using plyometrics. McClenton, L., Brown, J., Coburn, J., and Kersey, R., (2008) did a short term study on the Verti-max vs. Depth jump training and its effect on vertical performance. The verti-max is a training apparatus that uses rubber bands and a pulley system that fully loads the athlete in the low squat position, and then maintains this same level of resistance all the way to the top of the jump. The depth jump is a plyometric exercise that rapidly utilizes the stretch shortening cycle. This exercise consists on stepping off a box landing with both feet, then jumping off the ground as fast and as high as possible. During this six week study they found that the verti-max had no improvement on the vertical jump and the depth jump had significant improvement. Both are very good specific exercises but the verti-max costs nearly $2,000.00 and for the depth jump all an athlete needs is a box. The depth jump also in my opinion is a better exercise if strong enough because of the rapid eccentric movements which in turn causes a rapid concentric movement. Wagner, DR and Kocak, MS (1997) explains that the faster a muscle is stretched the greater the force production and the more powerful the muscle action; which, explains why the depth jump is a more efficient exercise when coached and performed properly.

Resistance training is one of the most important aspects to the specificity principle. There are many types of possible outcomes in resistance training; which include endurance, hypertrophy, strength, and power. As strength and conditioning professionals one must know what to train for and at what time of the year to train for the particular outcome. Behm, D. (1995) did a study on the neuromuscular implications and applications of resistance training specifically on strength and power training. This study explained that the high rate of force development achieved with ballistic contractions should serve as a template for power training; and that muscle hypertrophy is dependent upon protein degradation and synthesis, which may be enhanced through high intensity, high volume eccentric work and concentric contractions. One of the most interesting parts of this research was the part on power training. Behm believes that the high-speed training may increase the rate of force development through an increase in the firing frequency or the motor units. He goes on to explain that to guarantee high-specific adaptations in a power training program the speed of the contraction must be high and that the movement speed is not essential as long as the intent of the contraction is explosive. Saltin and Gollnick (1983) showed through their research that with endurance training, muscle fibers shift towards a slow profile thus allowing those muscles fibers to increase their endurance capacity. Staron, Malickly, Leonardi, Falkel, Hagerman, and Dudley (1990) did a study on muscle hypertrophy and fast fiber types in heavy resistance-trained women and found that heavy resistance training results in a shifting of the rarely used fast twitch B fibers to heavily used fast twitch A fibers; which, allow more fibers to be called upon to produce force for faster and more forceful explosive movements. This type of research on resistance training shows that if an athlete requires muscular endurance, strength, size or explosiveness there are specific training patterns. The strength and conditioning professional must follow the specific training protocols to ensure that the neuromuscular system is adapting to the training properly so that the athletes body can perform better in his or her sport.

Conclusion

In closing, Zatsiorsky (1995) explains that the training principle on specificity is well accepted and suggests that for training to be effective, it should be similar to the demands of the sport. Usually, the more specific the training, the better the transfer to sports performance. All though that last statement may be true, many strength and conditioning professionals including myself believe non-specific training should also take place in a training program not only to achieve a higher level of ability but for also injury prevention. Keep in mind, training first started to prevent injury and later professionals discovered that training can also improve performance. Finally, as a strength and conditioning professional one must know the performance goals of the sport which will help the professional dictate the type of training for the athlete or team; and while every possible type of sports movement cannot be simulated in the weight room, there are other non-specific sports movements and exercises that will stimulate the neuromuscular system which will help athletes when they go into competition.

References

1. Behm, D.G. Neuromuscular Implications and Applications of Resistance Training. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 9(4): 264-274. 1995.
2. Bennett, Scott. Sport Specificity: How far Do you take it? Strength and Conditioning Journal. 28(4): 29-30. 2006.
3. Eduardo Sáez Sáez, González-Badillo, Juan Jose, Izquierdo, Mike .Low and Moderate Plyometric Training Frequency Produces Greater Jumping and Sprinting Gains Compared with High Frequency. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 22(3): 715-725. 2008.
4. Kramer, JF, Morrow, A, and Leger, A. Changes in rowing ergometer, weight lighting, vertical jump and isokinetic performance in response to standard and standard plus plyometric training programs. Int J Sports Med 14: 449-454, 1983.
5. McClenton, L., Brown, Lee, Coburn, J., Kersey, R., The Effect of Short-Term VertiMax vs. Depth Jump Training on Vertical Jump Performance. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 22(2): 321-325. 2008.
6. Saltin B and Gollnic PD. Skeletal muscle adaptability: Significance for metabolism and performance. In Handbook of Physiology (eds. L. Peachy, R. Adrian, and SR Gerzer). American Physiological Society: Bethesda, MD, 555-631, 1983.
7. Staron RS, Malicky ES, Leonardi MJ, Falkel JE, Hagerman FC, and Dudley GA. Muscle hypertrophy and fast fiber type conversions in heavy resistance –trained women. European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology 60, 71-79, 1990
8. Wagner, DR and Kocak, MS. A multivariate approach to assessing anaerobic power following a plyometric training program. Journal of Strength & ConditioningResearch.11: 251-255, 1997.
9. Young, Warren PhD, Benton, Dean, Pryor, John,. Resistance Training for Short Sprints and Maximum-speed Sprints. Strength & Conditioning Journal. 23(2): 7-13. 2001.
10. Zatsiorsky, V.M. Science and Practice of Strength Training. Champaign. IL: Human Kinetics, 1995.

Speed Training

Implied in any linear speed discussion with a Strength and Conditioning Specialist, is the concept of resisted speed training strategies. Some professionals consider resisted speed training as the most efficient sprint training technique on the planet, while other consider it not as effective because of a biomechanical stand point. Different resisted speed strategies include, towing, uphill sprints, sand sprints, and weighted sprints. Tahachnik (1992) explained that towing of weighted devices such as sleds and tires is the most common method of providing towing resistance for the enhancement of sprint performance, although the use of parachutes has also been documented. In fact, resisted towing can involve an athlete towing a weighted sled, tire, speed parachute, or some other device over a set distance (Faccioni 1994).

The function of resisted towing is said to improve the acceleration or drive phase of a sprint. Acceleration is integral to successful performance in the various football codes, including Australian rules, rugby union, and soccer and is potentially decisive in determining the outcome of a game (Spinks et al. 2007). It has been said that resisted towing will increase muscular force output, especially at the hip, knee, and ankle. According to researches improved strength levels allow for the production of greater force and decreased ground contact time, leading to a possible increase in stride frequency. Increased stride length may be achieved by improved utilization of elastic energy during the support stage of the sprint cycle (Spinks et al. 2007).

Regardless of the many benefits of resisted towing speed training, the most effective type of resistant speed training for overall speed and acceleration remains for the most part uncertain.

Resistant Towing

Weighted sled towing is a common resisted sprint training technique even though relatively little is known about the effects that such practice has on sprint kinematics. Lockie, R.G., A.J. Murphy, and C.D. Spinks (2003) examined twenty men, which completed a series of sprints without resistance and with loads equating to 12.6% (load1) and 32.2% (load 2) of body mass. Through their findings the participants stride length was significantly reduced by 10% with a 12.6% load and lowered 24% with a 32.2% load. Stride frequency did not change from load 1 to load 2 and only dropped by 6% between the unloaded and loaded trials. In addition, sled towing increased ground contact time, trunk lean, and hip flexion in both loads but, more of an increase happened with load 2. As for the upper body, the results showed an increase in shoulder range of motion with added resistance. The heavier load generally resulted in a greater disruption to normal acceleration kinematics compared with the lighter load. Lockie, R.G., A.J. Murphy, and C.D. Spinks concluded that a lighter load is most likely best for use in a speed training program.

Letzelter et al. (1995) studied the acute effect that different loads had on performance variables with a group of female sprinters during sled towing. The research found that a 2.5-kg load resulted in an 8% decrease in performance over 30 m, and 10 kg resulted in a 22% decrease in sprint performance. Stride length was affected to a greater degree than stride frequency by the increased resistance. As the load increased, the stride length decreased which, accounted for the decrease in velocity speed. Increased loads also caused increased upper-body lean and increased thigh angle at both the beginning and the end of the stance phase. Regrettably, Letzelter et al. did not quantify towing loads relative to body mass or provide anthropometric data on the subjects. It is therefore complicated to relate the results found to earlier recommended loading guidelines.

Spinks C.D., Murphy A.J., Spinks W.L., Lockie R.G. (2007) did a study on effects of resisted sprint training on acceleration performance and kinematics and found that an 8 week resistant speed training group significantly improves acceleration and leg power but, is no more effective than an 8 week non resistant speed training program. Although the study did not find it more effective, how can an athlete increase force production and not increase speed, maybe longer research study should take place.

Both Lockie et al., Letzelter et al. and Spink’s et al. studies concluded that the athletes stride length decreased as the load increased. Mutually, both also found that stride frequency did not change much at all with the different loads. Although this is great information neither one of the researchers put any of this to the real test, “Can towing increase speed?” They both gave great information but what coaches want to see are results. A good number of coaches by now should know that your speed is only as good as your technique but, if a greater load can increase arm speed which both researchers agreed, and arm speed accounts for 15-20% speed how can both suggest a lighter load is better for speed training, more research is needed.

Other Types of Resisted Speed Training

Supplementary, to towing there are many other types of resistant training. Some other types of resistant speed training are weighted vest, uphill running, and sand sprinting.

A study by Bosco et al. (1986) looked at the effect of increasing body weight (7 to 8%) on sprint athletes over a three-week period, training 3 to 5 sessions per week. The added resistance through weighted vests was worn from morning to evening and the athletes were tested for jumping and running on a treadmill, pre and post experiment. The jump tests included squat jumps, countermovement jump, drop jump and 15 seconds continuous jumps on a resistive platform. The squat jump improved 4.5 cm which helped the hypothesis that the increased loading would have a positive effect upon force production and running speed. Another positive effect of weight vest is that the added mass would increase the vertical force at each ground contact; which would increase the stress placed on the stretch shortening cycle (reactive strength). This would improve the muscle’s capacity to tolerate greater stretch loads, store more elastic energy, and improve power output, which may increase in stride length. Although Bosco et al (1986). brings up great and valet points about the SSC, how does he know for sure if increasing vertical force in the ground is even beneficial as far as sprinting goes. Remember, your speed is only as good as your technique.

Uphill sprinting had a study conducted by Kunz & Kaufmann (1981) on sprint kinematics maximal sprinting up a 3% incline. They found the velocity to be slower than that of level ground running (8.35m/s to 8.85m/s) and that the subjects sprint kinematics had shorter stride lengths and longer ground contact times. Kunz & Kaufmann believe that uphill sprinting will increase the stress placed on the hip extensor muscle groups as the athlete will attempt to maximize stride length, therefore increasing this component on the flat surface. They feel this training method will develop a shorter ground contact time if the athlete emphasizes fast push off to conquer the effects of the positive grade. An incline of greater than 3% would still be beneficial in developing the forceful hip extensor movements required but will be less specific in the simulation of the specific technical movements of the sprint.

Sand sprinting had little to no research on it. The little research on sand sprinting concluded that it helped increase hamstring strength as well as its flexibility due to the sands unstable surface. Oviatt and Hemba (1991) wrote an article named Sand Blast and in it, stated that “Walking in the sand, however, is almost twice as costly (energy expenditures for physical activity) as walking on firm turf. It follows that sprinting in the sand will compound energy expenditures of a 50% increase. In other words, you can get twice the cardiovascular conditioning in half the time, which, is important because body fat between muscle fibers inhibit rapid contractions of the involved muscle.

Resisted Towing and Kinematics

Steven LeBlanc and Pierre L Gervais (N/A) researched the basic kinematics of sprinting under assisted and resisted conditions as compared to free sprinting in the acceleration and top-speed phases. Free Sprint and assisted sprint kinematics will not be discussed in this section only resisted kinematics compared to sprint start will be discussed because of resisted sprints have more of an impact on acceleration. LeBlanc and Gervais completed 3 trials of resisted sprinting, and a sprint start, using 1 female and 5 male track and field athletes from the University of Alberta. Each sprint was approximately 50m in distance, the participants were also filmed. The linear kinematic measures of interest included average running speed, stride rate, stride length, and ground support time. Angular kinematic measures of interest included average trunk angle, thigh range of motion and peak velocity. The resisted sprinting condition used a parachutechute approximately 1 m2 attached to a waist belt and subjects were given a 30m acceleration zone prior to the filming area to reach top running speed. For the sprint start condition, the blocks were setup 20m prior to the filming area. They established is that there were no significant differences in any of the kinematics being tested and that RS and SS were very similar in average running speed (8.74 m/s vs. 8.76 m/s), stride length (4.03 m vs. 3.92 m), and support time (0.122 s vs. .123 s). This suggests that resisted sprinting has similar kinematics to the acceleration phase of sprinting much more than the velocity phase.

Conclusion

Resistant speed training’s research on overall effectiveness indicated that all but sand sprinting decreased stride length and had little or no change to stride frequency. Most of the research confirmed that resistant towing is very similar to the acceleration phase of a sprint which is the start. However, there is no well-built indication any of these types of resistant training are better than the other.

From a coaching stand point many professionals today prefer towing because of the trunk position having a forward lean. An athlete cannot have that much of a forward lean with any other resistant speed exercise because of gravity. Sprinting uphill may come a very close second but still one cannot accomplish the lean of that with a weighted sled. Even with the weighted vest the research indicated that the force in the ground hit vertical meaning the athletes’ ground time was too long. The reason for this may be because the athletes in the research could not handle the weight of the vest and stood up tall to not fall over; keep in mind, many coaches look at a sprint as just a controlled fall. Sand sprinting is also a great resistant speed exercise but, there just is not enough research and data on this type of resistant exercise to put it at the top.

Resistant towing had the majority of the research in all the resistant training modalities but, all had the same conclusions decreased stride length and had little or no change to stride frequency and increased muscular force output, especially at the hip, knee, and ankle. In fact, Mero (1998) found a high correlation between force production in the start and in the velocity phase of the sprint. This indicates a high level of fast force production in top sprinters and reaffirms the importance of strength during the acceleration phase of sprinting which, one can get through resisted speed training.

In the future, there needs to be more research with resistant speed training. For instance, the Spinks (2007) study indicated that there was not significant increase in sprint performance comparing resisted sprint training and non resistant sprint training but, did they take sprint technique or start technique in consideration. As mentioned previous if an athlete can increase ground force through resisted towing as Spinks (2007) mentioned, how can the athlete not become faster with the proper coaching on the technique of sprinting. That is what wrong with the research, there is a lot of research but very little coaching in the research.

Issues in research for resistant speed training should compare different types of resistant training with proper speed technique coaching and see how they compare to overall speed improvement and kinematics. The reason kinematics is still important is because again an athletes’ speed is only as good as their technique. It is great to know from all this research what is happening biomechanically or muscularly but, the important outcome to all is which will help make you faster in the shortest amount of time. Coaches and athletes want to know the best modalities of resistant speed training and how they compare to each other, more importantly how they compare to overall speed improvement.

References

1. Bosco, C., Rusko, H., and Hirvonen, J. (1986). The effect of extra-load conditioning on muscle performance in athletes. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 18(4), 415-419.
2. Faccioni, A., (1993) Resisted and assisted methods for speed development. Part 2. Strength & Conditioning Coach. 1(3), 7-10
3. Gervais, P., LeBlanc, J. S. (N/A). Biomechanical analysis of assisted and resisted sprinting. Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 1-4.
4. Kunz, H., Kaufmann, D.A. (1981) Biomechanics of hill sprinting. Track Technique. (82), 2603-2605.
5. Letzelter, M., Sauerwein, G., and Burger, R. (1995). Resistance runs in speed development. Modern Athlete and Coach. (33), 7–12.
6. Lockie, R.G., A.J. Murphy and C.D. Spinks. (2003). Effects of resisted sled towing on sprint kinematics in field sport athletes. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 17(4), 760-767.
7. Mero, A. (1988). Force-time characteristics and running velocity of male sprinters during the acceleration phase of sprinting. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 59(2), 94-98.
8. Oviatt, R. and Hemba, G. (1991). Oregon State: Sandblasting through the PAC. National Strength & Conditioning Association Journal. 13(4), 40-46.
9. Spinks C.D., Murphy A.J., Spinks W.L., Lockie R.G. (2007). The effects of resisted sprint training on acceleration performance and kinematics in soccer, rugby union, and Australian football players. The Journal Of Strength And Conditioning Research. 21 (1), 77-85.
10. Tabachnik, B. (1992). The speed chute. National Strength & Conditioning Association Journal. 14(4), 75- 80.

The start of a 40 yard dash is first based on the athlete’s explosive power to help get them from a static position out into the drive phase of the sprint. Many coaches today have their athletes start in a 3 point stance athlete stands with front foot 2-6 inches from line depending on the athletes size and back foot 2-4 inches from front foot with toes facing forward. The athletes front knee should be bent nearly at 90 degrees and back leg around 120 degrees with hips slightly above knees, back flat and chin tucked. The left arm is bent at 90 degrees at the hip if the left leg is in front, and the right arm is on the line with thumb pointing towards your left foot and index finger point to the right. The athlete’s right shoulder is directly over the right hand with the athlete’s weight leaning forward.

Once the athlete has left the static position the athlete is now in the acceleration or drive phase. Michael Gough (2006), defines the acceleration phase from the initial movement of ground contact until the athlete reaches top end speed. A powerful triple extension of the hip, knee, and ankle joints is important for maximum power development off the start. Forward body lean is critical during the acceleration phase with the shoulders always over the hips. Most coaches want the athlete driving out in a 35 to 45 degree angle with elbows at 90 degrees and driving their heel over their knee with foot dorsiflexed and foot striking under hips. In fact, research by Weyand, Sternlight, Bellizzi and Wright (2000) indicated that the force applied at ground contact is the most important determinant of running speed. Ken Jakalski (2008) states in his article that the dorsiflexion of the ankle is the “magic bullet” of the sprint cycle. He explains this of the dorsiflexed ankle because it puts a stretch on the gastrocnemius, soleus and achilles complex which contributes to knee flexion and hip flexion. He goes on to explain that if the athletes does not dorsiflex the ankle, the gastrocnemius soleus and achilles complex cannot help out as a leg flexor. If the gastrocnemius cannot assist in this process, another muscle group will, which are the hamstrings. Hamstrings should not serve a primary role as knee flexors they are hip extenders, not knee flexors. If the hamstrings are called upon to assist in knee flexion, they will be less effective in carrying out their primary responsibility.

The next phase of the forty yard dash is maximal velocity. This takes place for the last 12.66 yards. Michael Young (2007) of the USA Military Academy and Human Performace Consulting explains there are three primary goals of maximal velocity sprinting: preservation of stability, minimizing braking forces and maximization of vertical propulsive forces. Preservation of stability is the body’s ability to stay in perfect posture for the sprint because when stability is disrupted the loss of elasticity occurs. This stability relates to the athletes core for the most part, think of a squat an athlete holds their breath on the way down to support their back and keep their spine protected. The next goal is to minimize braking forcing which is any force that act in the opposite direction of the desired movement. The primary cause of excessive braking forces is making ground contact too far out in front of the athlete’s center of mass. This can go back to the stability goal because if an athlete has good stability the athlete is less likely to lean back or stand strait up which tends to disrupt the foot strike under the hips. The last goal is maximization of vertical propulsive forces which is the distance traveled in the air before ground contact. Vertical propulsive forces help the athlete with a more effective ground contact position and an increase in negative foot speed which when the foot is moving backwards at ground contact with respect with body moving forward; which, in turn helps the athlete accelerate through the line. Another benefit to the maximization of vertical propulsive is an increase in leg stiffness which is the ability of the legs to act like a spring during contact. Actually, Bret, Dufour, Messonnier and Lacour did study on leg strength and stiffness as ability factors in 100 meter sprints and found that leg stiffness is critically important to maximal velocity sprinting and the maintenance of momentum developed during the acceleration period of a sprint.

Throughout this paper one can see that there are many detailed mechanics through a 40 yard sprint. In a recap we know how to start, we know during the drive phase the athletes elbows are firing past the hips to the shoulders at 90 degrees, the heels are driving up over the knee, the shoulders are in advance of the hips and the athlete is making ground contact beneath the athletes hips which helps drive the athlete forward. During max velocity phase the athlete is doing everything that is in the drive phase except now we are trying to aim for more of a vertical propulsive movement. There is many other factors that go into sprinting for instance breathing, power and strength but for the purpose of this paper I am just explaining the mechanics of a sprint.

Now, that sprint mechanics are understood, what are some improper mechanics that athletes usually do and how can they be fixed. For starters many young athletes have problems with mechanics and it starts with their posture. Most young athletes have tight hips, glutes, hamstrings and gastrocnemius, soleus and achilles complex, internally rotated shoulders and an everted foot due to sitting in class all day. Think about if these kids are in flexion all day and that is what their body knows. So, how can these athletes improve their posture and the answer is through corrective exercises. Pete Egoscue suggests in his book Pain Free to do arm circles for internally rotated shoulders, and many other great corrective exercises for the hips, glutes, hamstrings and gastrocnemius, soleus and achilles complex. But, the most important corrective exercise when it comes to sprinting is foot circles. If an athlete has a foot that is everting and supinating the athlete may lose up to 2/3 or more of surface area and all important assistance of the knee and hip and their associated musculature (48). Once foot circle are performed the athlete feels an increase on surface area as well as more strength because of the assistance of the knee and hip so, if an athlete increases surface area, the athlete then increases force and if the athlete increase force the athlete in turn increase speed with proper sprint mechanics. The next error most athletes are with their elbows many athletes kick their arm back to 180 degrees past their hip which turns their arm into a long slow pendulum. Some athletes cross their bodies with their arms and many do not lock their wrist out which can inhibit the stretch reflex mechanism in the athletes shoulder if the hand supinates past the hip. These improper elbow mechanics can be improved by seated arm swings drills and arm circles. Brown and Ferrigno (2005) explain seated arm drills Starting Position: Seated on the floor with the legs straight out in front of you. Swing arms in a sprinting motion. Elbows should be kept at 90 degrees and keep hands relaxed. Your hands should come up to about shoulder height and should go past your hips in the back. Be careful to not bounce off of the floor as you swing your arms faster. Other problems athletes have is driving heel over knee, driving off of their power pads, heel contacting ground and shoulders not over hips. To help improve these faults there are the Mach Drills invented by Gerard Mach. A cornerstone of his system was the A B & C drill series. Mach (1977) broke the stride into its components parts, knee lift, foreleg action and the push off through the drills. The A Drills were designed to work the knee lift component. The B Drills were designed to work on foreleg reach or pawing action. According to Mach All exercises with leg extension and active down are special exercises to strengthen the hamstrings (6). Mach (1977) also explained The marching and skipping exercises were designed to develop the technique required for body lean, arm action, high knee lift, leg extension, and keeping the center of gravity high, but did not emphasize the strong driving forward or push forward action and the C Drills were designed to work on push off and extension (6). Brent McFarlane uses similar drill for improving speed and technique as does Tom Shaw. Other ways to enhance performance is by doing explosive Olympic lifting and plyometrics. In fact, Eduardo S¡ez, Gonz¡lez-Badillo, Juan Jose, Izquierdo did a study on Low and Moderate Plyometric Training and found that the lower training frequency produced a greater jumping and sprinting gain compared to high frequency. Therefore, sometimes as a coach remember less is more.

In closing, one can see how complex and how much detail goes into sprint work. Again, there is much more that goes into sprinting besides mechanics for instance strength, muscle fibers, breathing and etc. Finally, remember that the start and the finish of a sprint are equally important and if you want to run a good 40 yard dash there is much more than just genetics that come into play. In the words Vern Gambetta used in his article about speed drills there are many roads to Rome and another famous idiom there are many ways to skin a cat. What this mean is coach the drills and training that work for your athletes.

References

1. Bret, C., Rahmani, A., Dufour, A.B., Messonnier, L., and Lacour, J.R. (2002). Leg strength and stiffness as ability factors in 100m sprint running. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. 42(3): 274:281.
2. Brown, Lee and Ferrigno, V. (2005). Training for Speed agility and Quickness: Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
3. Eduardo S¡ez, Gonz¡lez-Badillo, Juan Jose, Izquierdo, Mike .Low and Moderate Plyometric Training Frequency Produces Greater Jumping and Sprinting Gains Compared with High Frequency. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 22(3): 715-725. 2008.
4. Gough, Michael. The Forty-Yard Dash for the High School Athlete. National Strength and Conditioning Association Journal. 28( 2): 24-25. 2006.
5. Jakalski, Ken. Sprint Technique and Speed Training. 2008. Enhanced Fitness and Performance.http://www.enhancedfp.com/sport-specific/track-and-field/400-meter-training-ken-jakalski
6. Mach, Gerard. Sprinting & Hurdling School. CTFA 1977: Page 6
7. McFarlane, Brent. A Basic and Advanced Technical Model for Speed. National Strength and Conditioning Association Journal. 15(5): 57- 61. 1993.
8. McFarlane, Brent. A Look Inside the Biomechanics and Dynamics of Speed. National Strength and Conditioning Association Journal. 9(5): 35-41. 1987.
9. Pete Egoscue (Author), Roger Gittines (Contributor) (1998). Pain Free: A Revolutionary Method for Stopping Chronic Pain: New York: Bantom.
10. Weyand, P., Sternlight, D., Bellizzi, M. and Wright, S. (2000). Faster top running speeds are achieved with greater ground forces not more rapid leg movements. Journal of Applied Physiology, 89, 1991-2000.
11. Young, Michael. Maximal Velocity Sprint Mechanics. Track Coach. No. 179. Spring 2007.

His father Chris works for Boeing, which is why he produced a son with such a perfect understanding of physics driven mechanics. Tom Verducci has written the article of all articles when it comes to the revolution of the pitching delivery. Verducci writes for Sports Illustrated. In this article he expresses a better understanding of physics driven pitching mechanics than some of the best Coaches in the game. It goes to show how baseball’s ego has prevented its own evolution. MLB has been drafting young, tall and lanky pitchers for years because these pitchers can get away with more and therefore they need less coaching. The problem is their longevity is suspect. This is why Lincecum is seen as a Freak or an outsider. He doesn’t fit the mold of the MLB. The times maybe changing.

Here is a few examples from Verducci’s article illustrating the ignorance of Major League Baseball organizations along with some of Lincecum’s astounding accomplishments in the past few years.

Baltimore general manager Jim Duquette
“There was a feeling that [Lincecum] was short, not a real physical kid, and mechanically he was going to break down, that there was enough stress on his arm, elbow and shoulder. Our scouting department kind of pushed him down because of the medical aspect.”

The quickness of Lincecum’s small body is what scared off most scouts

The Giants took Lincecum at No. 10. He pitched only 13 times in the minors, allowing seven earned runs and whiffing 104 batters in 62 2/3 innings, before it became obvious to San Francisco that it had a prodigy who was wasting his time down there.

In 40 starts through Sunday, he was 16-6 with a 3.30 ERA and 264 strikeouts in 256 innings.

Lincecum’s reliability at the start of his career is historically remarkable. He is one of only seven pitchers since 1956 to throw 30 quality starts in his first 40 games.

Coach Dave Righetti, Lincecum’s current pitching coach for the Giants.
“I treat Timmy differently from most pitchers: I leave him alone.”

The article has quotes from Lincecum and his father talking about his mechanics. His quotes are almost directly out of AcePitcher.com’s 5 Components of Pitching.

“My dad and I aren’t very large guys, so it’s about efficiency and getting the most out of my body that I can,”

“Don’t open up too soon because then you lose leverage,” Tim says. “If you twist a rubber band against itself, the recoil is bigger. The more torque I can come up with, the better.”

“My dad always told me to sit down on my back leg as long as I could and push off as much as I could. I’m trying to get as much out of my body as possible. I’ve got to use my ankles, my legs, my hips, my back. . . . That’s why I’m so contorted and it looks like I’m giving it full effort when it’s not exactly full effort.”

The normal stride length for a pitcher is 77% to 87% of his height. Lincecum’s stride is 129%, or roughly 7 1/2 feet.

As for the “step-over” move near the end of his stride, Lincecum explains, “That’s from my hips. I’m getting everything toward the target, and my hips want to go. My hips can’t just go and open up. I’m trying to create torque. That’s when everything kind of explodes. My body comes, and [my arm] is just kind of along for the ride.”

One secret, he explains, is what he calls his “ankle kick,” a snapping of his right ankle as his right foot, the back foot, leaves the rubber. Lincecum comes off the rubber with such snap that, upon the ball’s release, his right foot is more than a foot in front of the rubber, shrinking the distance — and thus stealing precious time — between him and the batter.

When Lincecum speaks of “sitting down on my back leg” and his “ankle kick” he is speaking of AcePitcher.com 2 Component Triple extension. He calls this his little secret. How many coaches out there curse pushing off the rubber. Lincecum credits this to the reason for his success.

“My dad never taught me to lunge at the plate,” Tim says. “It kind of came naturally. That ankle kick that I get and the drive that I get from my back leg will make a big difference in how I get to the plate and how I pitch that day.”

Verducci paints the perfect picture of AcePitcher.com 3 Component Separation, which he calls the Loading position, when speaking of Lincecum’s success.

Here Lincecum again separates himself from most pitchers with his athleticism and timing. As he reaches the loaded position, Lincecum’s hips have just opened so that his belt buckle is facing the batter. His torso, however, has not yet begun to rotate toward the plate. The GIANTS on his home jersey is facing third base and his left shoulder remains pointed directly at the target. Only then, with his body essentially twisted against itself, does the torso fire, creating more rotational power as, at last, after this symphonic whipsaw action of his body, his arm simply “comes along for the ride.”

Most importantly Verducci mentions Lincecum’s athletic ability.

Many pitchers are poor athletes who happen to be blessed with one very specific skill. Lincecum has the body of a gymnast and can rip off a backflip or walk on his hands to prove it.

This proves my philosophy of great athletes make great pitchers. Many Coaches would also argue this with me. This is why the uneducated call Lincecum a freak instead of an elite athlete like Tiger woods and Michael Jordan.

This article made me smile so big I about split my face in half. Everything Lincecum, his father and Tom Verducci documented in this article I learned the hard way. It gives me closure in my own career when I learn that I may not have made it to the majors but I did overcome a serious rotator cuff injury to discover mechanics that would soon revolutionize the pitcher. I am glad such a good person like Tim Lincecum is caring this torch and bringing the light to Major League Baseball.

Read Tom Verducci’s article here.

View Tim Lincecum’s delivery in Slow Motion