A pitcher’s velocity can leak in a variety of ways. Listen below as RPP Director of Pitching Scott Shuman breaks down five pitching disconnects where this may be happening.
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- Benefits of a Good Hinge
- Vaulting
- Trunk Stack at Foot Plant
- Glove Side Integrity
- Leg Leg Block
Let’s go over each with a video in some detail…
Benefits of a Good Hinge
While there are different ways to “hinge” based on an individual’s hip anatomy, if we get this first move right, most of the key performance indicators, such as creating more powerful rotation at or slightly after foot plant, tend to fall into place more naturally downstream.
Vaulting
One of the biggest velocity leaks we see is an athlete’s initial push down the mound directing force more vertically rather than linearly. This can transfer energy less efficiently up the kinetic chain, limiting velocity potential.
Trunk Stack at Foot Plant
A well-stacked upper half reflects an athlete’s ability to keep the pelvis and torso aligned from the start of the linear move through foot plant. When the athlete loses this stacked position, the body may drift forward, resulting in a front-heavy landing.
Glove Side Integrity
When the glove side turns over early, it becomes more difficult to keep the front side closed longer and rotate the torso down into landing.
How’s Your Lead Leg Block
Improving and better utilizing ground reaction forces with a lead leg block is paramount. Training the lead leg to both produce and accept force will help to create a stable base and facilitate hip and torso rotation up the chain.
Interesting in learning where your velo leaks are?
Join us this winter at the Pitching Lab. We can break it down for you during a comprehensive video analysis.