Shared traits of successful pitchers

Everyone wants to emulate big leaguers.  Even scouts are tasked with comparing amateur players to current or past big leaguers when filing reports.  What amateur players sometimes fail to do, however, is correctly emulate their big-league brethren, instead picking and choosing the actual unique qualities rather than t he important (and shared) ones. 

If I told you that Chad Bradford, Brad Penny and Dice K shared many mechanical similarities, you might think that I was an idiot.  Well, I am, in fact, saying that, and I will even back it up.  There are many ways to succeed as a pitcher, but there are certain mechanical components that are shared by all big league pitchers.  Similar to hitters, successful pitchers may approach things differently, but when the rubber meets the road, they all fit into a nice, little box. 

In my opinion, there are five mechanical components that are “non-negotiable” for pitchers to have long-term success (for purposes of this column, I will assume that everyone understands the importance of seeing the catcher’s glove when throwing).  So, whether you want to look at the sky during your windup, throw only from the stretch, or pick your nose during your windup, as a pitching coach, I wouldn’t really care.  In my opinion, that stuff is just mental, and allows you to get into your comfort zone (as always, allowing you to relax your muscles and not tense up, allowing for the most velocity and movement). 

First and foremost, all successful pitchers reach a balance point.  The most common mistake that I see in amateur pitchers is “rushing”.  Pitchers are so anxious to get the ball to the plate that they become runners rather harnessing the superior athletic ability that all pitchers possess.  The balance point is, in effect, a slowing down of the process and a way to determine that everything is in line.  Without achieving balance, everything else has the strong potential to get thrown out of whack, and velocity, movement, and location will all suffer.

Second, getting the throwing hand/ball out of the glove is crucial to not letting it fall behind the body.  Some pitchers will get the ball out and reach down, some will reach back, but all successful pitchers will have their arm in the “slot” when the lead foot lands.  For those non-sidearmers, the easy test is the doorway drill.  Pitchers should be able to go through their entire motion in a doorway.  Starting in the middle of the doorway, go through your motion.  At the time that your front foot lands, your arm should be in the middle of the doorway (if you’re tall enough, you should be high fiving the top of the doorway).  If your arm is behind-the usual case- you’re late and will put undue pressure on your shoulder, in addition to losing velocity. 

The third mechanical component is the weight shift.  It is a huge mistake to think that when your front foot lands, your full weight should be on it.  In fact, you should have as little weight on it as possible.  Many of you are familiar with the goalpost drill.  For the uninitiated, this is a drill where you make your arms like a goalpost, and spread your feet out to where they would be at the landing point in your motion.  During this drill, or at this point in your motion, all of your weight should be on the back leg.  The “explosion” is a misnomer and is actually just a shifting of the weight and rotation of the hips. 

The fourth component is extension.  A cardinal sin of young pitchers is cutting pitches off.  This means that their arm comes across their body rather than toward the plate.  Pitchers with great extension seem like they are dropping the ball right into the catcher’s glove. There are two effective exercises that can be done to achieve extension.  The first is obvious: long toss.  Aside from building arm strength, it helps with extension.  It’s hard to throw the ball far without really reaching (extending) forward.  The second is to go through your motion and throw a ball straight down.  While it sounds silly, it’s physically impossible to throw a ball straight down once you’ve gone through your motion without extending your arm.  These exercises will give you a feel for the extension that big league pitchers get.

The final shared mechanical component is the follow through.  Not only does a pitcher incorporate a bending of the back, he also has his arm come across his body.  Some pitchers bend less than others (though I’d argue all day that those pitchers who are-in baseball terms- straight up are the ones who eventually fail or fix the problem).  The interesting part about the follow through is that if the first three components are done properly, the fourth will take care of itself to an extent.  It is virtually impossible to not follow through if your arm is in the proper place and your weight shifts properly. 

The next time you watch a game on television, if you have the capability, pause the television during a pitch.  Focus on the mechanical components mentioned above.  Emulate those and the rest will take care of itself.