Should pitchers land on the ball of their foot or on the heel when landing foot strike? A lot of outdated advice says players should land on the toe or the ball of their foot. However, this may not offer many advantages to the player. Instead, players may benefit from pitching instruction that focuses on
Should My Kid Learn Slide Step in Pitching Lessons?
The slide step is still a common thing taught in pitching lessons. The main idea behind the slide step pitch is to get the ball into the catcher’s hands as quickly as possible. Coaches far and wide tell pitchers to use this move when there are runners on base to try to prevent base stealing.
Increase Pitching Velocity: Arm Health & Functional Strength
Want to increase your pitching velocity? Taking care of your arm and increasing functional strength are a great place to start! Improving velocity is hard work, and no mistake. However, work ethic isn’t the only thing in your toolkit for velocity training. Functional strength and arm care are the basics that great pitchers rely on.
Youth Pitching: Equal & Opposite Elbow Angles
Every pitcher has a signature that’s unique to them. We believe in keeping that signature while teaching athletes efficient mechanics for velocity, control, and injury prevention. Unfortunately, many youth pitching coaches give instruction that can affect your young player’s signature. While well-intended, the advice to break the throwing hand toward second and glove to the
Pitching Velocity & Energy Angle
Increasing pitching velocity is a complex process and often requires improving many different elements. One of these elements includes biomechanical efficiency. Inefficient movements can lead to lower pitching velocity. One important part of efficient pitching mechanics involves a player’s energy angle, which is how a pitcher directs energy from first movement to maximum leg lift.
Sidearm Pitching: Myths vs. Facts
“Get on top of the ball” is a common phrase players hear during pitching instruction. This is in an effort to correct players who pitch sidearm or close to sidearm. However, this can actually create mechanical inefficiencies. There is a common myth that pitching sidearm or three-quarters to sidearm increases the risk of injury. However,
Youth Pitching: Which Side of the Rubber?
Most youth pitching coaches instruct left handed pitchers to stand on the first base side of the mound and right handed pitchers to stand on the third base side. This is a common myth meant to create a better angle at release point. However, this advice may actually be causing biomechanical inefficiencies. These efficiencies can affect
Pitching Lessons for Foundation Fitness
Pitching lessons at any age don’t just focus on how to throw a curveball. Rotational athletes must also learn how to become stronger in a way that promotes more efficient pitching. This means learning foundation fitness to make the whole body stronger and more balanced. Foundation fitness helps players correct inefficiencies that occur from everyday physical stresses. Resistance training can encourage and
Youth Pitching Position Myth: Wide Stance
Many of us have heard that pitchers should set up with a wide stance, with the front leg straight and the back knee bent. The problem with this youth pitching advice is that it creates biomechanical inefficiencies. This can become an extra challenge to getting momentum behind the pitch. Early momentum and timing are two major factors in
Pitching Lessons to Help Prevent Elbow Injuries
Many people are concerned about increases in elbow pain and injuries in youth pitchers. Pitching lessons aim to help players learn the proper way to pitch in an effort to help prevent injuries. In order to instruct pitchers correctly, first you must know what usually causes elbow pain and elbow injuries from pitching. Then, lessons
