Pitching Mechanics: Is Direct Leg Blocking Enough?

Published on January 16, 2022 at 12:04 pm, by Eric Cressey

Much far more consideration has been compensated in modern a long time to the idea of the front hip pull-back/lead leg blocking in pitchers.

However, what gets overlooked is that there are a great deal of athletes who do it effectively, but continue to struggle to consistently impart suitable power to the baseball and with the suitable course. This can happen due to the fact of constraints further more up the chain that interfere with transferring power to allow for for cleanse ball launch.

Foremost among these problems are suitable thoracic flexion and scapular upward rotation. These two characteristics allow you to remain on the baseball extended. Think about a motor vehicle that has an excess runway to speed up. As violent as it appears in still-body photographs, Max Scherzer is one of the most effective illustrations in the recreation for this – and it is remarkably properly “synced up: 

Max Scherzer, Mechanics/Arm Motion. pic.twitter.com/Eg0P7TNCmD

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 18, 2018

See how the length involving his uniform number and belt improves early in the supply, then decreases just prior to ball release. It is not this excessive for most pitchers, but it speaks to the interaction amongst the anterior main, thoracic spine, and scapular upward rotation. Is it any shock that most anterior core workout routines – rollouts, fallouts, flutters, inchworms, bear crawls, and stir-the-pot – are also fantastic serratus anterior drills?

https://www.youtube.com/observe?v=wPVz162jr18

You can also challenge it in a variety of ways with the chops aspect of your core stability plan.

https://www.youtube.com/observe?v=eARiUDhLfPI

I also like this adjustment to a half-kneeling cable lift…which in fact make it into a chop, but no matter what!

https://www.youtube.com/observe?v=CL4ndb2IPao

It also opens up a terrific discussion on the role of infrasternal angle for one more working day (though we did delve in on it a little bit with this podcast with Monthly bill Hartman:

Have a terrific 7 days!

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