Pre turning rhp
- Thread starter kahenaghan
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- May 13, 2008
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I picked up a couple little soccer cones. Set one on each side of her drive foot and tell her she has to drive out of them without knocking over a cone. I have had success with younger pitchers doing this. After knocking the cones askew a few times they get the idea.
If you have a good look at the pivot foot action of world elite pitchers, some people might be surprised at what they discover. There are about 9 out of 10 male pitchers who turn their pivot foot anywhere from 30 deg to 90 deg prior to their forward drive and they have a release point approximately 12 to 16 inches farther from the pitching plate than women of the same height. The fastest male pitchers I have clocked turn their pivot foot 45 to 90 deg prior to pushing off. I have certainly not clocked them all. I am not drawing any conclusions here, simply stating observations. On the female side, at least half turn their pivot foot but to a much lesser extent than males. A sprinter doesn't have to turn sideways during his start. Are some people putting too much emphasis on getting the foot pointed straight ahead or does a slight turn help? People keep saying to look at the world's best for answers! Also, I find it strange that no one ever talks about the stride knee and leg contribution to the forward drive. Is there as much pulling away from the pitching plate from created momentum as there is pushing from the pivot leg? How much does having been a pitcher help in understanding mechanics and its subtle aspects?
