Does a big push out REALLY increase speed?

[Quasimodo]

Fantastic. Appreciate the explanation and the video and picture support!

I am going to amend my post just a little. All my girls close their legs with a lot of force. They don't step shorter by stepping lightly!

 

[ArmWhip]

I'm having trouble following and understanding what it being proposed. If a pitcher only takes a step it puts strain on the arm? Certainly stride and arm speed are related but to say that one is the cause of the other seems like a reach.

I focus on making sure my pitchers are 'sticking the landing'. 'Overstriding' only happens if the pitcher lands with poor posture. If they have an adequate push off and land in good posture with the arm around the 10 o'clock slot that's usually good enough.

I don't know if you can compare men and women, that would be a good debate, but here is something to look at that illustrates what I mean.

 

[radness]

I'm having trouble following and understanding what it being proposed. If a pitcher only takes a step it puts strain on the arm? Certainly stride and arm speed are related but to say that one is the cause of the other seems like a reach.

I focus on making sure my pitchers are 'sticking the landing'. 'Overstriding' only happens if the pitcher lands with poor posture. If they have an adequate push off and land in good posture with the arm around the 10 o'clock slot that's usually good enough.

I don't know if you can compare men and women, that would be a good debate, but here is something to look at that illustrates what I mean.

Perhaps simply saying one outdoing the other isnt necessarily helpful.
(arm or stride outdoing the other)
Add timing xcetera.


As to the compairing of men/woman~
Could have mechanics compairisons.
However where strength comes from has already been compaired and is not equivalent.
That said,
Think this is true of all people,
Finding and developing strength to assist mechanics is certainly relevant.
Have noticed where female pitchers find and utilize body strength, the torso or legs,
upper or lower body,
are not the same for all shapes and sizes.

Possibly? Husky broad shoulder equals more upper body strength?

 

[clarity]

Watch Rachel Garcia, who is Filipino by the way, and how fast she gets onto her front foot.

That's interesting.

 

[lhowser]

I am going to amend my post just a little. All my girls close their legs with a lot of force. They don't step shorter by stepping lightly!

Is this "closing" referring to pulling the push leg forward as quickly as you can when the stride leg lands?

 

[sluggers]

Has anyone actually seen speed significantly increase with an increased push off and why does pushing out with the legs make you throw harder?

Yes and no.

Good leg drive will only add about 5MPH to a pitcher's speed...but that doesn't tell the whole story.

How much speed does a kid gain from IR over HE? 5-10 MPH. How much does a kid gain from good FSR? About 5MPH. How much a kid gain from good brush interference? 2 or 3 MPH.

To hit the coveted 65MPH, a kid has to have her entire motion optimized...from IR to FSR to BI to lower body mechanics. (That is the art of a pitching coach...getting the whole motion optimized.)

The other part of leg drive optimization has to do with endurance. In TB, endurance isn't an issue...a kid pitches 5 innings, and the game is over. In HS ball and college, when the kid has go 7 innings, then endurance becomes a huge issue.

 

[sluggers]

In general, a longer stride does not help at all, because the arm circle is directly tied, dependent, on the leg’s required time to get to a balanced release position over the front foot. It is impossible for them to work independently. Often the hips are lifted in an arc to create a longer stride just to achieve the increased length. That increases the time it takes to achieve the added six or twelve inches.

Exactly.

If the legs do not close faster, then the arm can not spin faster.

I'm not doubting you, but I don't understand what you mean by "legs close faster". There many be a terminology issue. Can you explain this?

 

[765Seth]

keep dropping knowledge fellas, my DD and I are working on this right now, hard push v/s quick feet. thanks in advance

 

[Quasimodo]

Exactly.



I'm not doubting you, but I don't understand what you mean by "legs close faster". There many be a terminology issue. Can you explain this?

The time it takes, generally, for the pitcher to get onto the front foot and balanced position determines how fast the arm rotation can complete the release. They work in synchronization, not independently. I teach the fastest stride the pitcher can complete, and not how long they stride, while still under control of their body and form.

If it takes .5 seconds to complete the stride to get to a proper release, then it takes the arm .5 seconds to rotate. This can be manipulated a little, but please note, that even a back swing is an effort to compensate for leg speed slower than the arm can handle.

 

[Quasimodo]

I'm having trouble following and understanding what it being proposed. If a pitcher only takes a step it puts strain on the arm? Certainly stride and arm speed are related but to say that one is the cause of the other seems like a reach.

I focus on making sure my pitchers are 'sticking the landing'. 'Overstriding' only happens if the pitcher lands with poor posture. If they have an adequate push off and land in good posture with the arm around the 10 o'clock slot that's usually good enough.

I don't know if you can compare men and women, that would be a good debate, but here is something to look at that illustrates what I mean.

If she only takes a step and is ready to release in .2 seconds, do you think the process of "catching up" with the arm would potentially sacrifice health and pitch control?

RADCatcher said it better than me:
"Perhaps simply saying one outdoing the other isnt necessarily helpful.
(arm or stride outdoing the other)
Add timing xcetera."