Reasons You Shouldn't Start at the Beginning
/Executing the correct pitching mechanics takes understanding, feel, body control, timing, and correct sequencing - repeatedly.
The ability to execute perfectly sequenced pitching fundamentals is an extremely difficult task for all pitchers, but especially beginning pitchers who do not have the strength, knowledge, or experience to correct themselves by feel. I’m not sure I can name ANY pitcher, at ANY stage of their journey, who would be exalted as “perfect” in all of these areas, all of the time. Even the most accomplished pitchers at the NCAA, Professional, and Olympic levels have pieces of their motion that aren’t “perfect.” They just have fewer flaws that we identify, as they’ve already mastered the habit of discipline, honing their wow factors through consistent practice over the years.
However, when a pitcher begins becoming a pitcher, her strength and muscle control is usually minimal. She hasn’t yet started working out, is often still growing, her body is changing, and her feel for the mechanics of pitching is just being developed. Therefore, the resistance that it takes at the end of the motion to harness the energy produced with all of the mechanics at the beginning and middle of the motion is extremely difficult to master for any pitcher, especially young ones. Being able to transfer that energy into the ball at a consistent release point is arguably the most difficult (but maybe the most important) component to developing maximum velocity and accuracy. In fact, if you watch most pitchers on video, social media, etc…. you will see that there is a breakdown in perfect mechanics at this end point of the motion. Transferring of energy is lost, body positioning is off, release points are inconsistent, or resistance isn’t applied. However, in those same videos, the beginning and middle parts of the motion can look pretty darn good. Hmmmmm… Why is that?
I have a theory.
Most times, pitching coaches teach the motion in phases, starting from the beginning fundamentals: stance (footwork on the mound); grip (how to hold the ball); take away (the first movement to start the motion). These pieces are necessary. They are also easy compared to the next parts of the motion, where body parts have to work together in changing positions while in motion. And teaching the motion in this order coincides with how we have learned in school since we were little kids: start from the beginning and build off of each successive skill. Skills start small and simple and become progressively more difficult. This works because our brain assimilates new skills into the foundation of what we’ve already mastered. I know that I learned in school this way and I also learned how to pitch this way. I have also taught pitching this way.
But maybe I should have started at the finish. Maybe I would have had a better high school career myself had I understood how to repeat that energy transfer at the release. My velocity and accuracy likely would have improved earlier in my pitching journey if I could have mastered these mechanics. If resistance is nearly impossible to achieve when muscle control is limited, and if a repeated release point is necessary for an accurate pitch, it seems that the END of the motion is the most important place for pitchers to achieve mastery.
Missy Lombardi, current Head Coach at Oregon, introduced me to what she calls “airplanes.” This is a drill at the end of the motion that focuses on a pitcher’s glutes firing forward into the resistance at the release. It is a simple drill that allows her pitchers - her COLLEGE PITCHERS - to feel that energy transfer as they’re releasing the ball. It limits the arm circle to the last quarter or half so that the focus can be small and simple.
Maybe before mastering the beginning fundamentals, really “feeling” the end of the motion fundamentals is the key to getting the most consistent results. If it can help increase velocity and improve repeated accuracy, I think it is worth a try. How about you? Maybe “beginning at the end” will unlock our greatest potential yet.
