|
Don't Drag
your Feet! Myth #3
I just received a
great email from Greg in New York. Greg wrote...
"Today I was pitching and I found out that I was
dragging on just about every pitch. The ones I
was dragging on I had lower velocity, and less
movement on all my pitches. The times that I
wasn't dragging and I was on top of my pitches I
had more velocity, and a lot better and more
movement. I was wondering if there was any
drills or tips you could give me to help reduce
drag and help me get on top of my pitches
better."
Greg
If you are talking
about your rear foot dragging, that is a natural
part of the delivery process.
Velocity is a
function of overall strength, momentum, proper
sequencing, generating torque and keeping it as long
as possible as well as the intent to throw the ball
harder. Arm speed has something to do with it too.
A benefit of the foot
drag is that you will keep your “stack” longer.
Stack is essentially your chest, glove and eyes
tracking towards the target for as long as possible.
Maybe you felt your
velocity decrease on those pitches you dragged your
foot because you were focusing on the foot and not
being explosive.
If you look at
pictures of pitchers like Mark Prior, that back foot
doesn’t come off the ground until well after the
ball has been released.
The back foot acts
like a rudder. It helps keeps the momentum going
towards the intended target without letting the
torso spin out or bend over prematurely. If the foot
is off the ground, the release point will become
less consistent.
Don’t worry about the
foot drag; focus on the other aspects of mechanics
and velocity.
Foot drag really has
little to do with velocity. It may play some part
helping the pitcher keep his posture.
Greg, I hope this
helps. If not, feel free to email with more
questions!
Remember, get
momentum early in the delivery, work out front, not
back by the rubber and be explosive and athletic.
Don't forget to condition appropriately for
pitching!
Keep on working hard!
|
