Your leg kick suggestion is NOT how I did it while mimicking my young baseball favorite pitcher on the California Angels in the mid 70's that went by the name of Nolan Ryan. Highest, most dominant leg kick (lower half power creation) ever. 😉 Your way should work as well. Keep pressing that these youngsters learn the windup first.
2:45 this right here, I try to get my youth to use that tiny rocker step because if you watch their head while they pitch it's going forward, backwards, side to side etc and they wonder by they are throwing the ball all over the place. small step or turn like that keeps the head nice and still. Focus on the catcher's glove, keep head still. Nice tip about hands working together with lift leg too.
Great stuff. Me: Tex Tech pitcher and Bachelor's in Kinesthesiology,.. Director of Physical Therapy, four Metropolitan hospitals in my career. A 10 to 15 yr old athlete, the hip flexors are in a key development stage - with more inflexible tendons than developed muscles. The forward rocker step rather than a timed 3-6 inch step behind he rubber, disallows for the tensilness of under developed muscles to raise to the 90. Besides the forward rocker step eliminates the timing development of the wind up.
I'm not sure youth players are suffering from hip flexor dysfunction or injuries as a result of any variation of the wind up. Sounds like you really know your stuff, but I wouldn't overthink this.
When I pitched (last century..lol) I learned to use a full windup. I was a righty, so naturally, my right foot was on the edge of the rubber. My left foot was behind me. I rocked backwards,then shifted my body weight forward & lunged off the rubber. All the while bending my back and following through at the target. I feel I used the rubber to propel myself toward the plate.This added to my velocity. I wasn't as fast pitching from the stretch when runners were on base. I cringe when I don't see these kids taking advantage of the rubber.
Ha! I just went through this with my son's 8th grade coach. (I was his coach all through little league.) My son goes for the side step instead of the rear...There I was, standing near the coach having small talk in, I think his second game. Coach says to me "We gotta get him to stop doing that." I said "Doing what?" "That kick thing". I almost spit out my water. That kick thing? You mean his windup? Uh, yeah I think we're going to keep doing that. LOL To be fair he has a fairly large step, but...in the words of Don Rumsfeld: "Myyyy goodness".
This was very helpful in teaching my 10 year-old son. Quick question, though-- at 3:44, does that pivot foot have to be touching the rubber when the leg is lifted? Can there be a small gap? Some pitching mounds are in less than ideal conditions and there can be quite a drop in front of the rubber.
Great Video. My son is a freshman pitcher in college. He was throwing a bullpen and his coach told him to don't kick higher than his belly button. I found that interesting. Then I see a quote from the great Nolan Ryan to his pitching coach, Dr. Tom House. "I throw harder when i kick my leg higher." Dr. House says "Lift the leg high as you can, create as much momentum and force as you can while moving as fast as you can to home plate." I see a lot of MLB pitchers today not going as high. What are your thoughts on the science behind the high leg kick promoting more force to the plate?
There's no real science there, unfortunately. I've heard that Nolan Ryan quote and often include it when I talk about the windup, but it's just his (and Tom House's) opinion. Look around the MLB - do you think leg kick height has any correlation with velocity? There's no way it does - too many different leg kicks and too many different velocity ranges. Not to mention, most college and pro pitchers throw the same speed from the slide step, which has a low, minimal or no leg kick. That pretty much debunks it. It's a personal comfort factor, that's all.
I think once you have good control as a pitcher you can probably work on a higher leg kick to see if it helps increase velocity but in small increments. As long as your control doesn't suffer. I have an older son in HS who lifts his knee nearly to his face but he has fairly decent control, my younger one on the other hand can't go higher than belly button.
@@trutwijd Control to me is more important than velocity. I think we get too hyped up on velocity. I am not saying velocity isn't important however, I see way too many players throwing their arms out trying to throw too hard. I do believe Dan has some really good points on not going past the belly button. One of them is it helps with control.
@@cmbc24 Definitely agree, my son is class of 2023 and laments that some of his peers throw 80+ and he tops out around 75, but he has good control, good changeup, good spin rate, etc. Try to keep encouraging him that it's fine.
I have a really stupid question (can’t believe I made it to 30 without knowing, honestly): why pitch from the windup rather than the stretch? Are you getting more momentum? More time to get a rhythm?
It would be helpful to see you go through the motion beginning to end. Unless I missed it, I didn't see you reset and then do a start to finish demonstration. Just some friendly feedback.. Thanks for sharing
When I pitch from the wind up, instead of taking an angled step I have a bigger one that goes a bit farther down the side of the mound, but I move slower while doing it. Will I still keep my balance and my head still if I do this? Sorry if the question doesn’t make sense, I didn’t know how to word in a good way
Unnecessary at the little league level (because runners cannot lead off or attempt to steal until the pitched ball reaches the plate). At the next level, you will need to pitch from the stretch with runners on base. Which then allows for holding runners on base with a throw over aka pick off moves or even keep them in check by moving your anchor foot on the rubber OFF of the rubber aka stepping off the rubber.
I just started pitching and never do a full windup. Always start from the sideways position. What's the benefit of a windup? I only see more steps and more chances to get off balance. The only part that contributes to your delivery is the point onwards from when you lift your left leg right? (righty)
it definitely helps you get your hips moving toward the plate easier than in the stretch. Yes, its important not to have excessive movement, especially for young players. But, if you can't have hardly ANY excess movement without losing command...then you lack the athleticism to be a great pitcher anyway. Good athletes can handle a bit of extra movement without crumbling.
I teach my young pitchers to step back or to the side or whichever makes them feel more comfortable. However these should be small steps to no throw upu off balance and not drastic. I prefer the small step back because it quickly progresses into forward movement.
Thanks for the video. I didn’t see any complete pitching motion ( from start to finish) in the stretch. It would be helpful to both student and trainer if you showed examples of you actually throwing from the stretch.
I haven't read through all the comments but I just watched your video. You teach for right hand pitcher to take a small step forward with your left foot then pivot in front of the rubber. Well that's illegal. Rule book says you're allowed one step back and one step forward. The way you're teaching it it's two steps forward. Also you're not allowed to step to the side third or first.
I pitched this way for 12 years between college and pro ball, I think I'd know what's legal and what's not. You can watch MLB players on TV do it this exact same way - maybe turn on your television. I've also taught literally hundreds of kids this and guess what? ZERO umpires called it illegal. You don't know what you're talking about, not even a little bit.
That's because Coach is not doing a video about pitching. He's doing a video about a portion of the mechanics of pitching which is the basic fundamentals of the windup. Coach has a wide variety of excellent videos here on his YT channel that deal with ALL aspects of The Game including the delivery of the baseball by the pitcher. Baseball skills are like a house. You could have the best tools and materials and architect and builders, etc...if you don't start with a good foundation on that house, the house is not going to be sustainable. Same thing with pitching a baseball. You could have the strongest arm, strong legs, a great mind for the game...all of the tools you'd want in a pitcher. If that pitcher with those great tools doesn't have easily repeatable and consistent mechanics then that pitcher is likely going to leak velocity and or negatively impact their ability to locate and control their pitches. This is turn will lead to lots of pitches called balls, or worse that pitcher's stuff is getting knocked around the yard because again their velocity is down or their control is sub-optimal due to their poor, inconsistent mechanics. Last but not least, poor pitching mechanics can also lead to preventable injuries because poor mechanics cause us to use our bodies in ways that are counter to optimal bio-mechanics that help reduce the risk of injuries.
@@DanBlewett If you don't mind, I would like to suggest titles in Korean for other videos as I am going through videos. A couple of youtube channels from the States became quite big in here and I definitely believe that yours should be the next one.
If you need more pitching help, grab a copy of my pitching book ✅ 👉 amzn.to/2Kdon9G
Your leg kick suggestion is NOT how I did it while mimicking my young baseball favorite pitcher on the California Angels in the mid 70's that went by the name of Nolan Ryan. Highest, most dominant leg kick (lower half power creation) ever.
😉
Your way should work as well. Keep pressing that these youngsters learn the windup first.
Thank you coach. I literally just started with my nephew on the windup and you actually showed a step that I was not aware of.
2:45 this right here, I try to get my youth to use that tiny rocker step because if you watch their head while they pitch it's going forward, backwards, side to side etc and they wonder by they are throwing the ball all over the place. small step or turn like that keeps the head nice and still. Focus on the catcher's glove, keep head still. Nice tip about hands working together with lift leg too.
I’m new to pitching this is super helpful thank you
Happy to help!
Great stuff. Me: Tex Tech pitcher and Bachelor's in Kinesthesiology,.. Director of Physical Therapy, four Metropolitan hospitals in my career. A 10 to 15 yr old athlete, the hip flexors are in a key development stage - with more inflexible tendons than developed muscles. The forward rocker step rather than a timed 3-6 inch step behind he rubber, disallows for the tensilness of under developed muscles to raise to the 90. Besides the forward rocker step eliminates the timing development of the wind up.
I'm not sure youth players are suffering from hip flexor dysfunction or injuries as a result of any variation of the wind up. Sounds like you really know your stuff, but I wouldn't overthink this.
When I pitched (last century..lol) I learned to use a full windup. I was a righty, so naturally, my right foot was on the edge of the rubber. My left foot was behind me. I rocked backwards,then shifted my body weight forward & lunged off the rubber. All the while bending my back and following through at the target. I feel I used the rubber to propel myself toward the plate.This added to my velocity. I wasn't as fast pitching from the stretch when runners were on base. I cringe when I don't see these kids taking advantage of the rubber.
Ha! I just went through this with my son's 8th grade coach. (I was his coach all through little league.) My son goes for the side step instead of the rear...There I was, standing near the coach having small talk in, I think his second game. Coach says to me "We gotta get him to stop doing that." I said "Doing what?" "That kick thing". I almost spit out my water. That kick thing? You mean his windup? Uh, yeah I think we're going to keep doing that. LOL To be fair he has a fairly large step, but...in the words of Don Rumsfeld: "Myyyy goodness".
@@JViello
Ikr. Those that teach young athletes need NOT teach bad habits from the get go. Learn the basics, starting with pitching from the windup.
This was very helpful in teaching my 10 year-old son. Quick question, though-- at 3:44, does that pivot foot have to be touching the rubber when the leg is lifted? Can there be a small gap? Some pitching mounds are in less than ideal conditions and there can be quite a drop in front of the rubber.
gaps dont matter
Great instructional
Super helpful with the foot movement
Great to hear!
Also very helpful, thanks a lot. You do a great job. 👍
You're very welcome!
Great Video. My son is a freshman pitcher in college. He was throwing a bullpen and his coach told him to don't kick higher than his belly button. I found that interesting. Then I see a quote from the great Nolan Ryan to his pitching coach, Dr. Tom House. "I throw harder when i kick my leg higher." Dr. House says "Lift the leg high as you can, create as much momentum and force as you can while moving as fast as you can to home plate." I see a lot of MLB pitchers today not going as high. What are your thoughts on the science behind the high leg kick promoting more force to the plate?
There's no real science there, unfortunately. I've heard that Nolan Ryan quote and often include it when I talk about the windup, but it's just his (and Tom House's) opinion. Look around the MLB - do you think leg kick height has any correlation with velocity? There's no way it does - too many different leg kicks and too many different velocity ranges. Not to mention, most college and pro pitchers throw the same speed from the slide step, which has a low, minimal or no leg kick. That pretty much debunks it. It's a personal comfort factor, that's all.
I think once you have good control as a pitcher you can probably work on a higher leg kick to see if it helps increase velocity but in small increments. As long as your control doesn't suffer. I have an older son in HS who lifts his knee nearly to his face but he has fairly decent control, my younger one on the other hand can't go higher than belly button.
@@trutwijd Control to me is more important than velocity. I think we get too hyped up on velocity. I am not saying velocity isn't important however, I see way too many players throwing their arms out trying to throw too hard. I do believe Dan has some really good points on not going past the belly button. One of them is it helps with control.
@@cmbc24 Definitely agree, my son is class of 2023 and laments that some of his peers throw 80+ and he tops out around 75, but he has good control, good changeup, good spin rate, etc. Try to keep encouraging him that it's fine.
I have a really stupid question (can’t believe I made it to 30 without knowing, honestly): why pitch from the windup rather than the stretch? Are you getting more momentum? More time to get a rhythm?
get a little more momentum down the mound yes
@@DanBlewett Thanks!
It would be helpful to see you go through the motion beginning to end. Unless I missed it, I didn't see you reset and then do a start to finish demonstration. Just some friendly feedback.. Thanks for sharing
When I pitch from the wind up, instead of taking an angled step I have a bigger one that goes a bit farther down the side of the mound, but I move slower while doing it. Will I still keep my balance and my head still if I do this?
Sorry if the question doesn’t make sense, I didn’t know how to word in a good way
probably not - the slopes of the mound are less predictable and so that step will vary based on the condition of the mound.
What about when the pitching rubber is not painted on artificial turf. Can it still work when there’s a raised rubber and a groove in front of it?
yep 100%.
Thanks Coach I'm not a starter but this definitely will help not be on bench
Yes it will
can you do pick off moves from the wind up position without stepping off..??
Unnecessary at the little league level (because runners cannot lead off or attempt to steal until the pitched ball reaches the plate).
At the next level, you will need to pitch from the stretch with runners on base. Which then allows for holding runners on base with a throw over aka pick off moves or even keep them in check by moving your anchor foot on the rubber OFF of the rubber aka stepping off the rubber.
Could you do a video about pitching drills
I already did one. its on my channel
I just started pitching and never do a full windup. Always start from the sideways position. What's the benefit of a windup? I only see more steps and more chances to get off balance. The only part that contributes to your delivery is the point onwards from when you lift your left leg right? (righty)
it definitely helps you get your hips moving toward the plate easier than in the stretch. Yes, its important not to have excessive movement, especially for young players. But, if you can't have hardly ANY excess movement without losing command...then you lack the athleticism to be a great pitcher anyway. Good athletes can handle a bit of extra movement without crumbling.
I teach my young pitchers to step back or to the side or whichever makes them feel more comfortable. However these should be small steps to no throw upu off balance and not drastic. I prefer the small step back because it quickly progresses into forward movement.
Thanks for the video. I didn’t see any complete pitching motion ( from start to finish) in the stretch. It would be helpful to both student and trainer if you showed examples of you actually throwing from the stretch.
in my other videos you can find this
I haven't read through all the comments but I just watched your video. You teach for right hand pitcher to take a small step forward with your left foot then pivot in front of the rubber. Well that's illegal. Rule book says you're allowed one step back and one step forward. The way you're teaching it it's two steps forward. Also you're not allowed to step to the side third or first.
I pitched this way for 12 years between college and pro ball, I think I'd know what's legal and what's not. You can watch MLB players on TV do it this exact same way - maybe turn on your television. I've also taught literally hundreds of kids this and guess what? ZERO umpires called it illegal. You don't know what you're talking about, not even a little bit.
Not one pitch thrown.
?
That's because Coach is not doing a video about pitching. He's doing a video about a portion of the mechanics of pitching which is the basic fundamentals of the windup. Coach has a wide variety of excellent videos here on his YT channel that deal with ALL aspects of The Game including the delivery of the baseball by the pitcher. Baseball skills are like a house. You could have the best tools and materials and architect and builders, etc...if you don't start with a good foundation on that house, the house is not going to be sustainable. Same thing with pitching a baseball. You could have the strongest arm, strong legs, a great mind for the game...all of the tools you'd want in a pitcher. If that pitcher with those great tools doesn't have easily repeatable and consistent mechanics then that pitcher is likely going to leak velocity and or negatively impact their ability to locate and control their pitches. This is turn will lead to lots of pitches called balls, or worse that pitcher's stuff is getting knocked around the yard because again their velocity is down or their control is sub-optimal due to their poor, inconsistent mechanics. Last but not least, poor pitching mechanics can also lead to preventable injuries because poor mechanics cause us to use our bodies in ways that are counter to optimal bio-mechanics that help reduce the risk of injuries.
Title suggestion (Korean) : 간단하게 배우는 최고의 투구 와인드업 메커니즘
You're the best. I appreciate you!
@@DanBlewett If you don't mind, I would like to suggest titles in Korean for other videos as I am going through videos. A couple of youtube channels from the States became quite big in here and I definitely believe that yours should be the next one.
1050
You never actually show the whole wind-up tho