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2003 Collegiate BaseballThe earliest pitching coaches copied the successful pitchers of their day and handed the ‘traditional’ pitching motion down over the one hundred and thirty years of baseball to succeeding generations of pitching coach wannabes. If medical doctors similarly handed down their theories, then they would still bleed their patients. I know the applicable science and research methodology. Sir Isaac Newton’s three laws of motion explain how pitchers should apply force. Applied anatomy teaches what muscles are available. Physiology of Exercise designs interval training programs. High-speed film slows down ninety mile per hour pitch releases. Before Professor Nelson invented the word, biomechanics, I had analyzed high-speed film of baseball pitching. A. Uniformly Apply Straight-Line Force Toward Home Plate The first law requires pitchers to uniformly apply straight-line force toward home plate. When pitchers apply force in an arc, at every moment tangent to that arc, the baseball’s inertia wants to fly off in a straight line. 1. The ‘Marshall’ Pitching Motion The following are ways that the ‘Marshall’ pitching motion satisfies Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of Inertia. a. Drive The Baseball Straight Toward Home Plate From the moment that their elbow starts forward until the tip of their middle finger stops, pitchers apply straight-line force. This action maximizes force effect, minimizes unnecessary stress and maximizes consistency. b. Stand Tall, Keep The Shoulders Level and Rotate Pitchers stand tall, keep their shoulders level and rotate. This action maximizes rotational force, maximizes force application distance and maximizes driveline consistency. c. Keep The Pitching Elbow Ahead of The Acromial Line Throughout the pitching motion, pitchers keep their olecranon process (elbow) ahead of their acromial line (the line through the tips of both shoulders). This action enables pitchers to powerfully ‘lock’ their upper arm with its shoulder. d. Powerfully Pronate The Forearm Pitchers powerfully pronate their forearm. In layman’s language, forearm pronation means that pitchers downwardly rotate the thumb through release. High-speed film showed that pitchers pronate their forearm with every type of pitch. However, not every baseball pitcher pronates their pitching forearm before they release their pitches. The Pronator Teres muscle is most-important muscle in baseball pitching. e. The ‘Marshall’ Driveline The ‘Marshall’ driveline begins behind the pitching rubber, passes slightly above the ear and close to the head and extends straight toward home plate. 2. The ‘Traditional’ Pitching Motion The following are ways that the ‘traditional’ pitching motion violates Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of Inertia. a. Flaw: Pull The Pitching Arm Across The Front of The Body When pitchers pull their pitching arm across their body, they apply force in an arc. This action unnecessarily stresses the Teres Minor muscle and the posterior capsule. b. Flaw: Inwardly Rotate the Upper Arm When pitchers inwardly rotate their upper arm, they pull their pitching arm downward in an arc. This action unnecessarily stresses the Supraspinatus muscle. c. Flaw: Reverse Rotate the Acromial Line Beyond Home Plate When pitchers reverse rotate their acromial line beyond home plate, they take the baseball laterally behind their body. Then, they have to return the baseball to their pitching arm side before they can throw it toward home plate. This action not only creates a centripetal force that swings their forearm horizontally outside of vertical in an arc, but it also unnecessarily stresses the Ulnar Collateral Ligament and the medial epicondyle muscles of the elbow. I call this action, ‘pitching forearm flyout.’ 'Pitching forearm flyout' also causes pitchers to ‘slam’ their olecranon process into its fossa. Repeated collisions decrease their elbow extension range of motion. The Brachialis muscle attaches to the coronoid process of the Ulna bone. During forearm flyout, the Brachialis muscle tries to prevent the olecranon process from slamming into its fossa. Over time, the coronoid process enlarges, which decreases the elbow flexion range of motion. d. Flaw: The ‘Balance’ Position When pitchers stand on their rear leg with their front leg raised, they simultaneously move their body forward and move their pitching arm backward. As a result, pitchers pull their pitching arm forward in an arc. This action unnecessarily stresses the Subscapularis muscle and the anterior capsule. e. Flaw: Turn The Rear Foot To Parallel to the Pitching Rubber When pitchers turn their rear foot to parallel to the pitching rubber, they reverse rotate their acromial line beyond home plate, which takes the baseball laterally behind their body. As a result, their forearm circles outwardly and they apply force in an arc. This action unnecessarily stresses the Ulnar Collateral Ligament and the muscles of the medial epicondyle. In addition, former pitchers have disproportionately more hip replacement surgeries than the general population. f. Flaw: ‘High Guard Position’ If pitchers have their forearm vertical when they start their upper arm forward, the inertial mass of the baseball moves their forearm downward. I call this, ‘reverse pitching forearm bounce.’ This action unnecessarily stresses the Subscapularis and Supraspinatus muscles of the shoulder and the Ulnar Collateral Ligament and the medial epicondyle muscles of the elbow. g. Flaw: Turn The Palm Toward Second Base If pitchers have their palm toward second base when they start their upper arm forward, they have to turn their palm toward home plate. I call this, ‘late pitching forearm turnover.’ This action not only creates a looping action behind their head that leads to forearm flyout, but it also unnecessarily stresses the Ulnar Collateral Ligament and the medial epicondyle muscles of the elbow. h. Flaw: Land With The Front Foot Closed When pitchers land with their front foot closed, they move their center of mass sideways. To compensate, pitchers pull their pitching arm across the front of their body. This action unnecessarily stresses the Teres Minor muscle and the posterior capsule. i. Flaw: Bend Forward At The Waist When pitchers bend forward at their waist, they apply force in an arc. This action unnecessarily stresses the lower back muscles. B. Apply Force Over A Greater Distance The second law requires pitchers to uniformly apply greater force over greater distances. In formula form, this law states that release velocity equals force times time and divided by mass. Therefore, the only immediate variable that influences release velocity is the time over which pitchers apply force. To increase the time that they apply force, pitchers have to increase the distance over which they apply force. 1. The ‘Marshall’ Pitching Motion The following are ways that the ‘Marshall’ pitching motion satisfies Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of Acceleration. a. Lengthen the Start of the Driveline Pitchers reach backward and upward to driveline height while they reverse rotate their acromial line to point toward home plate. This action places the baseball on the driveline as close to second base as possible. b. Lengthen the End of the Driveline Pitchers land with their front foot open and move their rear hip, leg and shoulder ahead of their front foot. After they forwardly rotate their acromial line to again point toward home plate, pitchers places their elbow as close to home plate as possible. c. Delay the Start of the Forearm Acceleration Phase Like ski jumpers wait until they reach the end of the ramp, pitchers have to wait until their acromial line again points toward home plate to forearm accelerate their pitches through release. This action extends the tip of the middle finger as close to home plate as possible. d. Release The Baseball Closer To Home Plate With the ‘Marshall’ pitching motion, pitchers forwardly rotate their shoulders one hundred and eighty degrees from driveline, release their pitches twelve to eighteen inches in front of their head and release the baseball seven to seven and one-half feet in front of the pitching rubber. With the ‘traditional’ pitching motion, pitchers forwardly rotate their shoulders only ninety degrees from driveline, release their pitches beside their head and release the baseball only five and one-half to six feet in front of the pitching rubber. Therefore, when ‘Marshall’ pitchers release their fastballs with the same velocity as ‘traditional’ pitchers, their fastballs arrive at the hitting zone one to two feet earlier. I call this, ‘hidden’ velocity. 2. The ‘Traditional’ Pitching Motion The following are ways that the ‘traditional’ pitching motion violates Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of Acceleration. a. Flaw: Square The Shoulders to Home Plate When pitchers only forwardly rotate their acromial line to perpendicular to the driveline, they stop the forward rotation of their pitching shoulder. This action decreases the distance over which they apply force. b. Flaw: Land With The Front Foot Closed When pitchers land with their front foot closed, they cannot move their rear hip, leg and shoulder ahead of their front foot. This action decreases the distance over which they apply force. c. Flaw: Stride Forward As Far As Possible When pitchers to stride forward as far as possible, they cannot move their rear hip, leg and shoulder ahead of their front foot. This action decreases the distance over which they apply force. ‘Traditional’ pitchers not only have to apply greater force over shorter distances, but they also unnecessarily stress their pitching arms. C. Uniformly Move The Center of Mass Through The End of The Deceleration Phase The third law requires pitchers to apply greater force toward second base. If pitchers move their center of mass straightforward until the tip of their middle finger stops, then they have applied greater force toward second base. 1. The ‘Marshall’ Pitching Motion The following are ways that the ‘Marshall’ pitching motion satisfies Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of Reaction. a. Rear Foot Drive Pitchers walk straight forward off the pitching rubber. Therefore, they apply force toward second base with their rear foot. This action uniformly moves their center of mass straight forward. b. Front Foot Drive After their front foot contacts the ground, pitchers move their center of mass ahead of their front foot from where they apply force toward second base with their front foot. This action uniformly moves their center of mass straight forward. c. Front Arm Pull-Back During the front foot drive, pitchers move their front arm toward second base. This action uniformly moves their center of mass straight forward. d. Force Coupling the Front Foot and Arm With the Pitching Arm Forearm Pitchers simultaneously strongly push back their front foot and forearm accelerate the baseball through release. These parallel and oppositely directed forces significantly increase release velocity. 2. The ‘Traditional’ Pitching Motion The following are ways that the ‘traditional’ pitching motion violates Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of Reaction. a. Flaw: Powerfully Push Off The Pitching Rubber When pitchers powerfully push or jump off the pitching rubber, they accelerate their center of mass too fast. This action does not uniformly move their center of mass forward. b. Flaw: Land With The Front Foot Closed When pitchers land with their front foot closed, they move their center of mass sideways. This action does not move their center of mass straight forward. c. Flaw: Stride As Far Forward As Possible When pitchers stride forward as far as possible, they stop their center of mass. This action not only does not move their center of mass to the end of the deceleration phase, but it also unnecessarily stresses the Anterior Cruciate Ligament in the front knee. D. The ‘Marshall’ Set Position In my Coaching Pitchers book, I teach pitchers to throw maxline and torque pitches. Maxline means that pitchers stand to the glove-side of the pitching rubber and throw the baseball toward the pitching arm-side of home plate. Torque means that pitchers stand to the pitching arm-side of the pitching rubber and throw the baseball moves toward the glove-side of home plate. The pitching rubber is twenty-four inches wide. Home plate is seventeen inches wide. Therefore, three and one-half inches on both sides of the pitching rubber are outside of home plate. I spray paint three and one-half inch wide lines from both sides of the pitching rubber perpendicularly forward. I call the glove-side line, the ‘maxline driveline for the rear foot and the pitching arm-side, the ‘torque’ driveline for the rear foot’, respectively. For this discussion, I will describe the pitching arm action for my maxline fastball. To grip my maxline fastball, pitchers place the tip of their middle finger in the center of the baseball perpendicular to the four seams. They release the baseball off the tip of their middle finger such that it spins vertically backward. 1. Start Position In my set position, pitchers place their rear foot on the glove-side of the pitching rubber turned at least thirty degrees toward home plate and place their front foot a few inches to the glove-side of the ‘maxline’ driveline for the rear foot (open). This rear foot position not only helps pitchers to not reverse rotate their acromial line beyond home plate, but it also enables pitchers to use powerful hip flexor muscles to move their rear hip, leg and shoulder straight forward. Pitchers stand tall with both arms comfortably hanging downward and their hands together at their waist. 2. Trigger Action To ‘trigger’ their pitching motion, pitchers simultaneously gently shift their body weight to their front foot and slightly raise both hands. 3. Transition Phase Pitchers sequentially shift their body weight to their rear leg, reverse rotate their acromial line to point toward home plate, pendulum swing their pitching arm toward second base and up to driveline height with their palm facing laterally, pendulum swing their glove arm toward home plate and up to shoulder height with their palm facing downward and slightly lift their front foot. I call this position, my ‘ready’ position. 4. Upper Arm Acceleration Phase I Pitchers sequentially walk forward with a comfortably long step to have their front heel land open and smoothly guide their forearm onto their driveline. The inertial weight of the baseball and forearm will horizontally extend the forearm pronation range of motion. 5. Upper Arm Acceleration Phase II Pitchers sequentially pull their front arm straight backward, walk forward off the pitching rubber, ‘lock’ their upper arm with its shoulder, forwardly rotate their acromial line to perpendicular to the driveline, subtly and gently bend the elbow tightly against the upper arm with the palm facing forward and the index and middle fingers forty-five degrees above horizontal, forwardly rotate their rear hip, inwardly rotate their rear thigh, slightly bend their rear knee and move their rear foreleg vertically straight forward. 6. Forearm Acceleration Phase Pitchers continue the actions that moved them off the pitching rubber toward home plate. When their acromial line again points toward home plate, pitchers powerfully pronate their forearm horizontally inside of vertical and extend their elbow. While pitchers cannot do this, they must try. 7. Deceleration Phase Pitchers only achieve release velocities from which they can safely stop their pitching arm. Therefore, to increase their release velocity, they must strengthen their decelerator muscles. In my Coaching Pitchers book, I describe how pitchers should strengthen their decelerator muscles. My book is free on my web site at www.drmikemarshall.com. I also discuss my 280-Day Adult Pitchers Training Program that injury-proofs pitchers, how pitchers throw my maxline pronation curve, my maxline true screwball, my maxline fastball sinker, my torque fastball and my torque fastball slider and the circumstances under which I will personally train high school, college and professional pitchers. In addition, readers can email me for free advice. Together, we can eliminate pitching arm injuries. |
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