Complete Pitching Mechanics Breakdown: Every Step Explained
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- Опубліковано 8 лип 2024
- This deep dive into pitching mechanics is perfect to reference for years to come as a baseball coach, player or parent. 🚨 Want to really improve your pitching? My self-guided pitching programs: danblewett.com/pitching-isnt-...
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✅ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Introduction
1:35 The Leg Kick
3:11 Landing: Heel or Toe?
5:19 What the Hips Do
6:29 Going Down the Mound
7:38 What the Hands Do
9:46 Hand Separation
10:27 Arm Position at Stride Landing
11:30 Elbow Angles
12:05 Point the Ball to CF?
13:23 Arm Action & Timing
14:58 How Long Should Arm Action Be?
15:35 Tracing Your Arm Path
16:24 What Arm "Dragging" Means
17:38 Glove Arm Action & Tuck
18:57 What the Back Leg Does
22:44 Arm Height & Shoulder Line
24:11 More on Glove Action
26:14 What Influences Arm Angle?
26:32 Why Does Trunk Tilt Matter?
27:03 How the Foot Should Land
28:12 What is Shoulder-Hip Separation?
30:05 What the Front Leg Does
32:37 Back Leg at Acceleration
34:41 Back Leg Finish & Drag Line
35:44 More on Arm Angle & Tilt
36:11 Follow Through
36:53 Do Perfect Mechanics Exist?
37:40 Free Resources & Summary
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I pitched from little league to highschool and at age 13 I started to play travel baseball and I played for coaches that played pro or college. So I am thinking about starting baseball lessons. So what do you recommend as for drills standpoint if I am teaching a kid who is starting to pitch?
Coach I give you permission to break down my mechanics as a 52-year-old to compare to a 20-year-old and see what happens over time. ua-cam.com/video/4aA5hYM8rq4/v-deo.html
Thanks for making this video! I'm an animator and I'm glad there are resources like this to explain movement.
Also, the slo-mo clips are very appreciated.
Coach, I pitched in high school and picked up some bad habits. Now as a coach for the last 18 years I have tried to teach my pitchers proper techniques. One thing I found with the younger kids especially on the hand break is to tell something that a college coach once told me, “ Thumbs to the thighs then fingers to the sky”. It seems to help not only with hand position but also helps to keep their front shoulder closed
Hey coach, I am a 14 year old starting pitcher trying to learn mechanics and get reallly good. This video is extremely helpful and I feel as im progressing as I should. I am very grateful to have come across your page and you are very kind to have this 38 minutes of mechanics out for free. Highly appreciated
Coach, my return to baseball nearly 20 years after I last played it (I'm 32, haven't played since early teens) has led me to discover an aptitude for pitching I never knew I possessed (as a lefty, I was always usually just a first baseman or outfielder), and in doing this my life and my health have improved in ways I could have never predicted. I have been practicing with some basic instructional videos from elsewhere on youtube and that helped me with the general ability to just throw pitches, but I find your videos have the greatest effect on me actually unlocking my potential by giving the most granular examination of the exact things I need to work on while remaining easy to digest. I am still very much a work in progress but your material has already made a huge difference. My fastball recently hit 90 mph for the first time, and I'm able to dot the corners more consistently with each workout every passing day. I now have a healthy obsession with becoming a better pitcher so I will be ordering a copy of your book to further supplement me on my journey. Thank you for giving away freely on your channel what many other teachers would charge a lot of money for, you are a gentleman and a scholar.
thanks for the note, and for watching. Go after it - good luck!
I like this story. I recently tried my hand at pitching as well. I'm having trouble with the feeling of the stretch on the body. Idk how to capture that "powerful" feeling. Any tips from beginner to beginner?
Work work work work
That's great ! Love to see comments like that in many different areas ,...sports, carpentry, writing, ...just anything! Great presentation Coach Blewitt. I've never played BB but been an avid golfer for almost 50 years, and have always been curious on how the mechanics of throwing, but specifically pitching build up the power . Great that you have gotten back into doing something you like, AND with newfound advances in performance 👊. Gonna post more directly to Blewitt
I had 4 pitching coaches when I was young and this was better than every lesson I had
This is amazing, I have a 13 year old that throws hard and is a lefty so his coaches want him to pitch. I was Shotput discus guy and did not play baseball competitively. This simplified this and helped me relate this to power positions and rotational energy I used weight throwing in track and field to his pitching. His command is getting so much better now that he has a consistent delivery that he is learning to self correct. Thanks Coach Dan!!
Yes! I used to be a pitcher in my day and am now teaching my son. This is by far the best, most up to date, and comprehensive video I have came across. Gold. Thanks!
Great to hear! Appreciate the kind words!
Are you a wizard?
After watching this video, your batting mechanics video, and just a little practice with friends, I've gone from not thinking I could play baseball in a million years to being fully confident that I could be an above average player on my school's team. Granted, we're only a handful of schools away from being the worst in Ohio, but I'm still glad I can enjoy the sport. I have a full year to practice and hone my skills, and I'm excited for baseball season when it finally comes back around. Thank you for this opportunity
You can do it!! I know you can do it😄. May you always enjoy playing baseball!!
How did tryouts go?
Thanks for this video as a super short pitcher it was hard to understand mechanics from just watching in fast motion but you breaking down every part helped a lot.
Darn good stuff in a broad format! Glad you addressed the arm drag issue. I really like your "nothing to undo" comments. Keep up the great work!
Dan, thank you for defining your terms. I've heard several pitching videos say, "Keeping your chest closed" and had no idea what they meant. Too many former players use terms presumptively of their audience.
Glad it helped. As for flat mounds, they were very common when I grew up. Pitchers learn to deal with it. It's not a big deal.
I learned so much from your video for tennis serves. It is such a high quality reference! Most of the videos on tennis are confusing and get lost in the details. To have someone lay out the mechanics of throwing it's much easier to see through the essential parts and ignore the minute details.
This is the best explanation I've ever heard. Thank you Coach Dan, you really help me understand what to look for.
Happy to help!
Wow thanks! This is really going to help me in my first year of pitching :)
Great to hear!
Hi coach! Excelent video, You've helped me so much, I have like 3 years trying to find an adjustable mechanic for me and I couldn't find a good one for me, after starting to see your videos and advices I started to get stronger, and I had a lot of improvement on my mechanics and command. Now I have decent miles and I hope i'll get even better 'cause of your video. THANKS!!
I'm a young pitcher. 11 years old and this video is epic. Really helps me understand. You're da man Coach Dan!
Great video that helps with proper sequencing and injury prevention.
Awesome pitching video coach! I keep returning to site to review mechanics. Martial arts expert with a background in sports medicine. You're my go to reference for pitching. I'll check out your books. 👍
I am a disc golfer by trade, I used to play baseball growing up so the mechanics of a forehand have always felt very similar and thus natural. I have been struggling to figure out what to work on since disc golf is a small sport and there really aren't that many good guides about forehand that I feel are helpful at addressing the key mechanics. Instead I find the kind of stuff that you said right at the start of the video you don't like to do, specific advice; does and don'ts when it is all a grey area and learning the basic mechanics can be a lot more beneficial even if it is a lot more time consuming than some quick fixes. Anyway, excellent video I appreciate the simplicity that you explain everything with, makes it really easy to see and feel what your talking about. Certainly has given me a lot to think about and tweak.
Much more in depth video coach, thank you for this. You have given me the tools I need to properly teach my son.
Outstanding! Love this full video!
thank you for this video it helped me so much with my pitching stance.
I really do appreciate you you just help me fix something so simple like not leading with my hand and leading with my elbow to get a perfect rotation
Excellent video Dan!
The content in this video is amazing. Also, thanks for the chapter breakdown.
You're very welcome!
Thanks Coach! I am coaching a girls baseball club that my students started and I don't know how to pitch. This was so so helpful! Thank you!
Incredibly helpful, Dan. Thank you!
Excellent. Thanks for posting
Fantastic breakdown for every segment of the pitching mechanics... very helpful... thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
I love this video. Mostly the arm path parts + Arm position parts
One of the best pitching mechanics breakdown videos I've seen. I am going to direct all my aspiring youth pitchers to this video as a guide to what we teach on the field. Thanks for putting this together.
Thanks Nick!
Love ur vids great advice🎉❤
Thanks for the tips!
Hi coach Dan, I gotta say that this video complements your book. With both combined I can understand pitching more, so I can explain and demonstrate to kids better.
Great to hear! Thanks for supporting my work - and yes, books are great but it's a challenging medium to describe pitching mechanics in - video is a lot easier than still photos.
Coach thank you for this wonderful pitching
Thank you so much, coach Dan, for this excellent presentation! Very helpful!
Glad it was helpful!
This channel is a life saver thank you for these guides
No problem!
YEEESSS I needed this!
I wish I had access to these types of videos when I was younger. In college, I had really bad mechanics which lead to multiple shoulder injuries. I never really had any good pitching coaches that told me what I was doing wrong. Trying to keep a long story short, I moved to Japan thinking I was done with baseball. A guy I worked with had me join his amateur baseball team where the manager was a former minor league pitcher, and he showed me how much I was doing wrong.
Now I am 34, and able to hit 90 on a good day, which is about 5 mph faster than back when I was in college.
It just goes to show how important proper mechanics and coaching are. Young players are lucky to have channels like yours to go to!
thanks for the kind words! Play as long as you can.
Coach Blewitt, thanks so much for this video. Besudes all the great info and presentation, I'm sure it takes plenty of effort just making the video! I've never been a baseball player but many years a golfer. Started learning the mechanics of the golf swing as a youngster, (I'm 57 now). The amazing power built up by the human body to deliver 100 mph pitches has always fascinated me. In golf, there are 101 things to get right for a)reliable accuracey but then b) power(distance). While the zillion things to get a reliable swing, the power part is , IMHO, way easier in golf than Pitching, for sure. Golfers (after, setup,grip, stance, and initial takeaway,) the big thing is just winding up the big muscles, essentially legs and back. After watching your video,... Dang but there's a lot of moving parts! Again, great presentation and clear information presented in an easy to understand and clear manner. I'm sure you are helping loads of folks progress thier "game". Great work 👊
Great video. Thank you for your information.
So good. Thank you!
Appreciate the video! Thanks for sharing the knowledge.
You bet!
Just purchased your book. Thanks for the instruction.
Hope you enjoy it! Thanks for the support!
i’m a tennis player randomly nerding out about pitching right now and it’s cool seeing the similarities in a tennis serve and a baseball pitch. in tennis the tossing arm does the same thing as the glove arm here, and everyone calls it the “reactive brake,” which leads the second half of the motion (the releasing/following through part). nick kyrgios would probably be an insane pitcher. also a slice serve is basically a curveball thrown with a racket, from what i can tell.
glad you enjoyed it. the acceleration phase / release is a lot different. It's shoulder external rotation in a throw, it's significantly more of a tricep extension on a tennis serve. slow motion shows the difference - it's interesting and I did some digging into it years ago.
This is awesome coach thank you for this!
This is great. Thanks!
I can't verify that every point made is correct, without the baseball or kinesiology background, but assuming they generally are this is maybe the best video I've ever watched on UA-cam. The explanation, the timestamps, the honesty about there being different potential "right" ways, just really, really solid work. Thank you.
in general, anyone who would have qualms with my explanations would be nitpicking, maybe see things slightly different but on the whole not far off. And, looking at slow motion of MLB players on UA-cam is a good way to verify what I'm explaining at different points.
Excellent video thanks
The hip part is crucial.... Thanks, I never knew that... I was dropping my leg before going down the mound. Found some more speed now! 👍
You bet!
Great video!
Thanks for the video!
Thank you for your tips! 👏👏👏
Right after you said Cinnamon Toast Crunch was arguably the best cereal ever made I knew I could count on you! You rock man great video
Hey Dan!
I'm a 19 year old swiss who just started playing basebal a few weeks ago, and your video is the PERFECT guide i was looking for. I'm the type of person to look up exactly what I want in detail to do it correctly an in motion from the beginning on (as Electrical Engineering student with heavy emphasis on physics, the physics is just as much pleasure for me). Although I've just started out, I want to learn it in the correct movements as to not develop any bad habits which would be painful to "remove", as I've already experienced in tennis. Your video is exactly the kind i was so hard looking for, so thank you!
I'm the type to learn fast, even though i barely play 2 weeks I'm already hitting balls considerably better than when starting out, which probably comes from already have played tennis for years, and getting an "eye for the ball"
I have 2 questions though as a beginner that I'd like to ask, and that is
1: How should i train throwing across the field, I mean should I apply the same throwing mechanics as in pitching? I understand that it's something different, but nevertheless I'm curious as how you would recommend
2: Is there any suggestion of how to analyse and film myself during throwing/pitching to see what i can/should be doing?
Thanks in advance! Great video
Take video from the side and front. I have an online course that shows you what to do with such video after - it walks you through the analysis and gives you drills to do. But, that may be more for down the road. Use this video for infield throwing (and search my channel for more): ua-cam.com/video/P0DhI_d_F2E/v-deo.html
Excellent! Thank you for this.
Glad it was helpful!
This is very different than the motion I learned to use. Might be why I had shoulder and elbow issues.
Great vid
I only pitched until i was 18 then joined the military. I was a really good pitcher, wish i stuck with it. Crazy thing is, I'm now teaching my son how to pitch and a lot of what i am teaching him is what you're teaching. I did learn a few new things from you but naturally, i pitch just how you're teaching. I was never taught, never watched videos, there were no videos back then actually. just cool to know what i was doing and now teaching my son was correct. great video
Always nice to discover your a natural! That's great for both you and your son! Congrats to both of you👊
Thank you for your service
Thx man this is my first time playing and it’s gonna help me a lot
Glad to hear it!
Great information
thanks bro you help me
this is an outstanding presentation of mechanics..i wish i had this kind of instruction when i was young--now having moved to golf, pickleball and hopefully tennis there are movements u describe that i know will help me in these other sports..the reason being,though very athletic i carried poor throwing mechanics into other sports..even the 100s of golf Ytube videos i watched didnt help my swing because none of those vids were explained and clicked like yours did..yes i ll be cherry-picking certain movements to apply but i just want to thk you coach..i wish i could roll back the years to my baseball time but at least your expertise will help thousands of kids and coaches...so glad i stumbled onto your site and look forward to viewing lots more..you have a gift of teaching and thks for your generous sharing of your expertise..yes i subscibed..thks again
thanks! Appreciate the kind words
Hey! College pitcher here! I think a lot of points you make here are great for pitchers learning, and you do an amazing job explaining why we do what we do in the delivery. However, I might disagree a bit with the hip tilt. Pitchers should make sure not to lead too much with that front hip, as that will create an uphill tilt of the hips which prevents your hips from rotating on time, and thus stunting the hi shoulder separation. Overall great video!
Thanks for this! My son’s bag leg is collapsing to soon and he is not getting a good push. He is releasing the ball too far back in his delivery instead of out over his front knee. It was helpful to see you explain how to keep it straighter. Do you have any drills to help this?
Great video
Great video i could never get my shoulders uphill i guess i have bad mechanics. I like the end where you talk about teaching the next gen better than we were taught. Idk y but my coach would change my number every game. By high school i was done with numb fingers. Traveling club team + no internet+ no smart phones= me pitching 5-7 games in a row alternating between my left and right arm. regardless he shoulda known better and single mom always working i had no voice.
I am so jealous of this man he loves pitching so much he has taken this time to deconstruct it an analyze and reverse engineer the entirety of it and then he shares the knoledge!!!!!! I ! Really hope i find smth to feel devotion towards 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕
I like when he says some things are absolute and others are negotiable, i really like that
nothing is true everything is permitted vibes a lot very much correct
Dan, I have scoured the internet for help with understanding pitching mechanics so I can teach the kids on my teams. And this is the best and most thorough resource I've seen. I am gonna hold onto it, and I'm sure I will refer to it time and again. Thank you so much for this awesome resource. The hardest thing for me to understand is the transition between the leg lift and the stride. It seems like right as you get to the top of the leg lift, you want to point the front hip out to lead. At the same time, the lead leg moves down and out toward home plate. And right as it gets to the low point is when you should push with the back leg. Does that all sound right? And when you push, would you say you push as hard as you can or is it a controlled push to some extent? Thanks again from me. Prison Mike, to you!
mostly right, yes - but there isn't really a conscious push - lots of parts of the delivery more or less happen without conscious thought. I didnt cover the stride much in this video, but it really is the result, more or less, of the other things that come before it.
@@DanBlewett Thanks Dan! I really appreciate it. My son is in 12U rec, and we've got about 7 kids on the roster who like to pitch which is awesome. Like I said, this is an excellent resource that I will continue to study and share with others. You are the man!
Great video, specially for those of us from other countries who don't get to train with pitching coaches
That's why I made it - I appreciate you all, and hope this can be used as a guide for you
I subscribed to you earlier in the year and hit it again. Very good. You are so precise with no bs. Big 12 pitcher here. Reach out to me if you think an app can move forward.
There are no absolutes.... except that Cinnamon Toast Crunch IS the greatest of the breakfast cereals
TRUE
As far as glove hand movement goes, I taught kids to pull their upper body to their glove to get that upper body torque instead of letting their glove just kind of dangle at their side (I called that "dragging their glove"). I believe this helped with balance of the throwing arm and to increase upper body torque to increase velocity. Was I doing this wrong?
This video is, hands down, the best pitching mechanics video I have ever seen.
No - you're explaining it right. I mention that somewhere in the video, that your glove doesnt really come toward the body, you go toward the glove. But, the glove has to clear the body and get completely left (for righties) of the body. The glove shouldnt stay in front of the torso at all. Whether it tucks compact or dangles doesnt really matter - Pitchers just tend to tuck it because I *think it helps with accuracy
CTC is the best cereal, hands down. Whole milk with two ice cubes in the bottom of the bowl. Hella good.
Amazing post🤙👍
Thanks ✌️
Huge thanks. My 10yo 52mph pitcher just came back from his 2nd round of shoulder pain /tendinitis (x-ray said it’s not LL shoulder). His arm pulls back into an obtuse angle.
Im urgently trying to shorten his arm path, and and this video will be extremely helpful.
My only issue is your not giving Honey Oh’s it’s long overdue guilty pleasure credit. Stuff was so good, no thoughtful parent would buy it.
DUDE! I know about honey ohs! Perhaps the most underrated cereal of all time. It was a nerdy, almost off-brand that I don't think anyone knew about.
hey man thank you so much, I threw so slow and baseball was the only thing i was good at I was seriously contemplating killing myself but i worked on my mechanics using this video for 8 months straight and went from 68 to 87
Cinnamon Toast Crunch has been studied by qualified experts and is objectively the best cereal.
Hi...im getting back into baseball..thsnk you❤❤ for bresk it down
Sorry for typo...I voice texting
Bro starts speaking life lessons at 15:17
😃thanks this helped me alot
Glad it helped
Coach, thank you very much from Russia for this awesome guide :) Very helpful video!
Glad its helpful to you
“I won’t speak in absolutes” *2 mins later* “cinnamon toast crunch is the best cereal of all time”
Thanks!
Thank you as well!
Greatest pitching video ever
thanks!
Watching this to help improve my tennis since the mechanics of both sports have some similarities.
Very good video
Thanks
this just put together so many random pieces for me. I feel like you just made me a way better pitching coach.
lots of stuff that didn't make sense you explained why it was wrong and stuff that did make sense you explained better than I could.
my son has started throwing an unintentional slider and it has been a really tough habit to break. his pitching coach insisted he torque his wrist so the ball faces CF at the fully loaded arm position. seems the answer I have been looking for the past 2 weeks is a neutral wrist and a loaded scap / rotation in the shoulder. thank you!!!!
Time for a new pitching coach
@@OzyMandias13 yup he never got hired again
Excelente video
thanks
very nice info for my 12 year old son😀
Thank you
You're welcome
Coach forgive me if i missed it previously, or in a different video, but what is your take on pushing with the ARCH of your foot instead of TOE? i am continuing my baseball career, and would like to freshen up with some ... more "fundamentally sound" training that i can partake in.
Definitely correct about Cinnamon Toast Crunch 👍
What do you think is the optimum height for a pitcher?
Definitely agree on the arm dragging part …unless you’re Tim Lincecum then do whatever wins you the CY’s lol
Fantastic breakdown. I too, have scoured the internet for pitching and this is the best. I have a sophomore throwing 88, 6'3" and finally realizing his potential. Your breakdown will confirm certain mechanics but was taught to thrown from behind the head. A little more velo but I suspect less accuracy? He's long and lanky so lots of moving parts that he needs to control for consistency. Any tips for long, whippy pitchers or is it just refining and being consistent with mechanics?
its normal to not be consistent at age 16, especially with a big frame. I wouldnt stress too much about it.
You are right on with timing..when you land your arm is getting ready to get on top of the ball...I feel your arm does go quickly into the "drag" straight arm and as you are about to land is where you are getting into that elbow leading action and getting on top of the ball.. working with one who has been throwing 3 + years with long arm action...how do you retrain your arm? In your mind you have to communicate to your arm where to stop going long...good video..is there a way to send you a picture on how to eliminate a "flaw"?
Plenty of pictures have success with a longer arm action.
I like to think I have pretty solid mechanics. I had a start a few months ago where I was in the low 80's.
And standing in at 5'8 140 and not being particularly strong that feels like a huge win for me.
To be fair I came into that start with like 2 months rest. So I was fresh as fuck.
I'm not a pitcher primarily anymore but I usually act as a relief pitcher now. My last start I was definitely down in velocity. Probably back to the low 70's
Hey Coach, great video. Do you actively flex your front leg when you land to keep it firm or is there another cue you use? I tend to leak energy into my lead leg. Thanks.
no, you shouldnt think about it. Long toss and running throws help teach your leg what to do. Also throwing uphill - up a mound (the wrong way) or throwing up the back side of the mound can help.
Damn, I really wish youtube was a thing when I was a kid.