First Stage of the Delivery:
I like his leg lift and initial inward turn. He gets pretty good counter rotation. Knee comes up to hip level and pointed closer to SS than 3B position.
As he gets bigger, stronger and more flexible, he should get more in both categories.
This will help him us his lower half to provide power and protect him from arm injury.
The model he should most try to emulate is Lincecum. What allows Lincecum to do the things he does IMO is his great flexibility and his "relative" strength.
He's gymnast strong or strong relative to his height / weight. He's also pretty close to gymnast flexible, which is rare.
It's also why a lot of folks who want to emulate the Lincecum long stride (it's all the rage) without first having the Lincecum hyper-flexibility are getting on the entrance ramp for the pulled hamstring / pulled groin superhighway. Don't put the cart before the horse - form follows function.
Here's an example of Lincecum's pre-game stretching routine. This is pretty good stuff.
Tim Lincecum Pre-Game Stretching Routine
Last Stage of the Delivery (finish / follow-through):
I'm going to skip from the first stage of the delivery to the third, the finish / follow through is pretty good. I'd like to see a more aggressive push off the rubber and a more aggressive follow-through ( 180 degrees of rotation - Pitching shoulder begins pointing to 2B in the stretch and ends pointing at Home Plate ).
When this happens - either a more aggressive push off the rubber from balance point and/ or front-side glove pull through - you'll see more arm speed -> more ball velocity on FB. When the back leg kick is higher than his head in follow-through, you'll know he's doing it fine. The 180 degrees of rotation give pitcher a simple set of checkpoints to maintain control while they are adding velocity, so we aren't trading one off in pursuit of the other (common for this age).
The Lincecum slow-motion clips and .gifs below show and the authors describe what should be happening.
I could watch this over and over and over. And if I was still pitching, I think I would.
Tim Lincecum Slow-Motion
The videos are more for the pitcher ( to visualize proper mechanics ), the authors descriptions are more for the coach (and you and your husband are ultimately his coach).
Pitchers should see, visualize and execute the model they are trying to achieve.
Coaches should understand the underlying nuts-and-bolts for assessing and correcting (tinkering).
The Second Stage (arm action):
This is the area we need to concentrate on the most. He kind of drifts through this and loses some of the benefits of the good start of the delivery and the good finish.
The purpose of the arm action is to put the arm in the best position to throw. After the hands break, a down-back-and-up arm action while the his body falls forward towards the plate provides a nice pre-stretch that will generate better arm speed. Lincecum makes a very aggressive stick down, then you see the ball point towards 2B (the base not the player) and then up.
By then you should have the push off the rubber, the aggressive turn of the hips which turns the chest / torso so the arm can whip through and deliver the ball.
I like these Trevor Bauer pics for illustration.
Anyway, have fun with this. If you have any questions ( I know it seems like a lot of stuff ) let me know. I tried to keep it as simple as possible, but it really doesn't lend itself to simplicity if you're going to do it right.
----------------------
Update 9/1/2010
As I discuss in more detail lower down on the page, for a few years I have been concerned about the long-term health of Tim Lincecum's arm. I believe that these concerns are related to the struggles that Tim Lincecum has experienced lately. The problem is that Tim Lincecum has an Inverted L in his arm action, and a timing problem, as the video clip below demonstrates.
Tim Lincecum
The Inverted L is clearly visible in Frame 25. Notice how he picks his Pitching Arm Side (PAS) elbow straight up out of the plunged, ball by the PAS hip position. The problem is that this creates a timing problem. In Frame 26, when Tim Lincecum's Glove Side (GS) foot plants, his pitching arm is late and isn't close to vertical. This causes his PAS upper arm to externally rotate 100 or more degrees by Frame 27, which puts a lot of strain on both the elbow and the shoulder.
12/1/2008
I recently came across some super slow motion video of Tim Lincecum that makes clear some of the things I think he does well, but also makes me more concerned about the long-term health of his arm.
Let me explain why I say that.
Let me explain why I say that.
Tim Lincecum - Super Slow Motion
In Frame 18 you can see how Tim Lincecum does three things that are good. First, he drives off the rubber toward the plate with his Pitching Arm Side (PAS) leg. Second, he sweeps his leg out toward Third Base and into foot plant, which is something that great pitchers like Greg Maddux do and I prefer to a more linear stride like Mark Prior's. Third, he leads his stride with his Glove Side (GS) butt cheek.
In Frame 80, you can also see something that is good. Notice how he leads with his PAS hand, rather than his PAS elbow, as he comes out of the "plunged" position with his PAS hand behind his PAS butt cheek. This keeps him from getting into the Inverted W position (although he does show some Inverted L).
Frame 92 is when I start seeing things that make me nervous. The thing to notice is that Tim Lincecum's GS foot has planted but his PAS forearm is only horizontal. Given that, as is typical, his shoulders start to rotate at this moment, this means that his PAS upper arm will externally rotate especially much and hard. This can significantly increase the load on both the elbow and the shoulder.
In Frame 80, you can also see something that is good. Notice how he leads with his PAS hand, rather than his PAS elbow, as he comes out of the "plunged" position with his PAS hand behind his PAS butt cheek. This keeps him from getting into the Inverted W position (although he does show some Inverted L).
Frame 92 is when I start seeing things that make me nervous. The thing to notice is that Tim Lincecum's GS foot has planted but his PAS forearm is only horizontal. Given that, as is typical, his shoulders start to rotate at this moment, this means that his PAS upper arm will externally rotate especially much and hard. This can significantly increase the load on both the elbow and the shoulder.
Lincecum's Hip/Shoulder Separation
In Frame 110, you can see Tim Lincecum's best-in-the-world hip/shoulder separation. Notice how, as in the still photo above, Tim Lincecum's belt buckle is pointing at Home Plate while his shoulders are still closed and facing Third Base. In this frame, Tim Lincecum's shoulders have already rotated 15 or degrees and his PAS forearm is vertical (with respect to his upper spine) and in the high-cocked position.
In Frame 110, you can see Tim Lincecum's best-in-the-world hip/shoulder separation. Notice how, as in the still photo above, Tim Lincecum's belt buckle is pointing at Home Plate while his shoulders are still closed and facing Third Base. In this frame, Tim Lincecum's shoulders have already rotated 15 or degrees and his PAS forearm is vertical (with respect to his upper spine) and in the high-cocked position.
Finally, Frame 152 shows that Tim Lincecum extends his GS knee through the release point. While this can help to boost a pitcher's velocity, I'm not a fan of this because I know it can lead to knee and hip problems and think it can increase the load on the elbow and the shoulder.
Arm Action And Timing
12/12/2007
A pitcher's arm action and timing are the primary determinants of the long-term health of their arm, so it's always the first thing I look at. Tim Lincecum's arm action is mostly good, as the clip below demonstrates.
Tim Lincecum
Tim Lincecum has a plunge, out, and up arm action that bears some resemblance to that of Greg Maddux. However, Tim Lincecum's Pitching Arm Side (aka PAS) elbow gets higher than does Greg Maddux's; it almost reaches the level of his shoulders, which makes me a little nervous. At least Tim Lincecum's PAS elbow drops as his shoulders turn, which his good.
---------
In Search of the Perfect Arm Action -- Part 2
In case you missed it, here is part one of the series "In Search of the Perfect Arm Action". The gist of the article boils down to this (and skip this part if you already read part one):
Chris O'Leary's definition of the elbow picking up the ball is much too narrow - he sees it as a reason pitchers get into the Inverted L and W positions and sees it as a quality only in the arm actions of pitchers like B.J. Ryan:
"A better definition of the elbow picking up the ball is that the elbow stays above the level of the hand and the ball until just before the shoulders start to rotate, as you see in the arm action of BJ Ryan (who has arm problems as a result of his arm action)"
My response: Letting the elbow pick up the ball is not why pitchers get into an Inverted L and W position. You can get into an Inverted L and W position but it doesn't mean pitchers will get into that position.
This is what I left off with:
I interpret the "elbow picking up the ball" to mean the ball never getting higher than the elbow until just before the elbow rotates (about 4 or 5 frames before foot plant)...While I can continue to describe in writing what the elbow picking up the ball means"
We're going to truly see what the "elbow picking up the ball" means and the different ways to do so as well as determine if there is one right way to do it. Let's first take note of Nolan Ryan, a pitcher O'Leary likes to use as an example of good mechanics (and rightly so):
Nolan Ryan letting the elbow pick up the ball
I think it's pretty easy to see the ball does not "pick up the elbow"; it's the other way around. Ryan is letting the elbow pick up the ball until just before his elbow rotates to a ready-to-throw position. Yes, he reaches a cocked position with his arm very qucikly, but that does not mean the elbow is not pickng up the ball.
Another pitcher, Yovani Gallardo (who I profiled earlier this year), also lets the elbow pick up the ball:
Gallardo's pitching mechanics" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;vertical-align:baseline;">
Yovani Gallardo letting the elbow pick up the ball
*Note - you can ignore the numbers that pop up in this animation
Though the angles are obviously different, you can still see some of the differences between the arm actions. Gallardo straightens his arm out a little more than Ryan who maintains a slight bend in his arm (which I prefer). Ryan is also faster in getting his arm into a ready-to-throw position than Gallardo, but one similarity they both possess is letting the elbow pick up the ball and never getting into an Inverted L or W position, while the ball never goes above the elbow until about 4 or 5 frames before foot plant, just before the elbow begins to rotate.
For a contrast to the elbow picking up the ball, I used Jeff Manship as an example of a pitcher allowing the ball to pick up the elbow. I went back to find a better graphic of Manship to use than in my previous article and came up with this:
Jeff Manship letting the ball pick up the elbow
One thing I don't like about Manship's arm action is the way his arm rises through his arm circle. See how the forearm, wrist, and ball rise up, leaving the elbow relatively on the same plane (though it does rise a little)? This kind of arm action makes it harder for the arm to produce velocity because you're making it more difficult to "scap load".
Scap loading is a major proponent in producing velocity. This is the horizontal loading of the arm, meaning the arm is loaded toward first (if the pitcher is right handed) instead of back toward second base. You have all these elastic muscles and tendons in the shoulder and by loading the arm horizontally, you create tension in these muscles, creating a large amount of kinetic energy ready to be unloaded forward. If done effciently (and I can't emphasize this enough), scap loading can help a pitcher improve velociy. I'll go a little more in-depth on this topic in the near future.
However, the bigger reason Manship's arm action gives me pause is the fact he cocks his wrist as he moves through his wind-up. You can see this here:
That straight line that you should be able to draw from his elbow to his wrist/ball can't be drawn anymore because the ball ends up above that line. I've said Manship's arm action more resembles Rich Harden, but I've concluded Harden's mechanics are more aggressive and more risky than Manship after a couple more looks at Harden.
O'Leary goes on to say this:
"Video clips of Greg Maddux, who is one of the most durable pitchers in history, show that he also doesn't pick up the ball with his elbow. Instead, his elbow always stays quite low, and his PAS hand quickly gets above the level of his elbow, during his arm swing."
Ya know, I can go along with this. When you watch Maddux, his elbow doesn't really pick up the ball, but again I go to my point of being able to draw a straight line, from elbow to wrist to ball and we'll use the animation O'Leary provides to illustrate this point:
Greg Maddux pitching mechanics
O'Leary is right that in that he keeps his elbow quite low and he really doesn't lift the ball with his elbow. However, I disagree with this part of what O'Leary says:
"First, because Jeff Manship's forearm is intact, and not broken or missing the Radius and Ulna bones, you can of course draw a straight line from his elbow to his wrist. Second, the arm action you see in the clip above is actually good and resembles the arm action of Greg Maddux and Roger Clemens (which of course is a good thing)."
What do you think? Below, I provide the arm actions of Clemens and use the Manship graphic from above: compare all three and make a determination:
Do you think the arm actions of Maddux and Clemens resemble Manship's? I don't. The differences?
The path their arms take as they work their way through the wind-up. The elbow rotation. The relative noise of each pitcher's arm as they make their way through the wind-up. By this I mean you can see how quiet Maddux's and Clemens' arms stay until just before elbow rotation. It's as if Maddux is floating his arm before elbow rotation, while Clemens keeps his arm stiff, not allowing for any unnecessary movements.
To sum this up, Clemens and Maddux don't let the "elbow pick up the ball" as much as somebody like Nolan Ryan, but they do not maintain an arm action that lets the ball pick up the elbow nor do they resemeble Manship's arm action.
The last guy O'Leary used was Roy Oswalt:
"...Roy Oswalt doesn't pick up the ball with his elbow. That's why I like his arm action. Instead, as you can plainly see, the ball gets up to the level of Roy Oswalt's elbow relatively quickly and then goes above it a couple of frames before his shoulders start to rotate."
Roy Oswalt pitching mechanics
The graphic is kind of grainy and much of his arm disappears behind his body, but the first thing you notice is the horizontal loading of the arm (see how the line does not move left, but simply moves backward?). Secondly, I would venture to say the elbow does pick up the ball, but O'Leary is right in that Oswalt gets the ball up to his elbow relatively quickly. However, that is simply because Oswalt's arm is so fast and hitch free, with little loss of momentum through his arm circle. In addition, Oswalt breaks his hands with intent. The ball reaches the level of the elbow just before his elbow is about to rotate; nothing abnormal about that. And again I'll point out Oswalt's arm action does not resemble Manship's.
The important thing to point out is that arm actions come in many forms and not any one arm action is correct. However, you'll notice all the arm actions displayed in this article are different than Manship's arm action.
So does that mean Manship is destined for injury? I think Manship's risk of injury is heightened somewhat though how much I don't know. Of course, I'm also factoring in the fact that Manship has a history of arm problems and has already undergone Tommy John surgery once before.
It should also be said Manship is a pitcher I would have no problem taking on my team. His control is excellent (notice how he firms his glove up as his front shoulder is about to open), his curveball is a plus pitch, he generates ground balls, and he strikes a healthy percentage of the batters he faces.
So that leads to the question: if you encounter somebody with an arm action you deem risky, should you go about changing it and should you try to make a player "emulate" other pitchers or let them be themselves? I'll address this in my next article for this series.
No comments:
Post a Comment