PITCHERS: How can I use my legs more when I pitch? drills?

Question

I have always thrown pretty hard (about 80mph) but the more I learn about mechanics the more I realize that I just have a very fast arm motion and my mechanics are terrible. I think I might have the potential to add more speed merely by exploding with my legs more. The problem is, when I do drills to work on mechanics, and then try to throw hard, i end up using all arm again (and pay for it with a lot of soreness the next day).

What can I do to figure out how to use the power in my legs to pitch?

Answer 1

Well strengthen your legs as a football player would do, leg lifts, and stuff like that but also focus on balancing drills. Balancing Drills, what I mean by that is stand on one leg, and then bend the legs your currently on. Keep your back perpendicular to the ground and straight. bend your knee as far as you can go then come back up. It builds strength and balance.

When you get back on the mound, start by going from the stretch. Put your foot on the mound and do the balance drill a few times. Then without a ball, do the drill again, but instead of coming back up when you bend your knee, drive off the mound (pretend like your throwing home). Do that a few times, then add a ball.

Once your comfortable "dropping and driving", as they call it, repeat the above steps, but from your wind-up.

Call me when you get an agent, I'll be your pitching coach. Trust me, stop throwing all with your arm. It will do damage. I've blown out my rotator cuff, and elbow doing just that.

Answer 2

You don't need to do drills or anything specific. You just need to make sure that you're driving off the mound with your back leg.

Watch Roger Clemens pitch, or really, just about anybody. That step toward the plate when a pitcher comes out of the windup isn't just about moving your left foot forward (for a righty)... it's about using your right leg to move your body in that direction and drive.

They call it "Dropping and Driving" actually. You lift your arms and turn your body to start your windup... then you drop your arms and shift your weight onto your back leg... from there, you bend that knee and basically start shifting your weight toward home plate.

Bend the knee, start using that leg to drive your body toward home plate. Then you plant your left foot and continue forward and finish your pitch.

In all honesty, I'll talk to you for dayyyys about pitching. I can also tell you ways to avoid arm injuries (which I was a victim of. Tore my labrum when I was 17, which derailed what might have been a pro career.)

E-mail me if you want. [e-mail]

Answer 3

Just use your legs drill, use them as a launching spring, and the landing leg as the rudder of your pitch. Then, build power (visualize the power build up-to start)starting at the sole of the take off foot as you address the plate and start your motion and explode as your landing foot hits the ground.

Answer 4

watch mlb and watch how the pitchers step out with 1 of there legs and swing around wiht the other leg. this helps the velocity of your pitches i would say an extra 5-10 mph. hope this helps

Answer 5

watch pitchers with high leg kicks, try kicking up your leg and maybe even tilting it a little behind you, so when it comes back around you'll have more momentum... watch that jared weaver for the angels pitch, i love his delivery, he conceals the ball cause he twists back with his body before he releases, he twists his front leg back... i'm not an expert but i think that would be a good way.

Answer 6

All you have to do is keep throwing the ball every day go outside and throw the ball. Push ups can also help your strength in your throwing arm. And if you do these every single day, you will soon be an all star pitcher.

Answer 7

I'm a pitcher as well.....only a Sophomore in high school but do leg lifts, of course run, run up and down stairs and those kind of things....and also take a lot of Vitamins to increase strength in every part of your body ex. magnesium and calcium pills.......