how to use legs and abs in pitching?

Question

how do i use my legs and abs when pitching. what technique is used? i feel i pitch with my arm too much and it becomes sore. how do i use the maximum effort with my legs and abs, and please dont tell me to look at a video of some pitcher like nolan ryan or koufax.

Answer 1

Legs provide the drive and momentum when you pitch. How you use them can vary. Some good pitchers use the drop and drive technique with their front leg, so their body momentum is going straight towards the plate. Others bring it stright from the highest point of the leg lift to the landing point. Either one works, the key is to get a strong push from your back leg off the rubber. As for your abs, one thing you can try is instead of bringing your glove back to your side and tucking it in when you throw, try to drive your chest out to your glove, if that makes sense. Getting that momentum going forward farther will help get your core into the pitch and hopefully add mph and relieve arm stress.


by the way, i skipped all the mechanics of how to throw a ball because i assumed that when you asked this question you pretty much knew what you were doing, and just wanted some suggestions for refinement.

Answer 2

Fishk51's idea worked for me when I played in high school. Plus, just strengthening your legs and abs will help you in your overall play.

Be careful not to bend your knees too much. It will tend to throw off your balance.
Try gradually increasing your leg drive by an inch or two at a time and that will also help you have a good weight shift before you throw. This transfers the momentum from your lower body to your upper body, which is what gives your pitch more velocity.

Answer 3

Any good coach will tell you that all power is buil from the ground up. So when pitching you need to use your legs. The motion is pushing yourself forward. Think of it as when your tossing the ball around, you step into the trow. Its just a more powerful, more exagerrated version of this. *** for the abs, what you need to concentrate on is the obliques, they control the twisting motion of your trunk. Between the two, the explosion forward, and whipping of the arm around the trunk, you create much more velocity, using less arm muscles. Also As for your arm, make sure to exercise your rotator cuff, this is the biggest factor in keepng it strong.

Answer 4

pitchers lift their leg for a reason. It's to get momentum. Lift your leg pretty high, and stand up STRAIGHT. You want to be balanced. When you throw, put your glove hand straight out in front of you while your throwning hand is straight back. Swing your glove arm towards you and tuck your glove into your chest as you throw. Make sure you get your WHOLE BODY into the pitch by following through and getting low to the ground so that you are bent over on one foot as your other leg is up in the air.

It's hard to explain in text.. but if you know baseball, im sure you can figure out what im saying..

Answer 5

this is a drill was taught in high school..... get something to tie your arms together to your body so you cant use them. go through the motions as if you were pitching.....from a mound would be best. do this from the stretch as well. concentrate on pushing off your foot pending on if you are a righty or lefty.....get your legs used to pushing towards the plate as hard as you can over and over again and gradually work your arms into the mix. i fell about a dozen times at first but it helped me out.

Answer 6

Ok some of those people up there^^^ don't know how to pitch. 1st you place both feet on the rubber towards the batter. 2nd step back with either foot.3rd pivot with you opposite foot. 4th bring your knee (the one that stepped back in #2 up to your chest. (notice i'm skipping the arm directions) 5th kick forward while bending your abdomen towards the batter. 6th follow through and both of your legs should be next to each other (from the momentum) ready to field the ball.

Answer 7

Bending your knee on your pivot leg is called "drop and drive." It is an excellent technique for adding lower-body power. Bend that knee while you are kicking and push hard. If your knee scrapes the dirt, you are doing well.

Answer 8

after you raise your leg in the wind-up and it is coming down, bend your knee (right 1 if you're a righty). then push off the rubber towards the plate. you generate your power in pitching from your leg pushing off.