Pitching Mechanics Analysis of
Bob Gibson
7/1/2008
Updated 9/19/2008
Bob Gibson was one of the most intimidating, and successful,
pitchers of the 60s and 70s. Since he was also largely free of
arm problems, I thought it would be interesting to take a look
at the pitching mechanics of Bob Gibson and see how they
correlate with my ideas about proper pitching mechanics.
Bob Gibson
The clip above is high speed film of Bob Gibson pitching.
There are a number of things to notice in this clip.
The first thing to notice about Bob Gibson's pitching
mechanics is how, like other great pitchers like
Greg Maddux, his lower body is more rotational than linear;
he sweeps his leg out toward Third Base and around into foot
plant. This is easy to see in Frame 33 of the clip above.
The second thing to notice is how Bob Gibson keeps his
hips closed as long as possible before opening his foot and hips
into foot plant. Notice how in Frame 66, and in the still photo
below, Bob Gibson's hips and
front foot are still closed just before foot plant.
Bob Gibson
A third thing to notice about Bob Gibson's pitching mechanics
is how he always keeps his
elbows below the level of his shoulders as he scap
loads. While it can look like his elbows get a bit high in still
photos like the one above, the thing to remember is that Bob
Gibson's torso is tilted forward toward Third Base. This makes
his Pitching Arm Side (PAS) elbow look higher than it really it.
In Frame 81 of the clip, you can see that Bob Gibson's PAS elbow
is well below the level of his shoulders.
Another thing you can see in Frame 81 is that Bob
Gibson's timing is good. At the moment that his Glove Side (GS)
foot plants and his shoulders start to rotate, his PAS forearm
is pretty much vertical and in the high-cocked position.
Bob Gibson
A final thing to notice about Bob Gibson's pitching
mechanics is how, rather than leaving his PAS foot behind on the
rubber, as you can see in Frame 103 he drives his PAS knee
forward through the release point. This maximizes the distance
that his hips rotate and enables him to throw more with his body
than with his arm.
9/19/2008 Update
A reader recently sent me a link to an interview that Charlie
Rose did with Bob Gibson...
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3TXIOqGvzE
What I hear in this interview with respect to Bob Gibson's
elbow problems really doesn't change my assessment of his
pitching mechanics as being superior. What I think contributed
most to the elbow problems that Bob Gibson expienced were...
1. How hard he threw.
2. How often he pitched (e.g. every 3 days).
3. How he often pitched into the post-season.
4. The fact that he threw the slider (which he
himself suggested was related to his elbow problems).
Item 4 is just one more reason why I don't like the traditional
supinated slider (or cut fastball).
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