Pitching Mechanics Analysis
Greg Maddux

8/14/2008

Below is a 60FPS clip of Greg Maddux pitching on July 18, 2008. The pitch was a 4-seam fastball thrown low and away for a called strike.

Greg Maddux

There are a number of things of interest in this clip.
     First, notice how in Frame 23 Greg Maddux sweeps his Glove Side (GS) leg out and then into footplant. Some people think pitchers should always stride directly at the target in a linear fashion, but you could argue that sweeping out and then into footplant in a more rotational fashion helps a pitcher get more power from their lower body by improving their hip/shoulder separation.
     Second, notice Greg Maddux's very good timing. His GS foot plants and his shoulders start to rotate in Frame 37, at which point his Pitching Arm Side (PAS) forearm is within a few degrees of vertical. Greg Maddux's PAS elbow is also just below the level of his shoulders in Frame 37.