Proper Pitching Mechanics

3/24/2008
Updated 5/10/2010

I am frequently asked what I think are proper pitching mechanics and which major league baseball pitchers best exemplify proper pitching mechanics.

What are proper Pitching Mechanics?

In terms of the first question, I believe that proper pitching mechanics are those that allow a pitcher to throw the ball...

   1. As hard as necessary.
   2. With exceptional control.
   3. With exceptional movement.
   4. With exceptional deception.

...while minimizing the risk that the pitcher will experience an injury.

Getting Started

For those of you who are interested in learning more about the topic of pitching mechanics, I recently completed an essay that explains pitching mechanics and what I teach. My essay on how Jeff Suppan (actually) throws the ball is another good starting point.

Pitchers with Good Pitching Mechanics

While I think there are many good answers to the second question -- Tom Glavine, Randy Johnson, David Wells, Roy Oswalt, Justin Verlander, and Dan Haren are just a few pitchers whose pitching mechanics I like -- I think Greg Maddux and Roger Clemens have the best pitching mechanics on average.

Greg Maddux

That means that I think the pitching mechanics of Greg Maddux and Roger Clemens represent models that can be achieved by most young pitchers.

Roger Clemens

As a result, I have put together two documents that discuss proper pitching mechanics using as examples the pitching mechanics of two great, and extremely durable, pitchers...

- Pitching Mechanics - Greg Maddux
- Pitching Mechanics - Roger Clemens

What Not To Do

As you go through my breakdowns of the pitching mechanics of Greg Maddux and Roger Clemens, notice that they do not do -- and as a result I do not advocate -- many of the things that some pitching coaches and pitching gurus say are key elements of proper pitching mechanics. These include things like...

- Showing the ball to 2B/CF.
- Keeping the fingers on top of the ball.
- Reverse-rotating the shoulders.
- Breaking the hands with the elbows.
- Making the Inverted W (or "M").
- Making the Inverted L.
- Making the Inverted V.
- Getting the PAS elbow above the shoulders.
- Push off the rubber near the release point.

As I explain elsewhere in my piece on pitching injury prevention, I believe that things like the Inverted W, Inverted L, Inverted V, and getting the elbow above the level of the shoulders (which I call Hyperabduction) are not necessary to throwing well or hard and significantly increase the risk a pitcher will experience an injury.

What To Do

Instead, my definition of proper pitching mechanics included a number of things that great pitchers like Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens, Nolan Ryan, and Randy Johnson do and that I think contribute to both their effectiveness and their longevity. This includes things like...

- Showing the ball to 3B (1B for lefties).
- Keeping the elbows below the shoulders.
- Striding Sideways.
- Rotating the hips before the shoulders.
- Not reverse-rotating the shoulders.
- Moving the PAS foot off of the rubber.

I believe that by doing these things -- which virtually all great, durable pitchers do -- pitchers will increase their effectiveness and decrease the risk they will experience a serious injury.