Proper Pitching Mechanics
Roger Clemens

12/7/2007

I don't think it's a coincidence that Roger Clemens has had such a long, successful, and relatively injury-free career. Instead, I think Roger Clemens' pitching mechanics are a good example of what I call Maximum Safe Performance. That is, pitching mechanics that enable a pitcher to throw hard and with control while minimizing the risk of injury.

Roger Clemens

Let me illustrate what I think proper pitching mechanics look like using a number of frames from the above video clip of Roger Clemens.

Roger Clemens

At the set position (aka "stretch") -- which I think is the position most young pitchers should always pitch from -- Roger Clemens is relaxed but also balanced and ready to go to the plate. His feet are shoulder-width apart, not next to each other or spread too far apart.
     Roger Clemens' hands are relatively high, up by his chin, but that is because uses a relatively high (e.g. past horizontal) leg lift. Greg Maddux holds his hands at his belly button because he uses a relatively lower leg lift in which his Glove Side (aka GS) knee doesn't go much past horizontal.

Roger Clemens

As he breaks his GS knee and starts to go to the plate, Roger Clemens turns his head to pick up the catcher and the target. One problem that many young pitchers have is that they follow the Fernando Valenzuela model and don't pick up the target until much later in their delivery, which can lead to control problems. They would be better served by following the model of Roger Clemens and picking up the target earlier on in their delivery.

Roger Clemens

By this frame, Roger Clemens' GS knee has reached its highest point. One thing to notice is that, instead of coming to what some people call the Balance Point, just before this moment Roger Clemens started pushing sideways with his Pitching Arm Side (aka PAS) foot, which has started his hips sliding sideways toward Home Plate.

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

To see how Roger Clemens slides his hips sideways toward Home Plate through the top of his leg lift, compare these two frames. Notice how in the first frame you can see the man in the background, just next to Roger Clemens' left hip, but that man is no longer visible in the second frame. That is because Roger Clemens' hips are moving sideways toward Home Plate as he comes out of his leg lift and starts to break his hands.

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

By the frames above, Roger Clemens has broken his hands. Notice that while Roger Clemens holds his hands fairly high, he breaks his hands at his belly button. Roger Clemens is also striding sideways to the target, leading with his GS butt cheek and the side of his GS foot. Notice that his PAS knee is also bent as he has started to push sideways with his PAS foot. Finally, notice that Roger Clemens' eyes have been locked on the target for several frames.

Roger Clemens

After breaking his hands, Roger Clemens uses a down, out/back, and then up arm swing. This helps to both reduce the strain on his arm and to hide the ball from the batter, which helps to make him sneaky fast.

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Frame 35

As the frame above shows, after breaking his hands Rogers Clemens drops the ball down to behind his PAS thigh.

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

As he continues his arm swing and approaches the planting of his GS foot, Roger Clemens starts to rotate his GS leg so that he will land with his GS toe pointing directly at the target.

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

As the frame above shows, after dropping the ball behind his GS thigh, Rogers Clemens then swings the ball out and back toward Second Base. At this point, the ball is still hidden from the batter by his body and his PAS elbow is below the level of his shoulders.

Roger Clemens

The photo above of Roger Clemens represents pretty much the same moment in time as Frame 39, but is clearer so it's easier to see what's going on.

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

In the frame above, Roger Clemens is at the point of maximum extension of his arm swing. The ball and his PAS elbow are still just below the level of his shoulders. His shoulders and elbows are also pointing pretty much directly at his target, rather than being significantly reverse-rotated. All of this helps to hide the ball from the batter, which improves his deception.

Roger Clemens

In the frame above, Roger Clemens is just starting to bend his PAS elbow in order to get his PAS forearm vertical and up to the high-cocked position. It is important to note that Roger Clemens' PAS elbow is still below the level of his shoulders and is actually dropping slightly. Keeping his PAS elbow below the level of his shoulders helps to protect his rotator cuff from an impingement injury.
     People who say that a pitcher's PAS elbow should be at or above the level of the shoulders at this point have obviously never looked at frame by frame or high speed film of great pitchers like Roger Clemens.
     They are also contributing to the destruction of the shoulders of their pitchers.

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

In the frame above, Roger Clemens has just planted his GS foot. By comparing the two frames above, you can see that Roger Clemens lands pretty much flat on his GS foot, not on his toe or his heel. You will also notice that, as you would expect given his effectiveness and longevity, Roger Clemens' timing is pretty much perfect. Rather than rushing his delivery, Roger Clemens' shoulders do not start rotating until his PAS forearm is vertical.
     One other thing to notice in the next few frames is that Roger Clemens does not push off the rubber with his PAS foot as he nears the release point. Instead, his PAS foot is pulled off of the rubber.

Roger Clemens

In the frame above, Rogers Clemens' PAS forearm is vertical and passing through the high-cocked position. Notice that Roger Clemens does not stop at the high-cocked position. Rather it just represents a moment in his delivery. There are four important things to notice about Frame 45.
     First, notice that in Frame 45 Roger Clemens' elbow is bent slightly less that 90 degrees. The common advice that a pitcher should make an "L" at the high cocked position doesn't represent what Roger Clemens actually does and is bad advice because it can increase the load on the UCL. Instead, it's better if at the high cocked position pitchers have their elbow bent less, or more, than 90 degrees. 
     Second, notice that in Frame 45 Roger Clemens' PAS elbow is just below the level of his shoulders. If a pitcher wants to raise their arm slot, it does no good for a pitcher to get their PAS elbow up at this moment. Instead, the way for a pitcher to raise their arm slot is to focus on tilting their shoulders through the Release Point.
     Third, notice that in Frame 45 Roger Clemens is showing the ball to 3B, not to second base or center field. The problem with showing the ball to second base or center field at the high cocked position is that it forces the pitcher to pronate their forearm too early, which forces them to supinate through the release point, which increase the load on the UCL and leads to Tommy John surgery.
     Fourth, notice that in Frame 45 Roger Clemens' hips are rotating ahead of his shoulders. This stretches the muscles of his upper legs, hips, and lower torso (aka the "core") and will enable them to powerfully pull his shoulders around. In other words, this enables Roger Clemens to throw the ball with his entire body, and not just his arm.
     In order to ensure that you are absolutely clear about what is going on in Frame 45, let me show you two stills that represent the same moment in time but are clearer.

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Again, notice how the two frame above show that Roger Clemens' elbow is bent less than 90 degrees, his PAS elbow is below the level of his shoulders, he is showing the ball to third base, and his hips are rotating well ahead of his shoulders.

Roger Clemens

In the frame above, Roger Clemens' hips have started pulling his shoulders around. This is causing his PAS upper arm to externally rotate and his PAS forearm to lay back.

Roger Clemens

In the frame above, Roger Clemens hips are still pulling his shoulders around and his PAS upper arm is still externally rotating and his PAS forearm has laid back 90 degrees. Notice how Roger Clemens' PAS foot is now laces down, his PAS knee is starting to bend, and his PAS foot has moved forward off the rubber. All of this maximizes how much Roger Clemens' hips rotate.

Roger Clemens

Notice how in the frame above Roger Clemens' PAS foot has continued to come forward off the rubber as his PAS knee bends and moves forward toward Home Plate.

Roger Clemens

In the frame above, Roger Clemens has just released the ball. Notice how his PAS knee has continued to bend and his PAS foot has continued to come off the rubber. Also, notice that, rather than locking, Roger Clemens' GS knee has stayed flexed through the release point. This will help him to smoothly decelerate his arm.

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Again, in the frame above notice that while Roger Clemens firms up his GS leg, he never locks his GS knee. This helps him to smoothly decelerate his arm and also helps to protect his knee from hyperextending and his hip.

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens

About the only thing that I do not like about Roger Clemens' mechanics is how he finishes. Rather than finishing in a solid fielding position, Roger Clemens instead finishes with his glove behind his body and down at his side. I would prefer that he followed the example of Greg Maddux and finished with his glove closer to his face and sternum (e.g. back where it started) in order to protect those vital regions from come-backers. However, that fact that Roger Clemens is now turned sideways to the target will help to protect him from come-backers.