The Pitching Mechanic
June 2007

Real-Time Illustrations and Analyses of
Proper and Improper Pitching Mechanics

The Pitching Mechanic - July 2007

6/27/2007

On A Job Search

I thought I should let you know that I was recently laid off from my job due to an acquisition, so I might be quiet for a while. If you know of anyone who needs someone with my skill set -- which includes troubleshooting, problem-solving, and communication -- then here is a link to my resume .

6/25/2007

Pitcher Picks And Pans

I have just completed a new essay called Pitcher Picks And Pans, that I have been working on for a while, in which I rank order a large number of pitchers in terms of the quality of their mechanics. If you follow my work, then you won't be surprised to learn that Greg Maddux is at the top of the list and Mark Prior is at the bottom.

6/24/2007

Beyond Tall & Fall and Drop & Drive

I am often asked whether I am an advocate of the "Tall & Fall" or the "Drop & Drive" approach to pitching. While if forced to choose between the two I would go with the Tall & Fall approach, the truth is that I prefer two other approaches.

Nolan Ryan

If you watch what Hall Of Famers like Nolan Ryan and Tom Seaver do, you will see that Drop & Drive isn't an accurate description of what they do. They really don't push off with the PAS foot after the GS foot has planted. Instead, the primary push from the PAS foot comes much sooner, as they lift their GS leg. You can see this in the clip above of Nolan Ryan. Watch how his torso starts moving sideways toward the Catcher as he nears the top of his leg lift. As a result, a more accurate description of what Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan do is "Drive & Drop".
     Having said that, if you follow my work you know that I prefer a higher release point to trying to release the ball closer to the plate. This is because it allows the ball to approach the plate on more of a downward plate, which I think makes the ball harder to hit. As a result, I don't like my pitchers -- or at least my younger ones who are pitching off of flat ground -- to drop all that much. Instead, I prefer that they stay taller and release the ball as high as possible. Given all of that, my preferred approach to pitching could probably be best described as "Drive & Tall", and is represented by pitchers like Justin Verlander.

6/24/2007

Confusion About Tyler Johnson's Shoulder

There's been some confusion in the St. Louis press about what's going on with Tyler Johnson's shoulder. Aside from the questions about whether he's on the DL or not, people are confused by the reference to shoulder problems and then to Biceps Tendonitis.
     The deal is that Biceps Tendinitis, which is a problem that Chris Carpenter has had, is a shoulder problem but manifests itself somewhere else. The Biceps tendon inserts into the shoulder joint complex. As a result, a problem that originates in the shoulder can be experienced in the upper arm.
     In my experience, problems with Biceps Tendinitis are often related to problems with rushing (which is a timing problem).

6/23/2007

Why I'm Such A Fan Of Dan Haren

Let me use a few recent stills of Dan Haren to explain why I am such a fan of Dan Haren and why I think he may have the best chance of any active pitcher to become a 20-year pitcher. First, and in general, Dan Haren's success this year suggests that he has the control he needs to be successful for a long period of time.

Dan Haren

Notice how closely the still above of Dan Haren resembles the still below of Greg Maddux.

Greg Maddux

In particular, notice how Dan Haren's arms make the same "W" form that I think will help to protect his shoulder.

Randy Johnson

You can see the same resemblance with the photo above of Randy Johnson.

Dan Haren

The photo above of Dan Haren shows the same thing from a slightly different angle and from a slightly earlier moment in time. Again, notice how low his Pitching Arm Side elbow is.

Dan Haren

The photo above of Dan Haren shows the same thing. Notice how low his PAS elbow is.

Dan Haren

You can see the same thing in the photo above of Dan Haren. Again, notice the low PAS elbow.

6/22/2007

How Randy Johnson (Actually) Throws The Ball

I've shown the Randy Johnson clip below before, but I've slowed it down and modified it in order to make it easier to see what's going on.

Randy Johnson

One thing that I hope you notice is how low Randy Johnson's Pitching Arm Side (aka PAS) elbow stays after breaking his hands. Unlike Mark Prior's PAS elbow, which gets quite high, Randy Johnson's PAS elbow never gets above the level of his shoulders and only reaches the level of his shoulders at the Release Point. The point of maximum PAS elbow height occurs at or around frame 43, which I have highlighted. By my estimation, Randy Johnson's PAS elbow is 6 to 9 inches below the level of his shoulders (the yellow line).
     By frame 49, in which Randy Johnson's PAS forearm is passing through the vertical high cocked position, his PAS elbow is still 3 to 6 inches below the level of his shoulders (the yellow line).

Randy Johnson

You can see the same thing in the photo above of Randy Johnson. Notice how Randy Johnson's PAS forearm is vertical but his PAS elbow is roughly 6 inches below the level of his shoulders.
     By frame 61, which is the Release Point, centrifugal force has caused Randy Johnson's elbow to rapidly extend and his PAS elbow to rise to the level of his shoulders.
     All of the above makes me very wary of pitching coaches who say that pitchers need to keep their elbows up when they throw. If it's clearly not what Randy Johnson (or Greg Maddux) does, then I question whether it's something that young pitchers should be taught to do.

6/19/2007

First Look: Mike Maroth

I just heard that the Cardinals signed Mike Maroth of the Tigers, so I decided to take a quick look at his mechanics.

Mike Maroth

The photo above of Mike Maroth raises an immediate red flag. Notice how high Mike Maroth's Pitching Arm Side (aka PAS) elbow is. It's above the level of his shoulders. I think this Hyperabduction makes him more vulnerable to an impingement injury in his shoulder.

Randy Johnson

Contrast this with the height of Randy Johnson's PAS elbow in the photo above. Notice how Randy Johnson's PAS elbow is much lower at this point; maybe 6 inches below the level of his shoulders.

Greg Maddux

Similarly, contrast this with the height of Greg Maddux's PAS elbow in the photo above. Greg Maddux's PAS elbow is also much lower at this point.

Mike Maroth

You can see the same high PAS elbow in the photo above of Mike Maroth.

Adam Wainwright

This reminds me of the photo above of Adam Wainwright, who I think is at increased risk of shoulder problems due to impingement syndrome.

Freddy Garcia

It also reminds me of the photo above of Freddy Garcia, who used to be one of my favorite pitchers until his recent shoulder problems made me take another look at him and I realized that he also has a problem with Hyperabduction.

Mike Maroth

The photo above of Mike Maroth shows that he has decent hip/shoulder separation, but also shows two things of concern. First, you can see the start of the Hyperabduction. His PAS elbow is already fairly high at this point. Second, his PAS forearm is fairly pronated, which I think puts his PAS elbow at risk because it will require him to supinate through the release point, which increases the load on the UCL. This may help to explain the elbow problems that Mike Maroth has evidently had in the past.

Mike Maroth

This final photo of Mike Maroth shows that his alignment seems pretty good. He strides pretty much directly at the target and doesn't seem to land to closed.
     However, I don't think that this relatively minor positive is enough to balance out the troubling things that I see in his arm action, and the resulting concerns that I have about the health of both his shoulder and his elbow.

6/19/2007

The Inverted W In Depth

The point I am trying to make about the Inverted W is so important that I want to make sure that you understand exactly what I am talking about.

Randy Johnson

Greg Maddux

If you look at the arm action of guys like Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson, you will see that their PAS elbow always stays below the level of their shoulders as Randy Johnson's and Greg Maddux's PAS elbows are doing in the photos above. Their PAS elbow never gets above the level of their shoulders after they break their hands.

The "W"

Viewed from the side as above, the elbows are below the level of the shoulders and the hand, and this forms the shape of a "W" (the green lines in the diagram above).

Mark Prior

If you contrast this with the arm action of guys like Mark Prior and Anthony Reyes, you will see that after they break their hands their PAS elbow goes above and behind the level of their shoulders.

The "M" or Inverted W

Viewed from the side as above, the elbows are above and behind the level of the shoulders and the hands, and this forms the shape of a "M" or Inverted W (the red lines in the diagram above).
     Now, some people would argue that I am comparing apples and oranges because what I am describing are two different points in time when I compare the "W" to the "M" or Inverted W. While this is true, I don't think it matters for two reasons. First, pitchers like Randy Johnson and Greg Maddux, who make the W, never let their elbows get above the level of their shoulders. Second, the problem with making the M or Inverted W is that it increases the distance and force with which the PAS upper arm will externally rotate. This increases the stress on both the elbow and the shoulder.

6/18/2007

Roger Clemens' Classic Mechanics

Roger Clemens is back in the big leagues, and the photo below demonstrates his classic pitching mechanics.

Roger Clemens

Some things to notice are his hips rotating well ahead of his shoulders, his PAS elbow just below the level of his shoulders, his solid timing (PAS forearm vertical as his GS foot plants), and his showing the ball to SS/3B rather than CF/2B.

6/18/2007

Trade Anthony Reyes!

For a year or so I have been wanting to put it in writing that I think the Cardinals should trade Anthony Reyes, but for various reasons haven't done so. I thought I had missed my chance to foretell his problems when he was sent down to AAA Memphis. However, now that Anthony Reyes is back up with the team, let me say that I wish the Cardinals would trade him as part of a package to get a really solid pitcher.

Anthony Reyes

Given Anthony Reyes' terrible mechanics, I don't think his arm is going to last the season (I think his control problems are symptomatic of that), and I wish the Cardinals would maximize the value they could get for him by trading him now. I think they could explain away his recent high ERA by citing philosophical differences with Cardinals' pitching coach Dave Duncan (Reyes wants to throw a 4-Seamer up in the strike zone while Duncan prefers that his pitchers throw 2-Seamers and keep the ball down in the strike zone).

6/15/2007

Draft Comments: David Kopp

Just a quick note to say that I really like pitcher David Kopp, the Cardinals' third pick. He was my favorite pitcher in the draft because his mechanics are the most Maddux-like of anyone I have seen. He makes the W -- rather than the Inverted -- which should help to protect his shoulder, his timing is good, and his fastball has tremendous arm-side move, which means he pronates while releasing his pitches which should help to protect his elbow.

6/7/2007

Draft Comments: Clayton Mortensen

Just took a look at the Cardinals' second pick, Gonzaga pitcher Clayton Mortensen.
     I like what I see.
     He's got a longer arm action, which some people don't like (because it can hurt deception) but which I am neutral to positive about. He reminds me of Roy Oswalt. I don't see any sign of an Inverted W, which is good. His lower body action is excellent.
     The only thing I don't like is how he finishes; he's going to be vulnerable to come-backers. However, he does finish better than Braden Looper.
     Having said all of that, the one thing that I REALLY like about him is the amount and type of movement on his pitches; how he can move them in on Righties and away from Lefties ala Jake Peavy and Mariano Rivera. Watch the third, fourth, and fifth pitches in the clip above. The movement is nasty.
     That means he pronates all of his pitches, which should help to protect his elbow.
     While I'm a bit mystified about the first round pick, for this pick I say "Nicely done".

6/7/2007

Draft Comments: Tim Alderson

Tim Alderson was another guy I took a look at because I had heard that he would probably go high due to his excellent stuff and control.
     On the MLB.com broadcast they just mentioned that Alderson's mechanics are a bit unusual and resemble Chris Carpenter's. I had the same opinion when I looked at him, and that worries me.

Chris Carpenter

While Chris Carpenter has had his great moments, he has had a series of injuries that I think are related to his mechanics. I believe that Tim Alderson is similarly vulnerable to injuries (first elbow and then shoulder) due to his very similar mechanics.

6/7/2007

Draft Comments: Joe Savery

Joe Savery was a guy I took a look at early on this year because Rice is such a college baseball powerhouse. I didn't like what I saw due to his pronounced M or Inverted W.

Joe Savery

You can see what I'm talking about in the photo above. Notice how high his PAS elbow is above his shoulders.

Joe Savery

You can see the same thing in the photo above. Again, notice the height of his PAS elbow and how his PAS forearm is hanging down nearly vertically. This arm action is too Chris Carpenter...

Chris Carpenter

...and/or BJ Ryan...

BJ Ryan

...for my tastes.
     I have serious doubts about Joe Savery's longevity, especially if he's moved into the starting rotation. I think one of the reasons why my friend the scout started listening to me is that I expressed concerns about Joe Savery's shoulder, and this year he in fact had shoulder problems.
     One final thought is that I see many of the same problems in Cole St. Clair from Rice. His arm action is very similar. Given the history of Rice pitchers with arm, and in particular shoulder, problems I wonder if there is a problem with how the Rice coaches are instructing their pitchers.

6/1/2007

My Opinion Of "My Right Arm"

I just finished reading "My Right Arm" by Buzz Bissinger in The New York Times' Play Magazine. I generally liked the article, which is a profile of Kerry Wood. I also liked its intent. However, as I discuss in this essay I have a number of problems with it because it continues to spread what I think are a number of myths about why pitchers are injured (and what to do about it).

The Pitching Mechanic - May 2007