How Justin Verlander (Actually) Throws The Ball

12/10/2007

There is tremendous confusion and misinformation -- not to mention a whole host of misconceptions -- out there about how pitchers actually throw the ball. That includes things like what contributes to a pitcher's arm slot and whether and when they push off the rubber. As a result, I have put together this document to explain exactly what a pitcher's arm and body actually do as he throws a ball. I do this using the clip below of Justin Verlander, whose mechanics I like a lot.

Justin Verlander

I am going to spend most of this essay talking about what happens just as Justin Verlander's shoulders start to turn, since that is where the most misconceptions about pitching mechanics start to creep in. If you want more detail about Justin Verlander's pitching motion, and a discussion of what he does before his shoulders start to turn, see my analysis of Justin Verlander's pitching mechanics.

Justin Verlander - Frame 18

However, before I get into an explanation of what Justin Verlander's arm actually does as he throws the ball, the frame above points out a couple of things regarding the Balance Point and the concepts of Tall And Fall and Drop And Drive.
     First, at least when it comes to major league pitchers, the Balance Point is largely a myth. Most major league pitchers do not come to the balance point. Instead, as they near the top of their leg lift, most major league pitchers start pushing off of the side of their Pitching Arm Side (aka PAS) foot toward Second Base. This gets their hips moving sideways toward the target and helps to increase their linear momentum, which increases the rate at which their hips rotate.
     Second, very few major league pitchers actually use the Tall And Fall or Drop And Drive approaches. Instead, what major league pitchers do is better described as Tall And Drive (or Drive And Tall) and Drive And Drop.
     Justin Verlander is a prototypical Tall And Drive (or Drive And Tall) pitcher. Notice how, as he stays relatively tall, he doesn't just fall toward the plate. Rather, he drives off the rubber near the top of and out of his leg lift in order to get his hips moving sideways toward the target.
     Roy Oswalt and Tim Lincecum are prototypical Drive And Drop pitchers. They come through and out of their leg lifts with a powerful push of their PAS foot back toward 2B. However, they do not push off the rubber as, or after, their Glove Side (aka GS) foot plants. Instead, their GS foot is pulled off the rubber by the rapid rotation of their hips.
     Now that I've talked about what a pitcher's lower body actually does as they throw the ball, let me shift my attention to what their arm actually does.

Justin Verlander - Frame 22

After breaking his hands at his belt buckle, Justin Verlander drops his PAS hand down to behind his PAS butt cheek. Among other things, this helps him hide the ball from the batter.

Justin Verlander - Frame 24

While keeping his shoulders pretty much line line with Home Plate and Second Base (rather than reverse-rotating his shoulders), Justin Verlander then swings his PAS hand out and back toward Second Base. Again, this helps him hide the ball behind his body, which adds to his deception.

Justin Verlander - Frame 27

This process continues as Justin Verlander's PAS hand comes up toward the high-cocked position. One thing to notice is how Justin Verlander's elbow stops below the level of his shoulders and his hand has kept coming up.

Justin Verlander - Frame 28

In Frame 28, Justin Verlander's GS heel is just about to plant. His hand and PAS forearm are still rotating up and his PAS elbow is still below the level of his shoulders.

Justin Verlander - Frame 29

In Frame 29, Justin Verlander's GS foot has planted and his shoulders are just about to start turning. Justin Verlander's PAS forearm is just short of vertical and his elbow is bent 100 to 110 degrees.

Justin Verlander - Frame 30

In Frame 30, Justin Verlander's shoulders have just started to rotate. Notice how he is showing the ball to SS or even 3B, rather than 2B or CF at this moment. Also notice how his PAS elbow is still just below the level of his shoulders.
     Also, it is obvious that in Frame 30, rather than pushing off the rubber in this frame and the ones above it, Justin Verlander's PAS foot is being pulled off the rubber by the rapid rotation of his hips.

Justin Verlander - Frame 31

In Frame 31, Justin Verlander's shoulders are rapidly rotating. This is causing his PAS upper arm to externally rotate and his PAS upper arm to lay back. At this point, Justin Verlander's elbow is bent roughly 80 degrees.

Justin Verlander - Frame 32

In Frame 32, Justin Verlander's shoulders have continued to rapidly rotate. This has caused his PAS upper arm to externally rotate 90 degrees and his forearm to lay back completely, such that it is parallel to the ground. At this point, Justin Verlander's elbow is still bent roughly 80 degrees.
     Also notice how in Frame 32 Justin Verlander is leading with his elbow. Some people think that leading with the elbow is unusual, and even bad, but the truth is that it's perfectly normal. It is simply a result of throwing the ball hard.

Justin Verlander - Frame 33

In Frame 33, Justin Verlander's shoulders have started to stop rotating. As a result, his elbow is rapidly extending 90 to 100 degrees. One thing to notice is that is at the Release Point, Justin Verlander's elbow will be fully extended, which means that his arm slot will be a function of the tilt of his shoulders and not -- as some people believe -- the angle of his elbow. This is true of every major league pitcher and most pitchers over the age of 11 or 12.

Justin Verlander - Frame 34

In Frame 34, Justin Verlander has just released the ball. Notice how his elbow is pretty much fully extended. He is also pronating (thumb down) at this point, which should help to protect his elbow.