Stride

[CanadianKid]

Today I was pitching (flat ground) and I had noticed in some previous video of me pitching that I wasn't taking a big enough stride. Today I "measured" it by pacing heel to toe from where the shoe print of my back foot was to the shoe print of my landing foot was. It came out to be 5ft and a bit. Is this a decent stride length for someone who is 5"11-6"0 or is it too long or too short?

[3and0]

On flat ground that should probably be right, considering you wont get the momentum. I personally stride close to 100% of my height sometimes less, sometimes more, off a mound, and usually around 75% on flat ground.

[CanadianKid]

So off a mound how long would you say it should be for someone my height?

[3and0]

personal preference really, but for one thing, don't reach for length, you need to get your hips going for the momentum needed to get over your front leg and still stride long.

Lots of people reach with there foot, and the end result they are throwing behind the front knee

I'm doing a terrible job of explaining it i know.

[FanRuth714]

Don't stride--just "Turn from the middle" shouldn't it work for pitching too?

pcr--what a joke...

[EdmondsFan#1]

Joel Zumaya's stride length is something like 80% of his height, your stride length is fine.

[Go Cardinals]

Stride out as far as you can, and whatever is confortable should be fine.

[GFK]

Don't stride--just "Turn from the middle" shouldn't it work for pitching too?

pcr--what a joke...

Does this guy "Turn from the middle"?

http://www.gfklein.com/Pitchers/Colonside.gif http://www.gfklein.com/Pitchers/colonstep.gif

[BoardMember]

Does this guy "Turn from the middle"?

http://www.gfklein.com/Pitchers/Colonside.gif http://www.gfklein.com/Pitchers/colonstep.gif

No. Looks like internal rotation/abduction of the rear leg and external rotation/abduction of the front leg, using ground force to create momentum to drive the moves.

[GFK]

BM,

Do you think he is pushing off the rubber with extension of the rear leg or is he falling forward off the rear leg (sitting a little as he does it) and rotating his middle as he moves out?

[BoardMember]

BM,
Do you think he is pushing off the rubber with extension of the rear leg

Absolutely no doubt in my mind. Combination of the following IMO:

1.) Internal Rotation/Adduction of both legs during load

2.) Slow Rear Leg Abduction, Sit/Push/Extend until COM movement is maximized, where initial push/drive/force is used up/depleted.

3.) Internal Rotation of Rear Leg.

4.) External Rotation of Lead.

http://photos.imageevent.com/siggy/throwing/pro/CSchilling2006BOS_ASView.gif

or is he falling forward off the rear leg (sitting a little as he does it) and rotating his middle as he moves out?

Not initially falling forward off rear leg. Falling eventually, but only after initial sit/push/drive has moved COM significantly forward to depletion, and gravity takes over as the lead leg remains elevated and is externally rotated to completion before touch-down, but gravity (downward force) has little to do with the actions IMO, except to get him back to earth.

I don't think the mound is there to "fall off of".

3 and 4 above is the cause for hip rotation IMO.

[tom.guerry]

GFK-
Just as with the hitting motion, the coil starts with the throwing hand starting to rotate up as the front leg starts to turn open (synched external rotation). (Slaught - slotting starts like rock skipping throw. Candrea - if you can throw, you can hit)

The positive move/weight shift needs to be underway at this point and, as Nyman shows the "tempo" of forward weight shift/positive move is increasing.

As Yeager says, it increases because a "pushing force" is being produced using the back foot attached to the ground as a base.

The "push" is not primarily by back knee extension. It is primarily by the legs spreading, mainly front leg lift which goes with an elevated front hip as the spread works against the back foot base.

"posture" traditionally (and better) referred to as "hip cock" includes a type of muscle activation that supports synching of the limbs (back arm synchs with front leg, front arm synchs with back leg to get good timing of coil) and pinch at waist which enables carry of weight as front hip remains elevated.

In "absolute" requirement terms. prior to this "core move" just as in hitting, you need :

1-inward turn of whole body (wind-up/getting sideways to target)

2- "hip cock" which satisfies the requirements mentioned above.

3-"hand cock" which is the beginning of synching of limbs and finishing of hip cock as back arm lift synches with front leg lif (ABduction) to develop the pushing force for an accelerating weight shift/positive move/tempo of center of mass of body going forward/"flatbed"/linear momtnum (which will be caoptured and converted to boost rotational momentum later)

4-then with the core move which starts uncocking the hips some as pelvis "projects", you start the coil/rubberbandwinding/"start rotation". This is preceded by the synched back armfront leg external rotation.

As with hitting. the CORE is "using" the ground to coil, controlled by the upper body which via hip cock and limb synch ("mapping") controls timing ofcoil and direction of weight shift within which limits the core/pelvis "projects" to "cause" rotation. Note: throwing is more creative, hitting more reactive so there is no need to time the "initiation" of the hips due to limited reaction time in the throw. Also the use of the ground is different when throwing off hill/mound.

Nyman has opened up his throwing sites again with good video that explains/shows most of this except for the necessary details on glove arm action not mentioned here.

TAke a look there before he shuts it down again

Ignore the hitting stuff.

[AcidLake]

Don't stride--just "Turn from the middle" shouldn't it work for pitching too?

pcr--what a joke...

If that's your reason, what do you believe on whether on pitching or hitting? I cleary see the PCR on many high-level hitters and pitchers...

[norseman_44]

I would say the stride should be about 90% of height. Now, everybody has a different body type. Me, for example, I have shorter legs compared to my torso, so my stride may not be 90%. If you get a pitcher who is all legs, then it may be 100% of his height.

I was working with 10U kids on this with our flat ground work. I would have them lay on their stomach with their feet touching the rubber, then make a line in the clay at their shoulder level. Then, I'd watch their stride during the drills. Some kids couldn't come close to reaching the line, but it did get them thinking about stride length. Alot of times during flat ground type drills pitchers will utilize a stride that is way too short and nowhere near the one they use when they are pitching live.

[CanadianKid]

I was working with 10U kids on this with our flat ground work. I would have them lay on their stomach with their feet touching the runner, then make a line in the clay at their shoulder level. Then, I'd watch their stride during the drills. Some kids couldn't come close to reaching the line, but it did get them thinking about stride length. Alot of times during flat ground type drills pitchers will utilize a stride that is way too short and nowhere near the one they use when they are pitching live.

That's interesting. I'm going to tryout that out tomorrow when I go out and throw.

[Jake Patterson]

pcr--what a joke...
Explain .

[Chris O'Leary]

Do you think he is pushing off the rubber with extension of the rear leg or is he falling forward off the rear leg (sitting a little as he does it) and rotating his middle as he moves out?

FWIW, I think a sideways push gets the torso moving sideways toward the plate at the start of the stride. However, I don't think he pushes off as his GS foot nears the ground. IOW, it's...

Push > Stride

...not...

Push > Stride > Push

[BoardMember]

Push > Stride

...not...

Push > Stride > Push

I agree with this.......