It’s no secret that when it comes to pitching mechanics, a pitcher’s lower half is just as important if not more important than arm mechanics.
I recommend pitchers practice their motion without a ball at least twice a week. (One set of 10 reps twice a week is fine.)
Here are six lower half checkpoints to focus on while you practice your motion.
1. Tippy Toes (obviously you won’t do this drill in a game)
As you raise the knee of your stride leg at the beginning of your delivery, rise up on the tippy toes of your drive leg then immediately come down hard in order to exaggerate your hinge while keeping your back straight. (Some people call this “getting into your back hip.”)
2. Hip Tilt (show your pocket)
As you begin your drift, lead with your hip or back pocket toward your target.
3. Explode and Rotate Hips
At this point in your delivery, focus on rotating your hips explosively toward your target while maintaining a strong back foot anchored in front of the rubber.
4. Keep Stride Foot Straight
Next you’ll want to make sure your stride foot or landing foot is pointed toward your target.
5. Bring Drive Leg All the Way Around
As you begin to decelerate, be sure to bring your drive leg all the way around, so that you do not cut off hip rotation.
6. Finish Square
Finally, you’ll want to finish square to your target, ready for a comebacker.
Everything from velocity to command is reliant on efficient lower half mechanics, and I’ve found these 6 checkpoints to be helpful toward that aim.