Baseball Pitching Mechanics: Lead Foot

One of the most important aspects of baseball pitching mechanics is the lead foot. The lead foot can also be characterized as the foot strike. At this stage in the pitching delivery, a pitcher is transferring kinetic energy through the foot, then through the leg, through the upper body, and into the arm. This transfer of energy is how pitchers generate arm speed, resulting in pitching velocity.

Several aspects of the lead foot will determine the velocity potential of a baseball pitcher. At foot strike, it is best that the pitcher lands with a slightly closed off foot. By doing so, it will allow the hips to stay closed for longer. It is important to note that you do not want the foot to be extremely closed.

If your lead foot lands closed off and directed towards third base if you are a right-handed pitcher, then it will make it difficult for you to obtain proper hip to shoulder separation. The hips must already be aimed and exploding towards home before your upper body begins to turn. With an excessively closed lead foot, you are not giving your hips the opportunity to open up.

Review: Tuffcuff Strength Training for Baseball Pitchers

This post is an in-depth review of the Tuffcuff Strength and Conditioning Manual for baseball pitchers. Did you know that only 1 out of every 10,000 baseball players make it to the pros? As the slogan says, it's time to get stronger, throw harder, and train like a pro. That's exactly what Tuffcuff is all about. There is no other pitching strength training program that can match the possible results of using Tuffcuff.

This 52-week training program is designed to help baseball pitchers develop stronger and more explosive bodies, which will lead to an array of positive results in pitching ability. The exercises and routines within Tuffcuff are identical to strength training methods that are used by MLB pitchers. Author Steve Ellis designed this manual through his experiences in professional baseball, and from his lifetime in athletics.

Ellis was a two-time MLB draft pick, and was drafted by the Chicago Cubs. Among other accomplishments, Ellis has written 11 books, and he is the founder and president of The Complete Pitcher.

"I was only throwing 75 mph as a sophomore, but now as a junior I'm throwing 86mph. Thank you." - Tim Cook

Pitching Mechanics: The Ultimate Guide

Proper baseball pitching mechanics are vitally important to any pitcher who is looking to take their game to the next level. Developing explosive and consistent pitching mechanics will enable any pitcher, no matter their size or age, to increase their velocity and accuracy, reduce their likelihood of arm injury, be able to pitch deeper into games, have the ability to pitch on three days rest with no arm soreness, and will guarantee a long and prosperous pitching career.

These successes will also bring great joy and confidence during your career in baseball, and into the future. But first, you must learn the mechanics of pitching before you become a true baseball success story. This post is going to explain exactly how to to develop excellent mechanics that will give any pitcher their desired results. The purpose is to break down the mechanics piece by piece, making it understandable to beginners or any baseball pitcher looking to learn more.

All of the instructional information within this post is the result of my lifetime involvement and interest in pitching, and countless hours of research on how to develop great pitching mechanics. I have studied the mechanics of professional pitchers, and I have examined the pitching philosophies of several instructors including Brent Pourciau author of 3X Pitching Velocity, Dick Mills, and Chris O'Leary to name only a few. These instructors will be mentioned periodically throughout this post.

This article is extremely long and very in-depth. I would highly recommend that you read and digest each section before moving onto the subsequent sections. Make sure that you bookmark this page, so that you will be able to access it at any moment!

MLB Pitcher Chris Carpenter Analysis

This post is dedicated to MLB pitcher Chris Carpenter of the St. Louis Cardinals. Within the post, I will examine Carpenter's bio, stats, and pitching characteristics. Carpenter debuted in the major leagues on May 12, 1997 for the Toronto Blue Jays. He remained with Toronto from 1997-2002, and would eventually be traded to his current team the Cardinals.

St. Louis' ace pitcher has established himself as not only one of the best pitchers during the season, but has also proved that he is reliable in the post-season. Carpenter is a fierce competitor who believes and performs as if winning is the only option. Every time he approaches the mound, it is guaranteed that Carpenter will pitch to the best of his ability, and will always commit himself 100 percent to the team. These facets make him not only a great pitcher and competitor, but also a desirable teammate. The 6'6" right-hander did not achieve his level of success without times of struggle.

"I pitch every game like it's my last." - Chris Carpenter

All Time MLB Pitching Records

The purpose of this post is to highlight the numerous all time MLB pitching records. Many of these records will never be broken for various reasons. This is primarily because pitchers simply do not throw as much, and as frequently as they did in the past. I will focus on single game, season, and career pitching records.

As you will see, I will frequently mention the "live-ball era" within this article. This term refers to the period in Major League Baseball beginning in 1920, following what is often labeled as the dead-ball era. The 1920 season witnessed a significant increase in offensive statistics because of newly introduced cork-centered balls, and several rule changes that gave a slight advantage to the hitter (1). I will only be mentioning statistics that have occurred during the live-ball era.