Major League Pitching Philosophy

Pitching is all about mental baseball. All great pitchers have a strong mental game that exudes confidence, no fear, and determination. Failure never enters into any pitch they throw. Their whole philosophy is to pitch to contact, not away from contact. This is contrary to most young pitchers' game plans because they do not have enough confidence in themselves, their abilities, or their game plan to allow a hitter to put the ball in play. Once a pitcher starts to understand how to pitch to contact, he will start to reach his full potential as a mental master.

Mechanics is a small part of becoming a great pitcher, but they are important. The following is a list of pitching mechanics that most major league pitching coaches require of their pitchers. These mechanics are designed to provide for maximum power, while minimizing stress on the body. Poor mechanics is the number one cause of arm injuries. They do not make a great pitcher, but just aid in the process of reaching the big leagues.

The Rock Back
Stand tall during initial stance
Controlled back step- pitcher can step back any direction he prefers
Head over crotch during entire step back
Step back should be small and deliberate
Hands can be anywhere- as long as they are not pulled away from the body

The Leg Kick
Leg should not swing with body in an upward motion- leg must be brought up in a deliberate motion that is smooth. Swinging upward motion will cause balance issues
Leg kick can be any height- if the leg kick is high, the pitcher must be able to be control it
properly with the correct balance
A controlled pause to balance and "coil" the energy at the top of the leg kick is required
Foot should be under the knee during the leg kick- too much variance will cause the upper body to lean too much.
Hands should be close to chest
The pitcher should be tall with his upper body- a straight line should be seen from the head to the toe.
Hips are closed off towards home
Pitcher's head should stay over his crotch
Shoulders are directly pointed at home or slightly closed off

Downward Motion of Leg Kick
The first movement is down and then forward- "swinging of the gate" will occur if the first movement is forward
Pitcher's head should stay over his crotch
Hands separate over rubber
Hands separate once the downward motion of the leg kick is initiated
Hips are closed off towards home
A straight line should be drawn from head to toe- pitcher must be tall
Shoulders are pointed directly at home or slightly closed off

Arm Stroke
Do not mess with the arm stroke- only one aspect that should be addressed is that the pitcher should have extension towards second base
Elbow must be above the shoulder
Wrist is slightly rotated inward
Fingers are behind and over the baseball at all times- especially to set up a good release point
When the elbow comes above the shoulder, the fingers should be pointed towards second base
Elbow should have a bend in it during the arm stroke
Once elbow reaches above the shoulder, the shoulders should be pointed at home
 
Landing of Front Foot
Land soft with front foot
Front foot should be pointed at 11 o'clock
Front knee is closed
Hips land closed, with the weight still on the back side
Slight bend in knees
Pitcher's head over his crotch, with his upper body staying tall
Shoulders pointed directly at home plate
Front elbow should be used as a target for home
Shoulders should be close to level
Pitcher must be on the upswing of his arm stroke