Ace Pitcher Handbook

5th and 6th Component of Pitching

October 26, 2008

All the photos here are of professionals performing the 5th and 6th Component of Pitching – Elbow Extension and Stabilization, as listed in the Ace Pitcher Handbook.

I do not own these photos. This is a collection I obtained from the web.
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Weight for it!

October 20, 2008

Momentum transfer is a key component of velocity. There are many different ways to transfer momentum. You could transfer the momentum slowly over a certain period of time, randomly over a certain period of time or in the case of generating efficient and explosive velocity, you must transfer momentum as quickly as possible during your pitching delivery.

Notice pitcher’s like John Smoltz here, he has a delivery that looks effortless. This is because the explosiveness of his delivery comes at a point in time that is so fast it fools the human eye. Think of a golfer like Tiger Woods. When he swings the club back, if you blink your eyes he has already hit the ball and is following through. The same is with pitchers like John Smoltz. He throws in the upper 90′s but it sure doesn’t look like he does.

The question is, “How does this happen?” What these pitchers are doing, as they start to build momentum, is hold all of their weight back waiting for the last possible second to transfer the momentum as quick as they can. The best way for you to get a good understanding of this is with video. I hope this helps. Read more

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Dr. James Andrews

October 15, 2008

Dr. Andrews is Mr. Fixit when it comes to the elite athlete. He has poineered the sports medicine industry. He has worked on the likes of Michael Jordan, Jack Nicklaus, Drew Brees, Roger Clemens, Bo Jackson, and pretty much any other famous athlete you can think of who has been injured. This page is an honor to his amazing impact on sports medicine and a reference to what he has to offer the athlete today. Read his BIO to learn more about him and watch the videos to pick up some helpful tips. Read more

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Wired Pitching Science

October 15, 2008

Wired is a magazine that covers the latest technology and science being developed everyday. This is a short but excellent reference that supports the Top Velocity physics driven throwing mechanics.

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2002/04/51691

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Separation, the Safe Zone and the Power Curve

October 11, 2008

I just read Chris Oleary’s article on the “Safe Zone.”

http://chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/PitcherInjuryAnalysisProject/Patterns.html

It is always nice to find unconventional thinking when it comes to pitching instruction. I recommend you read his article. I was forced in my early career to overcome a serious shoulder injury, because I wasn’t taught this important piece of information. Ever sense my almost career ending injury, I have been coaching this theory, but never referred to it as the “Safe Zone.” I will now!

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How to prevent or overcome shoulder surgery?

October 9, 2008

This article is for every athlete out there. I am an athlete, who overcame a career ending rotator cuff tear in college, to pitch again and make it to minor league ball. I was told, I would never pitch as hard as I did before the tear. I topped out at 94 mph my last season for the San Diego Surf Dawgs, over eight years later. That was more than 8 mph from before surgery. It was a long road and I am here today, to teach you everything you need to know on how to prevent this from happening to you. Read more

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“Salsa” and the Latin Pitcher

October 1, 2008

When I think of the Latin culture, I think of their food and their life style. When I say “Salsa,” I am not talking about food, I am talking about dance. I have had maybe two “Salsa” lessons in my life and it was my wife’s idea. When I think about it, I am so glad I had the experience because it has helped me as a pitcher.

Salsa definition:

A mixture of up tempo Latin styles of music. The salsa is not an actual style of Latin music; it is a style of dance. One that has become increasingly popular over time. Up beat Latin patterns and beats played together create a salsa style groove.

When you take a lesson or watch it on the hit show “Dancing with the Stars,” you will see that “Salsa” is all about the hips moving the body. Observe the video. Read more

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