| Great baseball pitching, of course, is needed to | | | | Indeed, Nolan Ryan is used as an exemplar of |
| counteract great baseball hitting. But there is | | | | what not to do by those who are antagonistic |
| some difference of perspective among those | | | | toward the methodology as he is use as a |
| who are involved in professional baseball training | | | | paragon of perfection by those who are its |
| about one of the most fundamental issues | | | | proponents. The point out that for all of his |
| regarding baseball pitching mechanics: whether or | | | | no-hitters, Ryan never threw a perfect game; |
| not one should "stand tall and stay back" when on | | | | and while he's the strikeout king, he's also the |
| the mound. | | | | all-time walks king. Ryan, who is widely regarded |
| Now, pitching coaches generally contrast standing | | | | as the greatest power pitcher there ever was, |
| tall against pitchers whom they describe as | | | | did have a human flaw after all: he did not always |
| "drop-and-dive". Drop-and-dive pitchers are | | | | have the greatest control. And for those who |
| represented in the Hall of Fame by such greats as | | | | don't like standing tall in pitching, this was because |
| Tom Seaver, Robin Roberts, and Sandy Koufax. | | | | Ryan didn't do enough practice time on the |
| But, the conventional wisdom generally adhered to | | | | baseball mound. Not because the great one wasn't |
| by baseball pitching coaches is that a few Hall of | | | | training: but he had a personal trainer who believed |
| Fame pitchers who had unusual capabilities do not | | | | in cross-training and working out pitchers on flat |
| a rule make. | | | | ground. Ryan spent a lot of training time throwing |
| "What you want to see out of power pitchers is | | | | footballs from a flat-footed position. And they say |
| that once that stride leg starts lowering, the lower | | | | that as great as he was, Ryan was harmed, not |
| body really goes fast, and they land on a flexed | | | | helped, by this training approach, even if he gained |
| leg...The drop-and-drive is definitely something you | | | | leg strength from it. |
| wouldn't want to teach. Nobody pitches that way | | | | They also point out that in actual fact, Ryan did |
| anymore, because in the drop-and-drive, you don't | | | | not pitch from a downward angle. And, nor did |
| really use your body. It doesn't allow the core | | | | Koufax. Nor did Steve Carlton. Neither do Josh |
| muscles of your body to get up and over a | | | | Beckett, "Dice K." , or the great heat-throwing |
| braced front leg," insists Amherst College's head | | | | closer Pedro Martinez. Instead, they insist that |
| baseball coach Bill Thurston. | | | | these great, powerful pitchers gain their ball |
| And University of Kansas pitching coach Steve | | | | velocity from long strides--not from standing tall |
| Abney adds, "Tom Seaver was a drop-and-drive | | | | and staying back except for at the very beginning |
| guy, but he was a power-armed, 5' 11", 215-pound | | | | of their wind-up. Proponents of this "lean forward" |
| guy who could get his arm through. By staying tall | | | | baseball pitching philosophy also point out that by |
| and not dropping-and-driving, you allow the arm to | | | | leaning forward the pitcher is releasing the ball at |
| get out of the glove and get your fingers on top | | | | a closer range to the plate--and while it's only a |
| of the baseball." | | | | slight difference, given how fast the reaction |
| Another Hall of Fame Pitcher, the all-time strikeout | | | | times in baseball need to be, this closer-range |
| and no-hitter king Nolan Ryan, credited with having | | | | release point does throw off hitters. |
| thrown the officially-clocked fastest pitch ever | | | | In fact, Koufax (whose single season strikeout |
| (101 mph), is often cited as the exemplar of the | | | | record was broken by one pitch by Ryan in 1972) |
| mechanical advantage given to the pitcher who | | | | wrote in his 2002 book 'Sandy Koufax, a Lefty's |
| stands tall and stays back. It's well known that | | | | Legacy', "If you look at pictures of Tom Seaver, |
| Ryan said that the most important part of his | | | | Nolan Ryan, myself, the back leg is on the ground. |
| body when it came to pitching was not his arm--it | | | | You have to get your center of gravity low so |
| was his legs. And when Ryan finished his delivery | | | | that when you're throwing the ball, you're |
| to the mound, he would be standing stork-like on | | | | throwing it straight out, rather than down. You |
| his front leg, the rest of his body curled up | | | | can't defy gravity." |
| around and on top of that powerful leg. "One thing | | | | What all baseball training coaches want their |
| [Nolan Ryan] told me about his delivery was that | | | | pitchers to do to create great pitching is: improve |
| he wanted to do as much work out front as | | | | the mobility and rotational velocity of their hips |
| possible...Pitchers who drop-and-drive need to alter | | | | and thoracic spine; increase their stores of kinetic |
| their posture to get that momentum going again. | | | | energy and their ground reaction forces; and |
| Keep all the energy you've worked hard to | | | | improve the coordination they have between their |
| recruit," insists Bioforce Baseball's Bill Mooney. | | | | arms, torso, hips, and ball. Does standing tall and |
| However, this attitude about standing tall is by no | | | | staying back facilitate this the best, or no? Maybe |
| means universally held by baseball training | | | | it all comes down to the individual; or, maybe |
| professionals. | | | | many coaches are mistaken. |