Good Mechanics or Good Movements
My take on the “mechanics craze”
Does a great major league pitcher or hitter have good mechanics or good movement patterns ?
First off, because we have become known as the place to learn how to throw harder, hit harder, sometimes what get’s lost is the never ending constant work on what people refer to as mechanics.
I have had a few people actually ask me at times, “just when are you guys going to start working on mechanics”. After I laugh, I try to explain our version and philosophy of working on mechanics is not what the average person is used to. We are constantly working on mechanics, it's just that our focus is very different than others because it revolves around "Movements" not positions.
Good Mechanics in my opinion are not positions. In fact great mechanics and great positions have nothing to do with each other. In fact in many cases in which we have improved someone’s velocity, we have also improved mechanics at the same time.
Todays parent and player are used to be taught about the Key Positions that it takes to be good. The problem is while taking lessons almost anywhere in the country, you could learn all about the key positions and never, ever improve overall performance. What you have done however, is improved your ability to “look” exactly the way your instructor wanted you to “look”. Ahhhh, now you have it. Yet the ball does not come out faster, the hit is no harder. So how in the world are the mechanics better if the result is no better ?
Good Movement Patterns and good movements are what makes good mechanics!
Not good positions.
For example if your coach tells you that you need to get your arm up in the high cocked position and you succeed at doing this has your mechanics improved ? He even showed you several pictures of big leaguers with the arm up. So now you have it up ….. right? Does this make your mechanics just like the major leaguers?
Answer: No.
Why? What that picture does not tell you is what the arm did just before and after that position.
Furthermore a picture doesn’t always explain the timing of the position.
The bottom line is you can’t get better at “movements” by focusing on a positions. A good movement pattern needs to be developed by moving.
Throwing and Hitting a baseball is a movement, not a position. You can’t learn how to move by simply learning a position. As coaches we understand this and thus the emphasis on learning how to move.
Here is an example:
Many pitching coaches emphasize pausing at the top of the leg kick for better balance. If you do this does this mean you have good mechanics ? No. Great pitchers are already transferring energy forward at the top of the leg kick. They are not stopping energy. Therefore they are still moving, not stopping.
Other coaches will emphasize the importance of getting the arm up. If you get the arm up does this mean you have good mechanics? No.
Do players get the arm up? Of course. But the real question is when?
The entire body works together to throw a ball. Can you really just isolate the arm and forget about the timing with the rest of the body.
Throwing a baseball and hitting a baseball is done with movements.
Mastering the movement pattern is what generates good “mechanics”.
What frustrates some about our training is we refuse to crown one specific movement pattern as good mechanics.
Remember this and don’t forget it:
It would be far easier for Coach Steve and I to have everyone try to throw exactly a like, hit exactly a like, and move exactly a like. This is why most people do this. It’s easy to say this is my way and this is how we are doing it. The problem is that specific method may only work for 3 out of every 10 students. Then what ? What about the other 7.
Remember This:
Good Mechanics are only good if they help/aid and assist you in your ability to throw,hit with better power and control. For pitchers “good movement patterns” can help reduce a potential injury, although a series of possibilities move into that equation.
Here are some interesting stats in our academy right now of kids who I believe have some pretty good “mechanics”. Movement Patterns.
Six Year Old: 46mph Throw 54mph bat speed
Nine Year Old: 60mph Throw
12 year Old: 77mph throw
8th Grader at 86mph bat speed
Freshman at 85mph throwing speed
Junior at 93mph throwing speed
College Senior throwing 102mph
So do these kids have good movement patterns?
I say yes they do. I say all of these kids have better so called “mechanics” than many kids at the same age.
So how are we used to seeing “mechanics” taught in 2010?
> One forced particular style
Say your coach thinks Nolan Ryan has perfect mechanics. Then you copy his mechanics.
> Step by Step practicing. Position 1 Position 2 Position 3 ect…
MY FAVORITE HITTING POSITION THAT COACHES HAVE BEEN TEACHING FOR MANY YEARS:
“SQUASH THE BUG”
Yep. They looked at pictures of hitters and what they looked like after the swing. Yes, when the ball was way off the bat. Yes after they swung and had to catch themselves from falling over.
They saw the hitters on the ball of the foot and decided to teach everyone to “squash the bug”. Great example of how a position was misunderstood and it became all about spinning and rotating on the back foot.
A picture of a hitter at the end of the swing has almost nothing to do with the movements he made throughout the swing.
Emphasize your ability to move through positions and have good movement patterns. For throwing your glove side and hand side work together. If you have not been taught this or do this then you don’t have good mechanics.
A hitter locking his leg out and locking his leg out at the right time are completely two different things. When a hitter locks right at contact the ball exits harder than if he locks after contact. Mechanics or movement patterns? In this case timing of movements.
So how exactly do we teach mechanics or movement patterns?
Feel. Yes, I firmly believe “feel is the deal”. A less verbal teaching approach allows players to get the “feel” of the movement by mastering the drill. The drill teaches the player how to move. As a coach we must know when to speak and when to get out of the way.
My opinion is most lesson providers spend way too much time getting in the way.
Notice with hitters I will only change, when change is necessary. The hitter must learn the “feel”.
We also use visuals. Watching several swings, and throws by hall of famers.
One hitter this week was told he needed to change his swing before he even hit a ball at tryouts. The coach was correcting his dry swing.
Another hitter was corrected when hitting a ball 5 feet into a net.
Why the correction or change?
Simple. The coach did not like what he saw. He did not even entertain that maybe this kid might be the best hitter in my program. He ignored and did not even wait to see the result.
Coaches get fixated on what they like to “see” and lose sight at the result.
In some ways Fastball USA is a complete opposite. We focus on the result, and if a change in technique or movement pattern does not help improve the result, then we don’t make it!
This is why, measuring everything comes in handy. The proof is right in front of you. Are you hitting the ball harder?
I have seen coaches actually make changes to make the kid look like he wants him to look. All while ignoring the result, which has made them worse. The response is you just need to keep working at it.
Our greatest improvements have often come with kids with the most instruction for the most “mechanical” instruction. It’s hard at first, but after a while the results start to pour in.
Unfortunately these kids were better off never seeing a lesson provider and simply training with good “intent”. The intent to hit hard, hit far, throw hard, throw far.
Instead they are taught how to hit, how to throw, and with no emphasis on results. Scary!
If a high school hitter comes in and swings 85mph and hits the ball 90mph, I am not going to change his swing if I don’t like his swing. In fact the only change is to help assist in growth of improvement and any change would have to take him forward……..not backward.
Do I move with efficiency?
Hitters Movement Patterns:
Do I have the ability to arrive at the right place/right time (contact)
Do I have a first movement to maximize power and timing
Do my movements provide for maximum power at the point of contact
Do I maximize my rubber bands in my front hip, and bottom hand wrist
Do I maximize power by transferring energy forward into contact
Do I maximize power by rotating through contact with maximum energy
Do I put myself in position to swing on a level plain and get there quickly
Do I maximize my power compared to my effort
These are mechanical traits I look for when I watch what's holding a hitter back.
Mechanical Evaluation:
My analysis begins with what is holding you back the most.
Now for some it maybe several things but certainly something is holding back more than something else. I start by focusing on the weakness.
So remember, next time your going for a lesson on "mechanics", keep in mind that mechanics and results should not be seperate. Good Mechanics are Good Movements or movement patterns.
I can't go here (Xyz Academy)and learn how to throw harder, and then go here (Xyz lesson provider)to learn "good mechanics". Great movement patterns are great mechanics.
What most people are selling as good mechanics is a bunch of B.S.
If it's good mechanics it better come with good results.
Fastball USA Inner Circle Newsletter March 2010
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