Dick Mills Teaching Velocity The Simple Way Using Momentum Pitching

http://www.pitching.com
Momentum Pitching was developed in 2007 by Dick Mills and Dr. Brent Rushall. It is a new way for all pitchers to increase velocity.

By taking a step back instead of to the side and pushing into the pivot, the pitcher automatically will increase his momentum because his body will have to move a longer distance toward the plate while moving faster. In Momentum Pitching the pitcher pushes twice. He pushes after he steps back so he forcefully moves into the pivot and he pushes again once he initiates back leg drive.

Another key factor in Momentum Pitching for increasing velocity is that the pitcher holds on to the ball longer. The longer the pitcher has the ball in his hand the more force is created. Getting to ball release quickly actually reduces velocity.

Thus that added energy from the body stretching out fast into a stride 100% of the pitcher's height or more...more elastic energy is created which is the source of velocity for all pitchers.

Sport science research has proven that arm strength has little to do with improving velocity. Velocity is all about momentum, speed of movement going from the back leg to the front leg and a long stride...plus getting the arm involved as late as possible.

Sports science research has also proven that the faster an athlete moves the less chance of mechanical error...which is completely opposite to what most coaches believe and teach. Thus why so many pitchers today do not maximize their velocity because they are moving their bodies much too slowly and robotically.

What has been learned since January of 2007, when Momentum Pitching was developed is that it is much easier to teach and learn than conventional pitching where tempo is slow and every pitcher is told to reach a balance point. There is no balance point to get to. All a balance point does is slow the pitcher's forward momentum. Balance is easily corrected by all athletes by simply making them aware they are off balance.

If pitchers want to throw fast...they must move fast like Giants's Tim Lincecum...who has the fastest tempo of any starting pitcher in the big leagues and the longest stride to body height ratio.

Check out my 2008 Holiday Special Discounted Offer where you can purchase our Momentum Pitching DVD as well as other fully researched pitching products at a great discount.
http://www.pitching.com

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[leftyDM]

Brent,

What if they all stepped back? Maybe they would throw considerably harder with less stress to their arms.

Dick Mills

[leftyDM]

Prior to the 90's or so most pitchers stepped back and did not step to the side since it makes little sense to step away from the direction you are going to throw. No other throwing sport does this except baseball.

It is not just about trying to throw hard, it is all about how efficiently pitchers use their body to produce energy and then to pass it off as late as possible to the arm. With poor mechanics just trying to throw hard reduces velocity and increases arm injuries.

Dick Mills

[leftyDM]

The idea is to move the body as fast as possible while of course being under control. Moving the body slow with produce a slow arm.

This pitcher is not out of control. If a pitcher is out of control it generally is because they are not moving and landing in the direction of the plate or in a straight line. It is not about moving too fast.

Lincecum is the fastest moving pitcher in the big leagues...thus one of the reasons why he has such a long stride and a fast arm.

Dick Mills

[leftyDM]

How does stepping back throw off balance or accuracy? The large majority of pitchers prior to the 80's including Nolan Ryan stepped back. Balance is not being able to stand up or move straight ahead. This pitcher has great balance. Accuracy or control comes from throwing enough pitches while getting feedback for making the needed adjustment.

Dick Mills

[leftyDM]

Pitchers only get tired if they are not spending enough time in practice to keep themselves fit to pitch in a game. They cannot get fit to throw 100 pitches in a game by throwing 30-40 in a practice bullpen. Most pitchers simply do not throw enough practice pitches in between games to stay fit to pitch.

Dick Mills

[99Silverado53]

Well what happens when you get in the stretch...you lose the mph you gained from the momentum?

[unionbaseball1]

doesn lincecum step back or to the side........???

[leftyDM]

What does long toss have to do with pitching? If you cannot crow hop from the mound then how would long toss help you? You will be practicing something you never use when pitching from a mound. Does practicing something totally different from pitching make sense to you? No other sport advocates that thinking. It violates every principle of sports movement or skill building. Is pitching about throwing long distance? How does long distance throwing help improve pitching? Dick Mills

[Sportsmaven]

Dick Mills iscorrect. In tennis, golf, baseball etc, you always go BACK before you go forward.Hitters load on the back side, they do not load sideways.The great pitchers ( Kouifax, Roberts,Gibson etc stepped back then moved forward. This is so much common sense that I cannot believe that there is a dispute. Pitching coaches that teach the side step are causing pitchers to use more arm and are increasing arm stress and injuries all in the name of "balance".

[iljackb]

I personally had to change my delivery to change my backwards stride to a smaller one to the side (like the one you discourage) because when I would bring my leg up into the lift, I was unable to twist my torsoe backwards as far as I wanted. This had the effect of pushing my momentum more from side to side rather than towards the plate, thus reducing my speed & accuracy. I see that perhaps starting behind the rubber may aleiviate some of that problem though, another problem is bad mounds..

[marshalloo22]

come on man.thats crazy.its not 1930.who steps back that far?Should they do the double arm pump as well?

[DanielNewman47]

The momentum style is correct.But 42% of the time , pitching is from the stretch.Now What????????????????

[thndrct218]

I could be wrong, but I think its what you do with your legs and body after the gather position that is the most important

[thndrct218]

Theyre are pretty much multiple schools of thought on how you can build momentum from your motion. Whitey Ford did it pretty much exactly how this kid is doing it in the video, and is a hall of famer. Tim Lincecum steps to the side and is (arguably) the best pitcher in the game right now. Mariano Rivera who always uses the stretch throws in the low-mid 90s and is a lock first-ballot hall-of-famer.

[SimpleStuff31]

but he then takes his leg way back, which puts momentum back and then he uses momentum forward. he just gathers it differently

[SimpleStuff31]

ive seen kids step to the side and pitch terrible.

[cjval397]

@leftyDM Mr. Mills,

I respectively disagree. Stepping back like they do in this video brings pitchers totally off balance. That first huge step back makes the pitcher struggle to now catch up and get back to balance. A pitchers best asset is his balance and by doing this, he balance is thrown off.

CV