Comments on: 8 Keys to the Right Pitching Stride Length

By: Coach Jud

Coach Jud — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 06:39:36 +0000

In working with 100’s of pitchers starting lesson work measure the length of their stride. Then show them this “magic trick” mark the end of their stride and have them throw a pitch and increase that stride point . They will increase their speed every single time. Mark the new spot and have them do it again. Their speed will increase again. This works 100% of the time. This works especially well when a pitcher comes to you, and someone has convinced them wrongly, that a short stride is the way to go.

By: Ken Krause

Ken Krause — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 14:45:45 +0000

Great article as usual, Cindy. Particularly in explaining that distance isn’t the goal, it’s more the measurement. Explosion is the goal.

As for the glide, think of it this way. The more explosion you get, the faster and farther an object will travel. Let’s look at using an air-powered tennis ball machine at full power to shoot tennis balls versus using it at half power. The difference is in how much compressed air is being used. At full power, the action of the compressed air is much more explosive, and the ball will travel farther.

The same principle applies to the stride/glide. If you get an “average” amount of early leg power/explosiveness when you launch, you’re not going to get very far. But if you really drive out, and use your legs together, you are going to have a natural tendency to glide. The time it takes to get from launch to land is probably the same. But the additional explosiveness is going to extend that distance. Power x time = distance, with time being a constant. Since your legs are only so long, you will have to glide for part of that time to achieve that distance.

By: Dennis Hathaway

Dennis Hathaway — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 00:19:54 +0000

I’m going to have to side with Mr. Sykora on this one. Until I really uderstand what makes up the glide I can’t buy it. A glides indicates loss of power, lack of propulsion. A baseball pitcher rotates over his stride leg. That’s the reason, I believe, that you want a certain distance percentage of the pitchers height as his stride distance. A softball pitcher does not (necessarily)rotate past the front leg. Maybe they should, maybe they shouldn’t. But I think we may be looking at the wrong result here. It’s what happens after the ball is released that counts. With many of todays softball pitchers not maintaining ground contact with their pivot foot, or taking a slight step forward prior to starting their push, I don’t know that we can even make comparisons between baseball and softball deliveries.
Interesting article tho. Interested in other comments.

By: Douglas Sykora

Douglas Sykora — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 04:26:48 +0000

I am a little skeptical on the glide analysis. I can understand an airplane or a vulture gliding. But how exactly do you define a pitcher’s glide length. The glide lengths stated could be anything since the method of determining them was not revealed. And why try to compare a baseball pitcher’s stride length to height ratio with a fastpitch pitcher’s stride length to height ratio. The mechanics are substantially different. I would suggest noting that the softball pitcher has a stride length to height ratio that is substantially larger than what is seen in baseball.

That said, I would be willing to change my mind on this topic if there is a logical procedure that defines and describes the glide distances used in this article. Also the eight items in the summary section are very good advice.

By: Dan Chapman

Dan Chapman — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:14:16 +0000

How do you explain this to a young pitcher? I have a 12 year old daughter who is in between on this arguement(?). I keep telling her that she has to explode off the mound and get some distance to help her get faster with her pitches. Another person is telling her that the small slide and quick arm whip is the way to faster, more powerful pitches.

By: Steve NIchols

Steve NIchols — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:30:14 +0000

Fantastic analysis, Cindy! And the visuals are amazing! This is something hitting instructor Mike Epstein has said: we should teach what we really see.