Do you arch your back when you pitch?

If you find yourself hitting your hip or the front of your body with your arm when you pitch, frequently pitch inside without meaning to, or are experiencing some back pain, listen up!

I’ve been working with several pitchers recently who have trouble with arching their backs at the top of their K position. It’s a difficult problem to overcome, because most of the time they can’t feel it.

Here is a very good neutral K position. What I mean by that is, although her arms and legs are moving aggressively, her back is not doing very much at all. If you forget about the limbs, her back is very similar to a normal standing posture.

If you arch your back at this stage (i.e., chest more forward toward the camera and head more back using the above example), a number of other mechanical difficulties come about as a result:

• The front of your body (chest and stomach) move onto the power line, thus blocking your arm’s clear path
• Your pitching arm goes over your head, taking it off the power line
• You put unnecessary stress on your back, which now has to correct itself in the middle of your high speed release

How to fix it

1. It’s very hard to fix something you can’t feel, but if you can’t feel it, you need to start by SEEING it. Have someone take video of you pitching and watch it. Then, watch yourself pitch in a full length mirror (without a ball). Notice what your body wants to do naturally and what adjustments you need to make to correct your posture.
2. Wall drills are very helpful as well. With wall drills, you create a narrow lane between yourself and the wall, and you must keep it clear in order to deliver a strike. If you arch your back, you will block that lane with the front of your body. These drills can also be done next to a fence or a net.