National Pitching Association West

National Pitching Association West We are the leaders in effective pitching instruction, velocity improvement and pitching injury rehabilitation.

We are the country's leading authority in pitching instruction, research, and teaching

05/04/2026

Monday Mechanics Minute: Glove Position - If you want to �A) Have better pitch command, �B) Release the ball further out front, ie. higher perceived velocity,
D) Prevent flying open too early, ie. “a late throwing arm”, and�C) Keep your energy going towards the target (throw harder easier),
then have your glove out in front of your chest at ball release. If not, you will struggle with falling off, be inconsistent, give the hitter a longer look at the ball, and more likely to develop elbow pain... Don’t let that happen. Work on keeping your glove in front at ball release. A strong glove-side fixes a lot of problems!

04/27/2026

Monday Mechanics Minute: Balance Pt.2 - To stay in balance, start by coming set with your weight equally balanced on both feet. Don’t let your feet get too wide, and a slightly closed stance is usually best. Bend both knees slightly so you can feel that athletic, balanced posture. (Most pitchers have too much weight on their back side.) You can now move that energy laterally toward the target much more easily and with less effort. And if you always set your feet the same with balanced weight, you will throw more strikes, it will be easier on the arm, and you will have better command.

04/20/2026

Monday Mechanics Minute: Balance - One of the most overlooked aspects of the pitching delivery is balance and its importance for a consistent delivery and command. To stay in balance, start by coming set with your weight equally balanced on both feet. (Most pitchers have too much weight on their back side.) After you release the ball, if you are falling off to the side, then you are not maintaining balance and some energy is being sent in the wrong direction. This results in inconsistent command of the strike zone. If you can maintain your balance pitch after pitch, you will throw more strikes, it will be easier on the arm, and you will have better command.

04/13/2026

Monday Mechanics Minute: Elbow Up - If you are flying open with your front shoulder (ie. opening up too early), try taking that lead elbow and lifting it when you break your hands. This helps delay shoulder rotation until you can get that stride foot down. The longer you can delay shoulder rotation, the harder you will throw and the easier it is on your arm. Give it a try!

04/06/2026

Monday Mechanics Minute: Consistent Footstrike - If you are striding and landing in different spots on the mound, that is an indication of something going wrong in your delivery. Either you are changing starting locations on the rubber, or something in your mechanics or timing is inconsistent. The elite pitchers land in the same spot pitch after pitch. Take a look at your landing location. If it’s not consistent, then something in your delivery needs to be adjusted to make you more consistent.

03/30/2026

Monday Mechanics Minute: Chin up - If you pull your head down at ball release, this often reflects a current or previous strength deficiency that your body is trying to adjust for. What you really need to do is keep your chin up with eyes level. This keeps your energy going towards the target. It also recruits back “extension to flexion” in the proper sequence to help propel the ball harder with less stress on the arm. So keep that chin up!

03/23/2026

Monday Mechanics Minute: Glove towards 3rd (RHP) - If you are struggling with over-rotating, try this: as you separate your hands take your glove hand towards the 3rd base dugout (1st base for LHP). This can help delay shoulder rotation just long enough to keep you from flying open too soon. It can also improve your torque by creating more hip/shoulder separation adding velocity to your pitch! Give it a try.

03/16/2026

Monday Mechanics Minute: Opposite & Equal (Elbow Angles) - After doing literally hundreds of 3D motion captures, what was noticed about elite throwers is their elbow angles match at footstrike. We call this being “equal and opposite”. It’s like walking on a tightrope - you want your arms balanced. This prevents you from over-rotating or “flying open”, and keeps your momentum going towards the target… If your elbow angles don’t match at footstrike, adjust your glove side arm to mirror your throwing side at footstrike. (NEVER adjust your throwing arm to match your glove side.) Having “equal & opposite” arms at footstrike you’ll find yourself with better command of your pitches and you’ll maintain your balance on the mound.

03/09/2026

Monday Mechanics Minute: Pitching Posture Pt.2 - If your posture is changing after you start your delivery, you will struggle to be consistent. Find that postural position when you come set, then “lock it in” until footstrike. It’s much easier to hold a position, than to try and replicate a movement time and time again. You’ll find yourself being much more consistent and efficient day in and day out.

03/02/2026

Monday Mechanics Minute: Pitching Posture - There is no single correct set posture for ALL pitchers. There IS a correct posture for each pitcher, however. Your posture (hip-to-spine relationship) is determined by your delivery. Pay attention to your head and body when you start your delivery. If you move your head up or down as you begin to move forward, then you need to adjust your set posture to match accordingly. This will get rid of unnecessary body movement at the start of your delivery and keep you on a line towards the target and you’ll be more efficient.

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