Here it is, as promised. The first installment of "Big Leaguer Breakdown;" where we'll study a video of a big league pitcher's mechanics and identify the pros and cons of how this pitcher delivers the baseball and how they're successful. Today's subject is Josh Beckett of the Boston Red Sox. So, to pitch like Beckett, all you have to do is throw 96mphs and drop in a hammer curveball from time to time and you should be good! Thats all......
Heres the link to the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSP7iGVj0SY&feature=related
Ok, ok, so throwing like Beckett won't guarauntee 96 or a hammer, but there are a few things I love about his mechnics. This video has him warming up but the mechanics are spot on with his in game style. The main focus I want you guys to notice is the chain reaction from Beckett's hips and "elbows up" postion (I call this the 'power position') to the hip turn and finish. Pause the video around 4 seconds and notice how his hips are still closed (pointing at the catcher) but his elbows have "fired" up to the parallel position. He's gained momentum forward, but there is still weight on his back leg (which means there's still power in the hips). If you move forward just a few clicks (still at the 4 second mark) you'll see the hips have cleared (turned to face the plate) and the throwing arm has started its whip toward release point. Note the head is level and chin is leading to the target (another huge check point) and the glove has begun to turn in toward the chest. The thing that is most impressive about Beckett's delievery is exemplified by this part of the video. If you study most "power pitchers," the chain reaction between their elbows firing to parallel and the hips taking them to release point is nearly flawless. Beckett is no exception here.
The other point I want to look at in this video is at 21 seconds, where Beckett's leg lift has reached its highest point. The hand placement is perfect (inside the knee, close to his body) but you'll notice his momentum has alread started forward. Although Beckett's timing is usually pretty good, leaning forward too soon can cause a pitcher to rush his upper half...usually leading to elevated pitches and trouble all around. Earlier this year, Beckett ran into a stretch of tough starts and it was reported by his pitching coach that the plane of his pitches had 'flattened out' and he needed to regain the tilt on his pitches. The coach was talking about what is happening some here in this video. You can see Beckett start to leak forward on his second pitch, and as a result, his hips are a bit late and he would have to really really accelerate his upper half if were going to throw a strike on that pitch. The difference between the two pitches in this video is that in the first pitch, he does not rush forward nearly as much and therefore, has more power and 'weight' on his back leg when the hips and elbows begin to fire.
So there you have it - Beckett's delivery is the best example of hip turn/elbow's up power in the game today. He is very compact with his hand break and keeps his head on target at he gets to release. He does, however, leak forward some on his leg lift and drop a little too much on his back leg at times as he drives to the plate. Its important to know that the "Intelligent Pitcher" relies on his hip turn for power and keeps his elbows loose and parallel as they begin their turn following those hips!
Image Source: http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/mg0Qk1ndZzZ/Tampa+Bay+Rays+v+Boston+Red+Sox/0R0OppDuica/Josh+Beckett
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