Driveline Baseball - Latest Comments

Re: Michael Pineda, SLAP Tears, Forcing a Change-Up, and Pitching Mechanics

Derek — Fri, 13 Nov 2015 13:50:49 -0000

Kyle, do you believe it is possible to throw hard and healthy with SLAP tears present? If there is sufficient strength and stability provided by surrounding muscle tissue along with efficient mechanics, wouldn't there be less reliance on the labrum for stability? I'm curious what your thoughts are on this topic.

Re: Fun with Myths: Hitting the Other Way (Jose Bautista)

CJ G — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 20:01:47 -0000

Don't you think it's worth comparing this to his complete spray chart before saying that his approach is "looking to pull pitches for power?" Stands to reason that a HR spray chart would be heavily swayed to the pull side as that's where almost all hitters hit the ball the with the most distance. I think "look to go the other way" is the wrong way of saying "take a swing that produces back-spin on the baseball, no matter where it goes." I think a coach saying "go the other way" is not the right cue, but I also think there are HUGE holes in telling a young hitter "look to pull for power" before they understand what that means (i.e. to do it with backspin).

Re: The Reinvention of Casey Weathers Part 2 – The Importance of Arm Health

Cromulent — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 21:04:49 -0000

I thought Casey did well enough to merit a trip up to the big club when the roster expanded.

Re: Lower Half Pitching Mechanics: Data-Driven Analysis

Miguel — Sat, 26 Sep 2015 07:33:26 -0000

pretty interesting! do you see the lack of glut engagement on push off (what we are all taught to use) for pitchers at all levels? Across multiple subjects?

Re: Uncommitted to Drafted: Christian Meister’s Year of Pitching Training

David Manasek — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 19:40:42 -0000

Kyle, after completing the entirety of the weighted ball program, I am back at college and want to maintain and protect my gains. I have the plyoballs and weighted balls as well as the jeager bands. Really looking for a way to continue developing and keeping my speed up. Thank you.

Re: Is Forearm Pronation the Key to Preventing Tommy John Surgery?

MCM — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 21:35:08 -0000

This Miami clinic has announced today it has eliminated its 60th case of Tommy John Surgery!! That's insane. Why isn't Major League Baseball taking notice?! WOW!

http://googlepress.co/2015/...

Re: Uncommitted to Drafted: Christian Meister’s Year of Pitching Training

Long Toss Indiana — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 15:36:51 -0000

Awesome read!!!! Love it!!!

Re: Uncommitted to Drafted: Christian Meister’s Year of Pitching Training

drivelinekyle — Sat, 05 Sep 2015 00:36:16 -0000

We give 100% of what we have that day. Doesn't mean we push to 100% every day - sometimes that day is a light day based on feel and scheduling. But too many people confuse a "light day" with a "screw around" day. Your intensity must be high and you must have purpose on the light days, otherwise they are a waste.

Re: Uncommitted to Drafted: Christian Meister’s Year of Pitching Training

Sean C — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 22:33:06 -0000

Great read. Can you help clarify something. The article mentioned going 100% everyday. Do you guys throw 100% effort every day? You don't have any light feel throwing days? Or was this referring to giving 100% effort in the weight room? Or just completing 100% of the assigned workout and not skipping anything anymore?

I can't see someone lasting very long if they're throwing 100% effort everyday. Can you help clarify. Thanks.

Re: How to Make a Baseball Recruiting Video Coaches Will Actually Watch

CubsFan5 — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 18:02:35 -0000

Favorited. Very informative but straight to the point.

Re: Why We Don’t Teach Equal and Opposite (Or a Firm Front Side)

Michael Horton — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 13:26:26 -0000

Equal and opposite is not intended to last through the entire windup and delivery. Equal and opposite is only intended to be true right after ball/glove separation. Every one of your pitchers above are equal and opposite at that point . . . the only point when they are supposed to be.
Same thing with firm glove, you seem to be cherry-picking photos that try to show your point even though they're in the wrong phase of the delivery. In that picture of Nolan Ryan, the ball is half way to the plate already. In the David Robinson photo, you cannot even see the ball in the picture. Of course his glove isn't going to be in front of him anymore. Firm glove out in front is during stack-and-track to ball release. In your video of Trevor, his glove hand is in exactly the same place as Yu Darvish (in his chest) on release yet you say that Yu Darvish doesn't have a firm glove.

Re: Lower Half Pitching Mechanics: Data-Driven Analysis

drivelinekyle — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 14:00:55 -0000

In this case we are using LiveAthos EMG clothing and their app. We are getting their shirt when it ships, October. Lower legs do not have an attachment in their clothing, but we do have Somaxis EMG sensors we can use for one-off analyses.

Re: Lower Half Pitching Mechanics: Data-Driven Analysis

CheckYoSelf — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 12:15:17 -0000

This is awesome stuff. I'm curious where the App is collecting that info from? Sensors attached to skin, or clothing? Interesting either way.

Also, I'm assuming you're planning on looking into the Torso and lower legs? If so I'm really looking forward to more posts like this.

Re: Velocity Development Program (MaxVelo) Study Data and Conclusions

Tim biertzer — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 10:11:12 -0000

My son turns 14 this July. Can he follow your program? I thought I read somewhere in your brochure that you should be 16?

Re: Is Forearm Pronation the Key to Preventing Tommy John Surgery?

Joe Mason — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 20:53:24 -0000

My question is...Is pronation just an issue about elbow protection against valgus torque, or is it also interrelated to shoulder internal rotation, creating efficient arm path to target and arm deceleration? A strong elbow might not be so good if you don't also take care of your shoulder.

Re: Explaining the Elbow Spiral in the Pitching Delivery

drivelinekyle — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 03:50:27 -0000

"The heavy balls aren't just about arm path or mapping the arm, it is also about stablizing the shoulder complex under a significant load."

Love this concept! Thanks a lot Joe!

Re: Explaining the Elbow Spiral in the Pitching Delivery

Joe Mason — Wed, 27 May 2015 22:00:53 -0000

Reread Ben Brewster's overload piece this morning, then saw this blog post on the spiral arm action and then stumbled across a retweet by JStarr from Travis Jewett about stablizing the shoulder during Turkish Get-Ups and it was like serendipity. Jewett uses the TGUs as a all round fitness/diagnostic accessment tool. http://www.strongfirst.com/... Then I see this connection between stabilizing the shoulder and connecting the thorax and arm together. Well duh, right? No! I mean not just stablizing the rotator cuff, but the whole shoulder complex including the scapula, rib cage and spine. Doesn't heavy plyoballs really engage that whole underlying structure? Isn't the spiralling part of that efficient engagement? The heavy balls aren't just about arm path or mapping the arm, it is also about stablizing the shoulder complex under a significant load. A 5 ounce ball isn't enough of a stimulous to force the changes at that level.

Re: Why Sir Isaac Newton is Still the Foremost Expert in Pitching Biomechanics

drivelinekyle — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 19:49:00 -0000

Contracting the forearm throughout the delivery can alter pitching biomechanics for the worse. Try holding a 2 lb. PlyoCare ball in your hand in external rotation. The mass of the ball pushes the forearm back. Now contract the forearm. For most people who try this exercise, internal rotation at the shoulder occurs.

A death grip on the ball may very well reduce shoulder external rotation and range of motion. Whether this is good or not is an exercise left to the reader, since it has no absolute answer.

Re: Why Sir Isaac Newton is Still the Foremost Expert in Pitching Biomechanics

David — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 19:45:43 -0000

So by applying more force, does one have to death grip the ball? Tighter grip increases force right and I feel like when one throws with a lose grip, sure your arm can be moving fast but there really is no force? I don't know, can you help clear this thought up for me a bit?

Re: How Muscles Work and Protect a Pitcher’s Elbow

roothog66 — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 18:55:34 -0000

Jeesh! R-E-G-I-M-E-N

Re: How Muscles Work and Protect a Pitcher’s Elbow

roothog66 — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 18:54:33 -0000

Or even a regimine. I don't want you thinking that I envision an army swooping in to provide therapy.

Re: How Muscles Work and Protect a Pitcher’s Elbow

Steve — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 18:37:33 -0000

Thanks for the information.

Re: How Muscles Work and Protect a Pitcher’s Elbow

roothog66 — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 15:43:01 -0000

For Kyle: Given the importance of the flexor-pronator muscle group, would you suggest a regiment of therapy using an EMT device (I own a MarcPro) to work on this muscle group? If so, what recommendations would you make concerning pad placement?

Re: A More Forward Approach to Understanding Pitching Biomechanics

Cromulent — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 13:14:44 -0000

"This means that I can now record a specific pitcher’s throwing motion and give him a legitimate analysis of what is going on"

I take it that is true IF the specific pitcher is well matched to the sample you used to generate the model:

"The specific computer model I used was developed from bone, muscle, and ligament geometry measurements taken in cadavers, as well as strength measurements taken in living subjects [2, 3]."

Re: Challenges with Typical Biomechanical Analyses of Pitching

drivelinekyle — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 03:07:19 -0000

I think the Motus Sleeve will be great. But I don't think it's the final answer to everything like it's being pushed in the media. In fact, I've ordered three units and I'm waiting on them to ship. They promised a mid-February launch date, but I haven't heard anything and I've pinged them a few times....