The intent of the Baseball Collegian Pitching Project is to inform coaches and players and parents of some of the many theories on being a successful pitcher.

Most every concept has advocates with very strong opinions on either side of the argument. Too often, a theory is chosen based on popularity, conventional wisdom, or because someone famous does it that way, as opposed to one’s own analysis. With so many contradicting theories, it is essential to have an understanding of all of the possible options before deciding which one to commit to.
These pitching theories are presented without judgment, without confirmation bias, with no preconceptions, and without dogma or commercialism. In turn, the strong hope is that people are inspired to do the work to make up their own mind based on as much information as possible – and in turn, do what makes most sense to them.

Last month, the discussion was about which side of the rubber to throw off of. This month, the discussion turns to whether or not you push off with the back leg.

Q. Do you push off with the back leg?

General Belief:
• Yes Steven Ellis
Well, if you look at closely at enough videotape of power-pitchers (guys that throw 95mph+), you’ll see that the back leg actually does straighten. It doesn’t straighten out completely but it does straighten some, and that’s all it takes to push. (thecompletepitcher.com)

• Yes Dr. Mike Marshall
Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of Reaction says that for every action force, there is an equal and oppositely-directed reaction force. This means that if baseball pitchers want to apply greater force to their pitches toward home plate, then they have to apply greater force toward the opposite direction, or, toward second base. To apply greater force toward second base with the pitching leg, I teach my pitchers to point their pitching foot at home plate. As a result, my pitchers use the muscles that plantar flex their pitching ankle, extend their pitching knee and extend their hip joint to powerfully push straight forward off the pitching rubber.
Therefore: I recommend that, to apply greater force toward second base, pitchers point their pitching foot at home plate and ‘sprint start’ their pitching leg off the pitching rubber. (drmikemarshall.com)

Other Philosophies:

• No Bill Thurston – Amherst Baseball
As the stride leg lowers, the lead foot should move downward (not swung out!) and slide just above the mound surface.
– The body should just glide forward.
– The pitcher should not push off until the stride foot has landed, stabilizing the body.
– Technically, it is a pulling action of the hip flexors and a pull of the back knee forward and inward rather than a push-off from the rubber.
(The Fine Art of Pitching, by Bill Thurston)

• No Tom House
You can’t push down a hill. All elite pitchers find a posture and keep a posture by stabilizing with their post leg.
(The Picture Perfect Pitcher, by Tom House)

• No Brad Mills
I will tell you a big secret right now that 95 percent of coaches and pitching instructors do not know. The pitcher’s legs or his back foot does not move him from his back leg to his front leg. Neither does swinging the front leg out. The pitcher must move his center of gravity. His pelvis. His belly button. It is his back hip that does the moving. His back leg or foot can’t move him 1 inch. His leg is simply used as a support mechanism or something to move the pelvis or his lower body away from. (pitching.com)