How 140lbs Throws 97 mph & 400ft

1.      COM

-          From the second his back foot hits the ground until he hits foot plant, Brandon’s center of mass (belly button) moves forward and moves forward pretty dam fast. This not only helps him create momentum towards the target but also puts his lower body in a position for his upper body to rotate efficiently and throw fuego 

2.      Pelvis Orientation

-          Once he hits foot plant, Brandon’s pelvis is in a pretty good position to transition linear momentum into rotational momentum up the chain. You’ll notice that his belly button is pretty even between both of his hips as well as being stacked underneath his torso. Nothing is “leaking”

3.      Lead Leg Block

-          Getting his center of mass into a proper position at foot plant sets up his lower half to block. You’ll see his front leg begin to block/“extend” as his pelvis finishes rotating allowing him to “slam on the breaks” on his lower body so his upper body can accelerate forward, resulting in some serious gasoline

4.      Flip Up

-          As his hands break, his right scapula begins to retract and his shoulder starts to horizontally abduct behind his head. This helps keep his torso closed as he moves forward. This will both put his upper body in a better position at footplant as well as help maximize hip to shoulder separation. It also amplifies the amount of time he has to input force into the baseball, like pulling further on a rubber band to make it shoot further   

5.      Hip Shoulder Separation

-          I’d argue it doesn’t get much better than this regardless of an athletes height or weight. Arm flipped up behind the head, pelvis open & torso closed. He’s ready to let it eat

6.      Release Point

-          A quick snapshot of the ball coming out of Brandon’s hand. You can see he is on plane with his shoulders. All overhead athletes, not just pitchers generally get and stay on plane, resulting in maximum force being imparted into their implement