It is widely accepted throughout baseball that efficient lead knee extension at foot plant during the pitching motion is highly correlated to velocity. This "lead leg block" refers to the ability of the athlete to slow down the forward momentum of their center of mass immediately after the foot hits the ground. This braking of forward momentum then creates a force vector into the rear hip socket of the land leg that initiates pelvis rotation at speeds upwards of 680 degrees/sec (Dowling). From there, the turn of the pelvis toward the plate up and over the head of the femur promotes another force vector that drives extension of the lead knee at speeds upwards of 430 degrees per second.
An activity that takes place at such high speeds/forces exposes weak links along the kinetic chain as well as inefficiencies in the kinematic sequence. While innumerable differences in achieving an efficient lead leg block exist, there are basic biomechanical and force production qualities that set an athlete up for success. Let's focus on what is required from the ground to the ipsilateral (land leg side) pelvis during this process.
Overcoming high ground reaction forces(GRF)
The first non-negotiable for an efficient lead leg block is the ability to co-contract the quadriceps and hamstrings at foot plant to create a rigid lever to rotate around. The preference here due to the high specificity of these exercises includes unilateral lower body pushes as well as unilateral and off-set lower body pulls. As it pertains to sheer force production, utilization of overcoming (pushing) isometrics offers an opportunity to facilitate high neural drive. These movements would commonly be programmed into an A-block of an athlete's lift.
Once the ability to produce adequate force is achieved, an emphasis should be placed on power and rate of force development. Utilization of both higher forces from activities like depth drops expose the body to peak forces. Fast force development through oscillatory and impulse training enhance rate of force development. Progress box height to athlete comfort and performance on the depth drops.
These movements can be combined in an A-block with a French-Contrast style approach or as primers for high force output days.
Considerations for Different Athlete Orientations at the Hip
Understanding athlete differences in pelvis structure and the influence it has on access to hip range of motion is crucial in developing efficient, repeatable landing mechanics. At baseline, our wider, broader athletes will typically have better hip internal rotation biases. This allows these athletes the ability to land with a more foot flat posture AND affords the opportunity to land a little more closed if that strategy is deemed to be helpful in decelerating the pelvis in an effort to transfer energy up the chain. Landing in a more foot flat posture correlates with the wider athletes comfort in the middle parts of propulsion (gait cycle). This middle part of propulsion is often characterized by a higher presence of internal rotation of the hip/foot (pronation) complex.
Pitching GIFS Courtesy of Rob Friedman/Pitching Ninja Free Dropbox
By contrast, the more narrow, slender athletes will have a greater hip external rotation window. If hip IR is severely limited, athletes may opt to strike with the heel first as opposed to the whole foot. This heel strike lands pitchers in more of an early propulsive strategy that helps to create a better external rotation position to open up a window to superimpose pelvis on femur internal rotation.
It is imperative to remember that regardless of hip/pelvis/thorax orientation, the demands of the sport require rotation of the pelvis. This rotation requires a yielding strategy at the back of the pelvis on the side of landing to allow rotation around the hip socket. This "delay" strategy opens up a window of relative pelvis on femur external rotation to then allow the pelvis to internally rotate on the femur within that window. If this yielding strategy does not occur efficiently, you see what looks like the equivalent of this up and over motion with the lead leg akin to flipping over the handlebars of a bicycle.
Exercises like front foot elevated split squats as well as this offset RDL variation are great for promoting hip IR in the accessory blocks of a workout.
If the athlete is having trouble creating the rotation up and around the lead leg and looks more like they are ejecting over the top of the socket like the gif above, these exercises can help to create the position at the pelvis that promotes the delay on the land leg side pelvis. This delay helps bring the opposite side around toward the target, facilitating better true rotation. The land leg should be back in these variations.
These exercises can then be progressed to activities like med ball scoop tosses and shot put throws to promote higher specificity and velocity as it relates to the throw. For baseball players, the accessory blocks of a workout offer a great opportunity to groove rotational patterns necessary for the mechanics of the sport. Fortify's approach is to utilize exercises that challenge multiple planes of stability and movement within the same exercise.
What about the Foot?
In our athletes who lack hip IR ROM (typically seen in more narrow, elastic athletes), often land heel to toe (some heavier on the heel than others). This essentially mimics the early part of the gait (walking) cycle and allows them to rely on their externally rotated bias. This strategy helps to keep a position of relative external rotation in the lead leg to allow for a bigger window for internal rotation. The goal then is to get to foot flat as quickly as possible. The intent with hip mobility/stability exercises is to enhance an athletes IR access to allow for earlier foot flat landing and decreased time spent on the heel.
Athletes who have adequate hip internal rotation have the ability to land with an earlier representation of middle propulsion or a more foot flat position. This foot position facilitates better pressure (internal rotation) into the ground combating ground reaction forces. This equal/opposite reaction then drives that force up the chain and into the pelvis. This internally rotation (calcaneal eversion/forefoot pronation) is an essential propulsive strategy.
Courtesy of sciencegifs
See the video below of a unique way to address an athletes ability to obtain this middle propulsive foot.
Conclusion
These are only some of the physical factors assessed with regard to the lead leg block. Other obvious areas of interest include stride length and timing of pelvis rotation into foot plant. Fortify Performance aims to utilize individualized performance programming to truly bridge the gap between the weightroom and the field of play. Contact Fortify at nolan@fortifyperformancesystems.com to find out more info on how Fortify can take your player development to the next level.
Citations
Dowling, B., Knapik, D. M., Luera, M. J., Garrigues, G. E., Nicholson, G. P., & Verma, N. N. (2022b, November 29). Influence of pelvic rotation on lower extremity kinematics, elbow varus torque, and ball velocity in professional baseball pitchers. Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9720809/#:~:text=Clinical%20Relevance:,12%2C14%2C29
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