Are stride length and pitching velocity related?
As a general rule, a baseball pitcher should stride out laterally from the rubber a distance that’s about 77 to 87 percent of his height. When, for instance, power pitcher Joel Zumaya of the Detroit Tigers pitches, he loads all his weight – 210 pounds – onto his back leg in the balance position. His next movement is where he gets his power: His leg drops straight down. His body stays relatively still. He doesn’t move forward toward the plate until his left foot is about 4 to 6 inches off of the ground. Then he strides out laterally, leading with his hip and left foot (he’s a righty). His head stays at the center of his body, forming a pyramid. That’s how most hard-throwing pitchers achieve optimal pitching velocity. They stride correctly — both laterally and over a distance that’s about 77 to 87 percent of their height. And their lead foot drops down from the balance point and then out before their body weight starts moving forward.
