I call this force application technique, MAXLINE, short for maximizing the length of the driveline. In the following discussion, I explain how the Maxline force application technique differs from the general force application technique that I discussed in Chapter 20.

a. Maxline Transition

The Maxline transition starts with pitchers standing at forty-five degree angles to the pitching rubber. When pitchers reverse rotate their bodies, they take their acromial line to straight toward home plate.

1. Training Start Position

Pitchers place their rear foot at forty-five degree angles on the three and one-half inches of the pitching rubber toward their non-pitching arm sides. They stand with their bodies also at forty-five degrees with their feet spread slightly wider than their shoulders. They have their body weight shifted toward their stride foot.

Pitchers hold their hands below their waists with their arms nearly extended slightly on their non-pitching arm side. To start the pitching motion, pitchers must not raise their hands, but gently move the baseball backward.

2. Vertical Pendulum

Because pitchers stand at forty-five degrees, their vertical pendulum start takes their pitching arm at forty-five degree angles laterally and backward. Pitchers must maintain this pendulum pathway relationship to their body throughout their transition.

3. Downward Forearm Head Pat

After their forearm passes their hip, pitchers start to reverse rotate their hips and shoulders until their acromial lines point toward home plate. This reverse rotation changes the pendulum pathway from forty-five degrees lateral to straight toward second base. However, the change in pathway does not mean a change in the relationship to the body.

At the same time, to counter-balance their rock-back weight shift pitchers slightly raise their stride legs. Pitchers must take care not to raise their stride legs any higher than required to counter-balance their weight shift or they will upset the rhythm of their arm action.

4. Elbow Raise

From the downward forearm head pat position, pitchers raise their elbows upward under their forearms to shoulder height. They must take care to maintain their reverse rotation position with their acromial line pointed at home plate.

At the same time, pitchers step forward with their stride legs in line with non-pitching arm side batters. This slightly open stride enables pitchers to maximally rotate their hips and shoulders forwardly. They should contact the ground with their stride foot slightly turned to the outside on the ball of their foot.

5. Shoulder Lock Leverage

Pitchers lock their upper arms with their rib cages throughout the remainder of the acceleration phases of the pitching motion. They also lock their forearms in the proper position from maximally pronated to maximally supinated for the desired pitch. For example, screwballs require maximally pronated forearms and curves require maximally supinated forearms. At the end of this chapter, I provide my explanations for the proper forearm lock position, driveline and release for the Maxline pitches.

b. Maxline Upper Arm Acceleration

While pitchers raise their elbows under their forearms to horizontal at shoulder height, they step forward with their stride legs in line with the non-pitching arm side batter. Until their stride foot contacts the ground, pitchers hold the reverse rotation with their acromial line pointed toward home plate.

Once their stride foot contacts the ground, pitchers start their rear leg drive off the pitching rubber. As they move their bodies toward their stride foot, they forwardly rotate their hips and shoulders. Pitchers must drive behind their pitches in straight lines from leverage through release while they forwardly rotate their hips and shoulders one hundred and eighty degrees. To maximize their rotational distance, they must keep their shoulders level.

c. Maxline Forearm Acceleration

When pitchers have forwardly rotated their hips and shoulders ninety of the desired one hundred and eighty degrees, they should have moved their bodies forward to beside their stride foot. Throughout, they must keep their forearms horizontal at right angles to their upper arms. After pitchers forwardly rotate their bodies twenty-two and one-half more degrees, they should start their forearm accelerations.

During forearm accelerations, pitchers move their forearms vertically upward and over their upper arm. Pitchers must NEVER permit their forearms to circle outward. I call this movement, ' forearm flyout' and it causes irreparable medial epicondyle damage to the elbow. During forearm acceleration, pitchers must keep their upper arms locked with their rib cages. Pitchers must NEVER permit their upper arms to drop downward or move inward for any pitch.

To accomplish this maximal one hundred and eighty degree rotation force application, pitchers must stride slightly openly and pivot on the ball of their stride foot. To extend the driveline, pitchers must powerfully push off their stride foot while, at the same time, powerfully accelerating their forearm.

d. Forearm Position, Driveline and Release for Maxline Pitches

1. Maxline Fastball

Maxline fastballs have backward horizontal spin axes angled forwardly toward the pitching arm side at about twenty-two and one-half degrees from the line toward home plate.

a) Maxline Fastball Forearm Position

Pitchers must lock their forearms, wrists, hands and fingers at twenty-two and one-half degrees angled forwardly toward the pitching arm side. Whether gripped across the four seams or the two seams, Maxline fastballs have non-pitching arm side air molecule pressure that cause them to move toward the pitching arm side of home plate.

b) Maxline Fastball Driveline

The Maxline Fastball driveline is from straight back toward second base to straight forward toward the middle of home plate. Pitchers drive their Maxline fastballs at either knee high for two seam fastballs or chest high for four seam fastballs. This slightly lateral force application adds to the spin axis movement to cause Maxline Fastballs to move toward the pitching arm side of home plate.

c) Maxline Fastball Release

The Maxline Fastball release requires powerful forearm, wrist, hand and finger pronations. When pitchers powerfully pronate their forearm, wrist, hand and fingers, they extend their driveline and maximally extend their elbows. Pitchers must keep their upper arms high and outside to protect the olecranon process of their elbow joint from injury. After they release their pitches, pitchers should continue their body rotation such that they can turn their heads toward second base.

2. Maxline Curve

Maxline curves have forward horizontal spin axes.

a) Maxline Curve Forearm Position

Pitchers must maximally supinate their forearms, wrists, hands and fingers.

b) Maxline Curve Driveline

The Maxline curve driveline is from slightly beyond second base to straight toward the pitching arm side of home plate. Pitchers drive Maxline curves at chest high. This lateral force application causes Maxline Curves to move toward the pitching arm side of home plate while they move downward.

c) Maxline Curve Release

The Maxline curve release requires powerful shoulder drives and powerful forearm, wrist, hand and finger pronations while they keep their elbow maximally flexed. When pitchers pronate their forearm, wrist, hand and side of their middle fingers, they provide increased horizontal spin axis and horizontal velocity. To protect the olecranon process of their elbow joint from injury, pitchers must keep their elbows high and outside. After they release their pitches, pitchers should continue their body rotation such that they can turn their heads toward second base.

3. Maxline Screwball

Maxline screwballs have forward horizontal spin axes.

a) Maxline Screwball Forearm Position

Pitchers must maximally pronate their forearms, wrists, hands and fingers.

b) Maxline Screwball Driveline

The Maxline screwball driveline is from slightly beyond second base to straight toward the pitching arm side of home plate. Pitchers drive Maxline screwballs at chest high. This lateral force application causes Maxline screwballs to move toward the pitching arm side of home plate while they move downward.

c) Maxline Screwball Release

The Maxline screwball release requires powerful shoulder drives and powerful forearm, wrist, hand and finger pronations while they keep their elbow maximally flexed. To protect the olecranon process of their elbow joint from injury, pitchers must keep their elbows high and outside. After they release their pitches, pitchers should continue their body rotation such that they can turn their heads toward second base.

4. Maxline Sinker

Maxline sinkers have forty-five degree downward spiral spin axes turned toward the pitching arm side of home plate.

a) Maxline Sinker Forearm Position

Pitchers must lock their forearms, wrists, hands and fingers at forty-five degrees pronated with their fingers at forty-five degrees from vertical. Maxline sinkers have non-pitching arm side air molecule pressure that cause them to move toward the pitching arm side of home plate.

b) Maxline Sinker Driveline

The Maxline Sinker driveline is from straight back toward second base to straight forward toward the non-pitching arm corner of home plate. Pitchers drive Maxline sinkers thigh height. Maxline sinkers move toward the pitching arm side of home plate.

c) Maxline Sinker Release

The Maxline sinker release requires powerful shoulder drives, elbow extensions and forearm, wrist, hand and finger pronations. After they release their pitches, pitchers should continue their body rotation such that they can turn their heads toward second base.

Coaching Adult Pitchers