Interesting, what's your analysis of Juan Marichal's leg kick?
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Amazing guy. I wish I would have gotten to see him pitch regularly. At times he would come right over the top like Koufax which few people can do. His stride, plant and fulcrum were simply incredible with the added bonus of him being able to hide the ball from the hitter for such a long time. For all the body movement he had, his control was out of this world. If you look at his stats, his walk totals to innings pitched were stunning.
Just the act of throwing a baseball puts unnatural stress on the arm, elbow and shoulder but the big kick and fulcrum guys have alot more going on with their lower bodies and usually by about age 34 for or so their effectiveness drops off markedly. Amazing that Marichal held it together as long as he did - especially pitching so much in Candlestick which could be cold, damp and drafty. Look at the violent stresses he could put on his lower body.
Of the big kick guys, Bob Feller was about as graceful as any of them but again by about 34-35 years old he was pretty much done:
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loginThe other extreme is the drop and drive guys like Tom Seaver. Everything is tighter and your body has a less chance of breaking down as you age.
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loginOf course all three of the gyuys above probably would have had their unique deliveries coached out of them as teens. They don't want to see the big, loose kick over injury concerns nor the drop and drive as it is felt that it impacts velocity. Like the modern golf swing, modern pitching mechanics are certainly more sound but something has gone out of both sports as a result.