Sir Isaac Newton wrote his laws with respect to the motion of objects. After I read Newton's Laws of Motion, I immediately understood that the three laws also explained how athletes should apply force to projectiles, including themselves. Therefore, from Newton’s laws, I developed my three laws of force application for baseball pitchers.
I. Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of Inertia
For my first law of force application for baseball pitchers, I determined that, to achieve their maximum release velocities, baseball pitchers must apply straight-line force from the first movement toward home plate through release.
A. The Traditional Pitching Motion
The following are force application techniques with which the traditional baseball pitching motion violates Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of Inertia.
1. The hips and shoulders
Traditional baseball pitchers reverse rotate the hips and shoulders beyond pointing directly at second base. Therefore, they take the baseball laterally behind the body. With the baseball on the glove side of the body, to throw the baseball toward home plate, they first have to return the baseball to the pitching arm side of the body. Therefore, instead of applying force in straight lines toward home plate, at every moment along the curved sideways pathway, they have to overcome the horizontal inertial force that wants the baseball to leave the curved pathway in a straight line tangent to the arc.
2. The palm of the pitching hand
Traditional baseball pitchers turn the palm of the pitching hand to face away from home plate. Therefore, when they reposition the pitching hand to face toward home plate, they have to move the palm of the pitching hand backward and outward to the pitching arm side. As a result, instead of applying force in a straight line toward home plate, at every moment along the curved pathway they have to overcome the horizontal inertial force that wants the baseball to leave the curved pathway in a straight line tangent to the arc.
3. The glove foot
Traditional baseball pitchers land with the glove foot closed (to the pitching arm side of a line between the pitching foot and straight forward). Therefore, to be able to throw the baseball toward home plate, they have to pull the pitching arm across the front of the body. As a result, instead of applying force in straight lines toward home plate, at every moment along the curved pathway, they have to overcome the horizontal inertial force that wants the baseball to leave the curved pathway in straight lines tangent to the arc.
4. The trunk
Traditional baseball pitchers stride forward with the glove-side foot 70 to 90 percent of their standing height. Therefore, they cannot continue to move the center of mass of the body forward, and to continue to move the pitching arm forward, they have to bend forward at the waist. As a result, instead of applying force in straight lines toward home plate, at every moment along the curved pathway, they have to overcome the vertical inertial force that wants the baseball to leave the curved pathway in straight lines tangent to the arc.
5. The pitching upper arm.
Traditional baseball pitchers pull the pitching upper arm across the front of the body. Therefore, they horizontally flex the pitching upper arm. As a result, instead of applying force in straight lines toward home plate, at every moment along the curved pathway, they have to overcome the horizontal inertial force that wants the baseball to leave the curved pathway in straight lines tangent to the arc.
6. The pitching elbow
Traditional baseball pitchers apply sideways force to the pitching arm side. Therefore, to prevent the bones on the back of the pitching elbow from slamming into each other, they have to use the brachialis muscle to eccentrically flex the pitching elbow. As a result, instead of applying force in straight lines toward home plate, at every moment along the curved pathway, they have to overcome the inertial force that wants the baseball to leave the curved pathway in straight lines tangent to the arc.
7. The pitching forearm
To throw their cutters, sliders, and curves, traditional baseball pitchers supinate (turn the pitching thumb to point upward) the pitching forearm. Therefore, they increase the sideways force to the pitching arm side of the body. As a result, instead of applying force in straight lines toward home plate, at every moment along the curved pathway, they have to overcome the inertial force that wants the baseball to leave the curved pathway in a straight line tangent to the arc.
B. The Marshall Pitching Motion
The following are ways that the Marshall pitching motion satisfies Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of Inertia.
1. The hips and shoulders
Marshall baseball pitchers pendulum-swing the pitching arms toward second base. Therefore, they passively reverse rotate the hips and shoulders to also point at second base. As a result, they can apply force in straight lines toward home plate.
2. The palm of the pitching hand
Marshall baseball pitchers have the pitching hand at driveline height with the palm of the pitching hand facing away from the body. Therefore, they can adjust the position of the pitching forearm along the straight lines toward home plate. As a result, they apply force in straight lines toward home plate.
3. The glove foot
Marshall baseball pitchers step to the glove arm side of the straight line toward home plate (open). Therefore, they keep the center of mass of the body moving toward home plate. As a result, they apply force in straight lines toward home plate.
4. Stride length
Marshall baseball pitchers step forward with the glove foot only as far as they would when they are power walking. Therefore, they continuously move the center of mass of the body forward. As a result, they apply force in straight lines toward home plate.
5. The pitching upper arm
After they raise the pitching hand and baseball to driveline height, Marshall baseball pitchers immediately point the tip of the pitching elbow upward. Therefore, they can they use the latissimus dorsi muscle to extend and inwardly rotate the pitching upper arm straight toward home plate. As a result, they apply force in straight lines toward home plate.
6. The pitching elbow
Marshall baseball pitchers move the pitching upper arm vertically straight toward home plate. Therefore, they use the triceps brachii muscle to drive the pitching hand and baseball straight toward home plate. As a result, they apply force in straight lines toward home plate.
7. The pitching forearm
Marshall baseball pitchers powerfully pronate (turning the pitching thumb to point downward). Therefore, they not only pronate the pitching forearm, they also flex the pitching elbow. As a result, they apply force in straight lines toward home plate.
II. Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of Acceleration
For my second law of force application for baseball pitchers, I determined that, to achieve their maximum release velocities, baseball pitchers must apply force over as great a time period as possible.
A. The Traditional Pitching Motion
The following are ways that the traditional pitching motion violates Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of Acceleration.
1. Stride length
Traditional baseball pitchers stride forward 70 to 90 percent of their standing height. Therefore, they stop the forward movement of the center of mass of the body, which prevents them from extending the driveline toward home plate. As a result, instead of applying force over as great a time period as possible, they decrease the time period over which they have to apply force to their pitches toward home plate.
2. The shoulders
Traditional baseball pitchers only forwardly rotate the shoulders to perpendicular to the line between home plate and second base. Therefore, with the shoulders stopped, they cannot extend their driveline toward home plate. As a result, instead of applying force over as great a time period as possible, they decrease the time period over which they have to apply force to their pitches toward home plate.
3. The pitching foot
At release, traditional baseball pitchers leave the pitching foot within inches of the pitching rubber. Therefore, they cannot extend their driveline toward home plate. As a result, instead of applying force over as great a time period as possible, they decrease the time period over which they have to apply force to their pitches toward home plate.
4. The pitching elbow
To fight the sideways force that they generate to the pitching arm side of the body, traditional baseball pitchers use the brachialis muscle to eccentrically (the contracting muscles get longer) flex the pitching elbow. Therefore, they cannot use the triceps brachii muscle to extend the length of their driveline. As a result, instead of applying force over as great a time period as possible, they decrease the time period over which they have to apply force to their pitches toward home plate.
5. The pitching forearm
Traditional baseball pitchers do not powerfully use the pronator teres muscle to flex the pitching elbow and pronate the pitching forearm. Therefore, they cannot apply additional force with the pitching forearm. As a result, instead of applying force over as great a time period as possible, they decrease the time period over which they have to apply force their pitches toward home plate.
B. The Marshall Pitching Motion
The following are ways that the Marshall pitching motion satisfies Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of Acceleration.
1. Stride length
Marshall baseball pitchers step forward with the glove foot only as far as they would when they power walk. Therefore, they can keep the center of mass of the body moving forward through the release of their pitches. As a result, they increase the time period over which they have to apply force to their pitches toward home plate.
2. The hips and shoulders
Marshall baseball pitchers rotate the hips and shoulders forward together through release. Therefore, they can rotate the hips and shoulders to point toward home plate. As a result, they increase the time period over which they have to apply force to their pitches toward home plate.
3. The pitching foot
Marshall baseball pitchers drive the pitching knee forward in front of the glove foot at release. Therefore, they move the pitching foot well in front of the pitching rubber. As a result, they increase the time period over which they have to apply force to their pitches toward home plate.
4. The pitching elbow
Marshall baseball pitchers use the triceps brachii muscle. Therefore, they actively extend the pitching elbow toward home plate. As a result, they increase the time period over which they have to apply force to their pitches toward home plate.
5. The pitching forearm
Marshall baseball pitchers powerfully use the pronator teres muscle. Therefore, in addition to the more powerful force that they can apply by extending and inwardly rotating the pitching upper arm, they can apply additional force with the pitching forearm. As a result, they increase the time period over which they have to apply force to their pitches toward home plate.
III. Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of Reaction
For my third law of force application for baseball pitchers, I determined that, to achieve their maximum release velocities, baseball pitchers must apply more force toward second base.
A. The Traditional Pitching Motion
The following are ways that the traditional pitching motion violates Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of Reaction.
1. The glove forearm
Traditional baseball pitchers point the glove arm well behind the pitching arm side batter. Right-handed traditional baseball pitchers point their glove forearm half-way down the third base line between home plate and third base. Left-handed traditional baseball pitchers point their gloveforearm half-way down the first base line between home plate and first base. Therefore, when they pull the glove forearm backward, they apply force diagonally to the glove side of second base. As a result, they do not apply as much force as possible toward second base.
2. Stride length
Traditional baseball pitchers stride forward at distances 70 to 90 percent of their standing height. Therefore, instead of applying force toward second base, they apply force toward home plate. As a result, they overcome whatever force toward second base that they achieved with their pitching leg and glove forearm.
B. The Marshall Pitching Motion
The following are ways that the Marshall pitching motion satisfies Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of Reaction.
1. The pitching leg
Marshall baseball pitchers walk straight forward off the pitching rubber. Therefore, they push off the pitching rubber with the pitching leg. As a result, they increase the amount of oppositely directed force that they apply toward second base.
2. The hips and shoulders
After the glove foot lands, Marshall baseball pitchers powerfully rotate the hips and shoulders toward home plate. Therefore, they drive the pitching knee forward. As a result, they increase the amount of oppositely directed force that they apply toward second base.
3. The glove arm
Marshall baseball pitchers point the glove arm at home plate. Therefore, they pull the glove forearm straight backward. As a result, they increase the amount of oppositely directed force that they apply toward second base.
4. The center of mass of the body
Marshall baseball pitchers move the center of mass of the body in front of the glove foot. Therefore, they push back toward second base with the glove leg. As a result, they increase the amount of oppositely directed force that they apply toward second base.
5. Force-coupling
Marshall baseball pitchers coordinate the push back toward second base of the glove leg with the pitching upper arm extension and inward rotation of the pitching upper arm, extension of the pitching elbow and pronation of the pitching forearm through release. Therefore, they couple these parallel and oppositely directed forces. As a result, they increase the amount of oppositely directed force that they apply toward second base.
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