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Take just a small step back (fig. 4-7); a large step back (fig. 4-8) greatly increases the risk of losing your balance. The leg lift and body turn during the middle of the windup sequence is a very crucial movement in reaching the balance point. You should think lift the knee to the chest - don't kick or swing your leg away from your body. Kicking your free leg (left leg for a right-handed pitcher) away from your body will cause you to lean backward (fig. 4-9). Throughout this first stage of your delivery, try to keep your head very still and directly over your back foot.
4-7. Take just a small step back to maintain your balance.
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4-8. If you begin your delivery with a large step back, the odds are that you'll lose your balance. You'll probably rush your stride too.
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4-9. If you swing your free leg rather than lift it, your head will come off center and it will be difficult to regain your balance as you start your movement toward the plate.
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The Loaded Position
Two critical events should take place simultaneously during the second stage of your delivery:
Your pitching hand leaves your glove, begins its semicircular motion, and arrives at what is called the loaded position (fig. 4-10). At this point your pitching hand is at its highest point and ready to come forward.
At the same time, your stride leg has moved from the balance point (its highest position) and has been planted in the direction of home plate (fig. 4-11). These two movements take less than half a second; when they don't match-in other words, when they are out of sync by just a few hun-dredths of a second-your timing is destroyed, and the results are usually bad.
4-10. If you complete Stage 2 properly, you will arrive at the loaded position with the ball at its highest point. Note that your elbow should be at least as high as your shoulder at this point.
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4-11. From the front view, you see that the head is centered on home plate, the hips and shoulders are closed, and the arm is up, back, and ready to come forward.
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