"Big toe" for push-off

Are you a pitcher who wants to get more out of their leg drive off the rubber? Do you want more explosive force through your pitching motion?

It can sometimes come down to 1 simple little change.

------THE BIG TOE ALIGNMENT-----

Coaches of many sports (sprinting, weight-lifting, jumping, etc) preach "big toe" when cueing their athletes because it fires the glute/hamstring and engages leg activation off the mound. But many times there are mobility & stability issues that can prohibit this fully. The same rule can apply to fastpitch pitchers, if an athlete can't access her big toe in proper alignment through the drive off of the rubber--she is losing energy before she even releases the ball. Just ask Ray Aguirre, HCC Assistant Softball Coach--you'll hear him yelling "big toe down" all the time with his pitchers because he's realized what it does for leg drive.

Common Ways We See This Happen: THE BIG NO's!

1. Big Toe Turns In at Take-Off

2. Heel Take-Off with Stiff Leg Drive

3. Arm Swing Creates Toe Turn

Increasing stability in the ankle joint, increasing mobility in hamstring, calf and low back, as well as activating the intrinsic muscles of the foot are all ways we begin to address these Big NO's.

The use of the toe splay in drills, warm-up's and cool down's can be effective in making those changes over the long term. I'll show you how they work. And you can order them from here: https://shestrength.com/product/toe-splays/

I will introduce corrections to this fault in future blog posts. So stay tuned.

Thanks,

Anna