Benito Santiago was one of the best throwing catchers to play the game. He was a 5-time All Star and 3-time Gold Glove Winner. He also led the National League in 1988 with assists and base runners caught stealing. You can find all of his stats here.
Santiago is best known for throwing runners out from his knees. In this first clip, watch the Hips and Trunk interact with each other. This is know as the Hip to Trunk Relationship. Understand how his arm initiates to throw while his body moves forward towards the target. This is known as Arm Pathway.
Normal
Slow
Glute Function/Hip Extension
Santiago starts with his back foot on the ground (knee flexed) and pushes off so that the lead leg or “shin” becomes in contact with the ground. His hips will extend to help guide the trunk into an upright position. Even though the trunk is upright, it is counter-rotated and turned back against his hips (Hip to Trunk Relationship).
Remember, when the gluteus muscles are activated or squeezed, they extends the hips. In a rotational sport such as throwing, the hips will move from flexion into extension as the trunk and shoulders rotate towards the target. This Hip to Trunk Relationship and how the hips extend helps create velocity!
Rear Hip/Leg Movement
As the hips become extended, there is another movement known as Back Leg Femoral Movement (BLFM). This means that the femur (upper leg bone) is internally rotating in the acetabulum (hip socket), helping to create resistance and tension within the throwing sequence. This is all occurring as the trunk counter-rotates back against the hips before the trunk and shoulders aggressively rotate and accelerate towards the target!
As you can see, he throws the ball from a kneeling position, so there is no formal stride pattern as you would see in an athlete throwing the ball standing up.
The right knee is already flexed (bent), so the knee cannot be the verbal cue to initiate rear hip movement, as so many coaches instruct. The femur is actually moving in the hip joint as it would in a normal standing, step and throw. The lead leg then externally rotates (in order to allow the hips to rotate) as it would in a normal stride pattern.
Lead Leg Activation
You can also see the lead leg externally rotate (in order to allow the hips to rotate) and lands firm on the knee which creates a stable platform for the trunk to rotate and accelerate through ball release!
Hip & Trunk Movement
As mentioned above in the Hip to Trunk Relationship, the hips open up as the trunk counter-rotates back against the hips. The trunk also maintains this “counter rotation or turn” until the arm moves through its necessary pattern before moving forward through release. This is how resistance is created!
As the arm moves through its proper pattern into and through external rotation, the hips are opening up and the trunk is counter-rotating back against the hips. The trunk will then aggressively rotate and release in the (Transverse Plane) towards the target, bringing the arm forward to ball release.
Creation of Resistance
In order to create velocity, you must create resistance in a throw! The clip above shows exactly how resistance is created between the hips and trunk. This overlapping movement must happen in order to maximize throwing potential!
To learn more, Check out the Catcher Edition E-Book!
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