Is Prior's motion flawed?

[UK1679666180]

I have talked to Will about it, and there is a lot of overlap between Marshall's approach and the "Tom House" school of thought.

 

Exactly, there's a fundamental base to pitching that runs parallel throughout the various teaching techniques.

[coolpoppa]

I find it very odd that now that Prior's name is being brought up in trade rumors that speculation on his motion is appearing. I don't ever recall such speculation before. Wood's motion has always been flawed and that's been well documented, but Prior's mechanics have always been hailed as flawless and ideal.

 

Doesn't anyone else find this incredibly strange?

[E.J.]

Will Carroll strikes back at what Marshall had to say.

 

BP Article

 

It's a member's article, but here's a quote from the free preview part of the article:

 

What set me off this time? This article is just the latest attack. So let's break this down and then take a look at the work Marshall has done.

 

"Prior has what I call a 'loop' in his motion," said Marshall, who had a career 3.14 earned-run average even though he rarely reached 90 mph on the speed gun. "He brings his right hand up close to his ear. When his elbow starts forward, his hand goes back and flies laterally away from his body. That's an incredible amount of stress on the front of his shoulder."

 

Oddly, Prior has never had a shoulder problem. Achilles? Elbow on two occasions? Sure, but never shoulder. In fact, only the tendonitis in his elbow after adjusting his so-called flawed motion to compensate for the Achilles injury could be called a pitching injury.

 

What Marshall is describing is what a biomechanist would call external rotation. Most elite pitchers gain flexibility in that plane, giving many the look that their arm "lays back."