Timmy: Drive Foot
A quality knuckleball starts with the drive foot. It’s your connection to the ground, and how you set it up will determine whether you pull your arm through properly rather than push. And a good drive foot will set you up for a balanced release that pops out of your hand with no spin!
Drive Foot Mechanics
#1: Toe First Base Side of Slab
We don’t want to create confusing angles for the hitter AND we want to be able to throw the ball straight down the middle of the plate while staying behind it with the hand as long as possible. The only way to do that is to setup on the rubber on the extreme first base side. Of course, it would be the third base side if you’re a lefty.
#2: Fall. Use Gravity. Don't Push.
Do not push off the rubber. The goal is to rotate the hips underneath the spine so that the shoulders then the arm get pulled through the slot. If you push off the rubber, then you’ll push with your arm. And sometimes you’ll push off a little harder than others which will cause chaos for your release point. Fall. Use gravity.
#3: External, Internal or Neutral Foot Position?
Everyone’s hips are built differently. Some pitchers have externally rotated hips where they feel comfortable with their toes pointed out when they squat or even stand around. Others are neutral. And some pitchers are even internally rotated which causes them to feel comfortable with their toes pointed in. You should find where you feel most natural and then stand like that on the rubber.
#4 Load Arch & Big Toe
A certified physical therapist just came back from a conference about how the foot affects the muscles in the leg. And he told me a secret — if you load the arch of your foot and your big toe, then the muscles responsible for rotation in the hips and groin are activated. It’s difficult to do, but you want to sit into your glute while loading the arch of your foot and big toe with your body weight.