The leg lift is the first move of the delivery, and it sets up everything after it: tempo, balance, and how well the back leg loads. A good one is a controlled gather to a balanced position over the back leg, then a smooth move toward the plate, not a rushed lunge or an exaggerated high kick. Here's the key: how high the leg goes matters far less than how controlled and balanced it is. Kicks come in all heights and work fine. The mistakes that actually hurt are rushing off the lift and drifting or falling toward the plate too early.
Every pitch starts the same way: the leg comes up. It looks simple, almost like a formality before the real action. But the leg lift quietly sets the tone for the entire delivery, tempo, balance, and how the back leg loads all trace back to it. Get it right and the rest of the motion has a chance. Rush or botch it, and you're playing catch-up the whole way down.
“It's not how high the leg goes. It's how controlled.”
Balance and tempo matter. Kick height is mostly personal.What a good leg lift does
Through that first move, the leg lift has a few jobs:
Sets the tempo
The pace of the whole delivery is established right here. A calm, controlled lift sets up good timing; a rushed one starts a chain reaction of rushing.
Gathers over the back leg
It brings the pitcher to a balanced position loaded over his back leg, ready to drive toward the plate. That's where the power sequence begins.
Starts him on line
From that balanced gather, he moves toward the plate under control, setting his direction for a good stride.
Do those, and the leg lift feeds a smooth, powerful delivery. It's the setup that makes everything downstream easier, which is why it connects to the back leg using the ground well to build momentum, part of what our overview of good mechanics covers.
The myth: a big leg kick
Here's what a lot of people get wrong. They see a pitcher with a high, dramatic leg kick and assume that's the goal, so they tell a kid to kick higher. But kick height is largely personal. Pitchers succeed with high kicks, low slide-steps, and everything in between. Forcing a young pitcher into a big kick he can't control just wrecks his balance and timing. The goal was never height, it's a controlled, balanced gather. A modest, balanced lift beats a big, wobbly one every time.
The mistakes that actually matter
The real problems with the leg lift aren't about height, they're about control and timing.
| A good leg lift | The real mistakes |
|---|---|
| Controlled, balanced gather over the back leg | Rushing off the lift, no gather |
| Stays loaded, then moves under control | Drifting or falling toward the plate early |
| Whatever height he can control | An exaggerated kick that ruins balance |
| Sets a smooth, repeatable tempo | A jerky start that throws off timing |
The biggest one is rushing. When a pitcher hurries off his leg lift, his lower half races ahead and everything downstream gets late, which is exactly the rushing problem we cover in why he rushes his delivery. Drifting toward the plate too early is a close cousin, it leaks the energy the gather is supposed to store, and it often leads to a soft front leg at landing. Notice none of the real mistakes are "kicked too low."
The bottom line
The leg lift is the quiet setup move that shapes the whole delivery. Aim for a controlled gather to a balanced position over the back leg, then a smooth move toward the plate, at whatever kick height he can actually control. Don't chase a big, dramatic kick; chase balance and tempo. Fix the start, and a lot of the problems further down the delivery get easier to fix too.
Because it happens fast and sets up everything after it, the leg lift is worth seeing clearly on video. Film one pitch from the side and upload it, and we'll break down his delivery frame by frame, starting from that first move, and show you whether his gather and tempo are setting him up or setting him back. Smooth is fast, and smooth starts at the leg lift.
See if his delivery starts on balance
Upload one video and we'll break down his mechanics frame by frame, from the leg lift on, and show you what to work on. Free. For any pain, always see a doctor first.
Start the Free Evaluation →Takes about 2 minutes · See a sample analysis firstCommon questions
How high should a pitcher lift his leg?
There's no single right height, it's largely personal. Pitchers succeed with high leg kicks, low slide-steps, and everything in between. What matters is that the lift is controlled and balanced, not how high it goes. Forcing a young pitcher into a bigger kick than he can control usually hurts his balance and timing. Aim for a controlled gather at whatever height he can repeat comfortably.
What is the leg lift supposed to do in pitching?
It sets the tempo for the whole delivery, brings the pitcher to a balanced position loaded over his back leg, and starts him moving toward the plate on line and under control. In short, it's the setup move that makes everything after it, the stride, the rotation, the throw, work better. A calm, balanced leg lift feeds a smooth delivery; a rushed or off-balance one causes problems downstream.
Does a bigger leg kick add velocity?
Not by itself. Velocity comes from how well a pitcher gathers, loads the back leg, and transfers energy up the chain, not from raw kick height. A high kick can help some pitchers feel balanced and rhythmic, but a big kick a kid can't control does more harm than good. Plenty of hard throwers use modest leg lifts. Balance and controlled tempo matter far more than height for producing velocity.
What are common leg lift mistakes in young pitchers?
The main ones are rushing off the lift so the lower half races ahead, drifting or falling toward the plate too early (which leaks stored energy and can cause a soft front leg), and an exaggerated kick that ruins balance. Notice these are all about control and timing, not height. Fixing a jerky or rushed start often cleans up problems that show up later in the delivery.
Should I change my son's leg kick?
Only if it's causing a real problem with balance, tempo, or timing, not just because it looks different from another pitcher's. A comfortable, controlled leg lift that he repeats well is fine at any height. If he's rushing, drifting forward early, or losing balance off the lift, those are worth addressing. A frame-by-frame look at his delivery is the best way to tell whether his leg lift is helping or hurting.
Upload one video. See his delivery frame by frame. Free.
We'll show you exactly where his mechanics are costing him, and what to work on first.
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