stop focusing on hip-shoulder separation.

written by JOSH GESSNER |

Stop focusing on hip-shoulder separation.

(if you’d rather watch than read, you can do so here):

How to Build a 100 MPH Pitching Delivery: The Truth About Hip-to-Shoulder Separation

If you want to throw 100 MPH, you need elite separation. But not the kind of “separation” you’ve probably been told to chase. Most advice you hear sounds something like: “Fire your hips through while keeping your shoulders closed.” And sure, that’s the end result we’re aiming for—but that cue alone won’t get you there.

I’ve spent 7 years in professional baseball, topped out at 98 MPH, and I co-founded The Pitch Lab to help pitchers do what I’m still training to do: throw 100. This email breaks down the real mechanics of elite separation and shows you how to implement it in your own delivery—not as theory, but as a feel-based, trainable skill.

Why “Feel the Separation” Doesn’t Work

When you try to actively feel your hips opening while keeping your shoulders closed, it usually slows you down. Separation is not just a position—it’s an explosive, timed event. It’s not about how much separation you get, but about when and how it happens.

Biomechanics studies have shown that you can have a massive degree of hip-to-shoulder separation and still throw slowly if the timing is off. So again, it’s not quantity—it’s quality. And more importantly, how you generate that quality matters.

The Biggest Mistake I Made

When I was younger, I fell into the trap of trying to force my back leg to rotate hard while holding my shoulders back. The idea made sense—separation, right? But my velo didn’t move. I was rotating, but I wasn’t transferring energy.

The turning point came when I shifted my mindset from “rotating” to shifting weight.

The secret? Think back leg to front leg. If you can shift your weight aggressively and explosively from your back leg to your front leg, the hips will rotate naturally, and the separation will happen as a byproduct—not as a forced movement.

Separation Starts With Linear Momentum

Separation doesn’t begin with rotation—it begins with linear movement. That means creating drift, or forward momentum, down the mound.

You want to:

1. Drift your center of mass forward subtly.

2. Create a burst of energy through the back leg.

3. Shift your weight onto your front leg.

This movement alone will begin to separate the hips from the shoulders. As the hips start to open, your upper half should stay quiet and relaxed—not forced into counter-rotation.

Front Leg Block

Here’s where it gets fun. When your weight transfers and your front leg plants firmly, your block creates a rapid deceleration that pops the hips open violently. That’s what drives true separation.

Some athletes can rotate their hips earlier and let that carry them, but for most, the front leg block is the key trigger for firing the hips and stretching the oblique sling.

Quiet Upper Half

The upper body’s job is simple: don’t mess it up. Stay quiet. Stay relaxed. Avoid any forced counter-rotation. If you create tension or try to manually torque your upper half, you lose efficiency and kill velocity.

Instead, let the upper body ride the stretch created by the hips and the front leg block. That gives your arm the best shot at unloading all that stored energy.

The Missing Piece: Converting Rotation Into Linear Force

Even if you create great separation, it means nothing if you can’t convert it into linear energy toward the target. This is where most pitchers fall short.

80% of pitching velocity comes from hip-to-shoulder separation, but the last 20%—the most important 20%—is your ability to translate that rotational energy into forward motion. That’s what separates 92 MPH guys from 100 MPH guys.

To do that, you need:

• A strong, braced front leg block

• A firm glove side that helps anchor and direct energy

• An intention to throw through the target—not spin around it

Final Recap: How to Train for Elite Separation

Here’s a summary of how to actually implement elite separation:

1. Don’t chase rotation. Don’t try to feel your hips and shoulders in opposition—it will make you slower.

2. Shift weight instead. Focus on moving explosively from the back leg to the front leg.

3. Use drift + impulse. Create forward momentum early, then get a burst of force from your back leg.

4. Let the front leg block work. Don’t try to rotate—let the brace pop the hips open.

5. Relax the upper body. Don’t force counter-rotation. Stay quiet and let energy flow through the sling.

6. Convert to linear energy. The throw should go through the target, not just around your body.

But as always… what works for me may not work for you. That’s why we always customize the training around each individual athlete and their preferences.

P.S
If you're a high level baseball player already investing into your baseball development, we run a done-for-you pitching velocity program. Sound like you?