Okay, so today I messed around with the “Kimbrel Stance.” I’d seen it before, the way Craig Kimbrel sets up before he pitches, with his arm hanging down like that. Looked kinda weird, but hey, I was bored and figured, why not?
Getting Started
First, I just watched a bunch of videos of Kimbrel pitching. Just tried to get the image in my head. It’s not just the arm, it’s the whole body position. He’s kinda crouched, leaning forward, and then there’s that dangling arm. It’s distinct, that is for sure.
The Awkward Phase
Then came the fun part – trying it myself. I grabbed a baseball, went out to the backyard, and… yeah, it felt awkward. Like, really awkward. My arm felt like it was just… there. No power, no control, just… hanging.
- Felt super weird.
- Had zero control over where the ball was going.
- My arm felt like dead weight.
Trying to Adjust
I kept messing with it. I tried adjusting my body position, shifting my weight, bending my knees more, less… you name it. I was searching for something that would give me some command, with my arm hanging their uselessly.
I even tried to mimic his facial expression, figuring maybe that was part of the magic. Nope. Still felt goofy, still couldn’t throw a strike to save my life.
Slight Improvement? Maybe?
After about an hour of this, I started to get… well, not good, but slightly less terrible. I figured out that if I focused on my core and used my legs more, I could at least get the ball in the general direction of the makeshift target I’d set up (an old tire. Desperate times).
Conclusion (For Now)
So, my “Kimbrel Stance” experiment? Not a roaring success. It’s definitely not something you can just pick up in an afternoon. I can see now, that it requires certain strength and practice. But it was fun to try something different, even if I looked like a complete idiot doing it. Maybe I’ll give it another shot sometime, but for now, I’m sticking to my regular, much less awkward, throwing motion.
