=== Checkpoints ===
As y'know, aiki dynamics focus on the center of gravity, its acceleration and the organization of the head and limbs around that CG. Still, all we have are screen captures here, so we have to start with a static description of the movement.
Here is the live video of the below pitch. We'll restrict our description mostly to things that are NOT routine for ML pitchers, and remember that things are going to look quite different because of Pryor's bulk:
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Pryor's overall pace - his time between pitches - is delightfully fast and confident. His tempo, the speed at which he accelerates into his motion, is delightfully smooth and slow. Moe, have a gander at this and tell me if you don't grok a PGA-pro type of takeway? Smooth, confident, and unhurried?
Just a great, great intersection of pace and tempo.
In the rock back, Pryor connects his shoulders with the center fielder, Japanese-style. He sticks his foot out, away from his body, as if he were a high wire walker using a pole to balance himself. This last bit is kind of weird and you wonder whether it will mess up his ability to hold runners. I dunno.
Pryor has an absolutely instinctive desire to rock his shoulders backward to second base, one that he doesn't think about. He just loves to get onto his back hip, to raise the hammer before it falls. Gotta love it.
Pryro's case, a magnificently on-top-of-the-ball release.
The organization around his hara, his CG, is unpretentious and to the point. An aiki shihan would speak of great sincerity. Yes, Pryor sincerely wants to remove the batter's will to compete with him.
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de the strike zone.
Pryor's motion is "sincere" and without pretention; he gets his belly button into the action and he uses the C.C. Sabathia-sized core greatly to his advantage. He's not looking at great command inside the zone with such a max effort, but then again you're not talking about Dan Quisenberry here. You're talking about 99 MPH, strike one.
Would like to see him continue to keep the eyes moving toward the catcher better. That said, two thumbs way up. There will be a rookie Pyror and a 4th-year Pryor, and the rookie Pryor looks ready to roll.
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BABVA,
Dr D
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It's a rock and roll motion, Doc. And smooth on the rock.
He rocks back onto that ack leg, gets into that straight line position, and then just unrolls to the plate: Leg, hips/shoulder, arm.
I'm glad you mentioned the glutes, too.
This is smooth-easy/powerful-low stress (as much as 100 MPH can be).
Sam Snead, if he threw a ball. Or Freddy Couples.
Those kind of motions last forever.