Inside the NewtForce Integrated Pitching Lab: Wes Johnson on Individual Plans and Building Command
- Zach Day
- Oct 7
- 6 min read
Updated: Oct 9
Control gets you on the mound because every pitcher has to throw strikes. Command can separate the good from the great. NewtForce helps coaches and pitchers identify and lock in individualized movement patterns and timing, giving pitchers the best shot at unlocking command.
Walk into any pitching lab and the first thing you’ll notice? Everyone’s staring at the radar gun.
There's no debating velocity matters. It gives the hitter less time, makes stuff better, fills highlight reels, and excites recruits. We all want more of it.
But the reality is, more velocity without command just means harder walks. If you’re giving up 6.5 free passes a game, that 95 mph fastball is only making the jog to first base quicker.
That’s why I wanted to share this new feature from Backside Groundballs Media (@BacksideGB) with Georgia Head Coach Wes Johnson. Wes is one of the sharpest minds in pitching, and when he talks about NewtForce, he doesn’t lead with velocity. He leads with command.
And the beauty of what he shows? It’s not something reserved for Wes. These are insights any pitching coach can use to free up their pitchers, confirm what they already see, and build buy-in faster.
Why Unlocking Command Matters
We all chase velocity, and we should. But command wins games as well. For some lucky enough to have electic stuff, control maybe what you need to take a leap.
In 2024 D1 baseball, the teams at the bottom of strike-throwing averaged 4.5 walks per game. The best programs sat closer to 2.5 walks per game. That’s two runs a night in free baserunners. Over a season, that’s possible the gap between making Omaha and missing your conference tournament.
If you want to put it in today's terms, maybe it's "command is a cheat code".
Velocity gets clicks, but velocity, stuff, with command can make you great.
Control vs. Command
Every coach knows control and command aren’t the same thing.
Control is being able to throw the ball over the plate. It’s the floor. If you can’t throw strikes, you’re not getting on the mound no matter how good your stuff is.
Command is being able to put the ball where you want, when you want, in any count. If your stuff isn't good enough, command will only take you so far.
From Gut Feel to Measurable Data
Every coach reading this already has a good eye. You know when a pitcher isn’t loading his back leg, when his hips are late, or when his front side isn’t firm.
The challenge is:
Players don’t always feel what you see
You don’t know if a drill “stuck” until later
Buy-in can take weeks instead of minutes
That’s what TrackMan solved for pitch design. Instead of guessing whether a new grip worked, you could point to the numbers: “Spin jumped, movement changed, that pitch will play in a game. Now repeat it.”
NewtForce does the same thing, but for the lower half.
Every pitch gives you synced video and ground force data in under three seconds. Add MoCap and it's availble in around 8 seconds. So instead of debating, you can show:
“You didn’t load enough on the back leg, let’s try it again.”
“See this? You doubled your body weight on the front side. That’s why the ball jumped.”
“Here’s the drift in your center of mass — that’s why you missed arm-side.”
It’s not about teaching biomechanics. It’s about confirming what you already coach.
Motion Capture Without the Wait
We’re not marker-based or slower lab-grade motion capture, and that’s intentional. Our goal was to get insights to you fast. We believe less-but-faster feedback for changing movement patterns is more valuable than more-but-slower. By the time you’d get a full lab report, the bullpen is over and the teaching window is gone. There’s absolutely a place for slower, more detailed capture that can get more on the arm, but we feel we can help coaches and pitchers more today with faster, actionable feedback in the moment with the focus on their engine (everything but the arm to get your arm in the right position).
NewtForce flipped that script. Motion capture is now synced between pitches, or during medball throws. Feedback comes back in seconds.
That speed is the separator. Just like TrackMan made pitch design immediate, NewtForce makes the lower half coachable in real time.
And you don’t have to run it the same way as anyone else. Some coaches capture every pitch. Others only use it for medballs or select reps. It’s your lab, NewtForce just fits into how you coach.
What Wes Johnson Sees (and What You Can Too)
Here are four insights Wes walked through in this video, each one you can apply immediately with your pitchers that can effect command and more.
Clearing the Hips = Strikes
“That peak right there lets me know… he is transitioning his hips into a position to get him square to home plate. He weighs 200 pounds, he’s pushing 50 pounds right now. So we know that he is putting his hips in a position to throw a strike.”
Coach takeaway: No more guessing on hip clearance. You can show exactly when and how much force was created.
Front Leg Force = Stability
“We want to see a player… double his body weight when he lands on the front leg. This guy weighs 200 pounds, he’s at 445 pounds. He’s more than doubled it. He’s going to be good.”
Coach takeaway: That front-side brace isn’t a feel anymore. It’s measurable.
Arm Timing = Repeatable Release
“The best throwers we’ve had…when we see them get to this peak Z force on their front leg, they should be letting go of the ball. That is timing of the arm.”
Coach takeaway: Forget arbitrary checkpoints. Arm timing connects directly to ground force.
Center of Mass = Connection
“What happens with the command pieces is we see that their center of mass has moved in a direction that’s causing them to get disconnected…”
Coach takeaway: When command drifts, you can point to the exact movement that caused it.
Why A Pitching Lab Frees Coaches
Here’s the part I don’t want you to miss:
NewtForce isn’t here to replace your coaching eye. It’s here to back you up.
You still run the show. You set the drills, the cues, the plan.
NewtForce gives you feedback in seconds.
Your pitchers believe you faster because they can see it and feel it right away.
That means less arguing over feel, more trust, and quicker progress.
As Wes put it best:
“It doesn’t matter if you can throw a hundred, if you can’t throw a strike.”
And now, repeatability isn’t just a buzzword. It’s something you can build, rep after rep, with the right data and video at your fingertips.
Here’s a video of Randy coaching with the Integrated Pitching Lab, walking through movement pattern change on a changeup. The visual is everything. [Video Link]
FAQs Coaches Ask Me
Do I need a biomechanics degree to use this?
Not at all. We're not saying a great Biomechanist on the team wouldn't be valuable. The insights sync with video in seconds, and the patterns will look familiar the first time you see them. We also are big on onboarding and have resources to help.
Do I have to capture every pitch and medball throw?
It’s your call. Some coaches have their pitchers train and stay in sync by using it regularly, but NewtForce is designed to adjust to your coaching style.
How fast is the feedback?
Every pitch, or medball rep, comes back with synced video, ground force data, TrackMan and MoCap in 8 seconds or less.
Is this just for velo guys?
Nope. A pitcher might just need control to go with their velocity to get on the field. That’s exactly why NewtForce helps you focus on what you need, right when you need it.
Acknowledgment
This feature was produced by Backside Groundballs Media (@BacksideGB). They’re doing incredible work capturing player development insights.
The Bottom Line
Velocity matters. Control is the floor. Command is a difference-maker. NewtForce gives coaches and pitchers the feedback to unlock control, or even command, depending on where that pitcher is in their journey. It’s about making every rep count and finding the movement patterns and timing that work best for each individual.