Mound Mantra

Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson, who spent the past six seasons with the A's, filters his study of biomechanics through training methods steeped in Eastern philosophy and disciplines. Here are the four

1. Segment your movements. Think of your delivery as a chain of discrete actions that flow together.

2. Practice those movements in slow motion. As in tai chi, this contributes to refining each technical element of the delivery.

3. Deprive your senses. Active visualization—training with the eyes closed—can improve your learning curve.

4. Learn your personal rhythm for each movement. Every pitcher has his own timing for the step-back, the landing and the release, the three major components of the delivery.