The Flap - Markwort Perfect Circle Pitcher's Training Aid - Any use for this?

I have seen some pitchers use a flap attached to their leg with an elastic band as a pitching aid. I assume it was the Markwort Perfect Circle Pitcher's Training Aid.

They have it positioned so it sticks out directly to the right of the body. If the pitchers got open at all, they would not be able to touch the flap at any time in the release phase of the motion.

I have only seen this on pitchers with a closed motion.

Several years ago my DD was on a team with a young lady that used the flap in her warm ups. She would stand with both feet facing the catcher, somewhat wide stance and with a upper body windmill motion, she would wing the balls to the catcher. Her feet stayed put and didn't move. The exercise was all arm. She's a pretty good athlete and she could throw pretty hard. I thought it was impressively fast for someone not moving their feet. At that point she was considered the team's #1 pitcher. My first thoughts were that I couldn't understand how she had gotten so good with that motion and I couldn't understand how she worked out as hard as she did without having a shoulder problem. Two weeks later she severely strains her pitching shoulder and missed a year and a half. She could not get back to health no matter what doctor or therapist they went to.

That story aside, I can’t see any real use for the flap. Is there one that I am missing?

One of DD’s pitching instructors put a flap on her left leg, she pitches right handed, to try and stop her from swimming. Made sense to me. Not sure about putting it on her pitching leg.

Hillhouse endorses this. But his is an updated model called "Windmill Trainer". Go to Google and type in Windmill Trainer and you'll see Bill doing a Youtube demo of it with how it's SUPPOSED to be used.

CG

OK. Here's the difference. Hillhouse has the flap positioned on the right leg of a right handed pitcher pointing forward (sticking out in the center of the thigh). I can see benefit in this. The two local coaches had it positioned 90 degrees to the right so that it stuck out sideways.

With the flap sticking out from the pocket, a pitcher with open mechanics can't hit the flap.

A little background, the creator of the Perfect Circle was a guy named Mike Fairchild, he lived around Philadelphia. After he contacted me about endorsing his product, he sent me one to look at. I saw it on the side of the pitcher's leg (which promotes hello elbow) and he also (very disingenuously) claimed it would help pitchers with all the different pitches. His theory was a pitcher could feel the flag on different parts of the hand for various pitches. Obviously this man had never pitched a game in his life nor has he ever tried his own product because nothing is further from the truth. Not only should it not be on the side of the leg, but I cannot feel the flag on the hand for any pitches. I told Mike that his product is great but it's not for helping such things... it's to help with mechanics only. I went on to explain to him how and why. He asked if I would remake his CD Rom that is sent with it, showing how I used it and what it's best used for. I agreed. We negotiated a price and I filmed the CD Rom at the same time as I filmed my 2nd DVD about the riseball. He also had a deal in place with the video producer. After filming the way I feel the PC should be used, he refused to sign the contract with the video lady and wanted to pay her in product (sending her a few hundred PC's instead of money). She is not a pitching coach so she had no use for the product and they never agreed to a price and the video never got put into the PC package.

I would buy PC's from Mike and then sell them at clinics I did around the country and demonstrate the use of it and how it can REALLY help a pitcher. My last order to Mike was several years ago and it never came. I attempted to call him, I got a disconnected phone. I tried email, I never got a reply. I contacted his webmaster for his website, he said he had no clue where he is and was not in regular contact with him. I contacted the lawyer who did the patent on the PC for Mike, he had not heard anything from him in years. So, I think Mr Fairchild has passed away. Even letters sent via US Mail were never replied to by a next of kin.

Fast forward to 2012, Gary Leland of "Fastpitch TV Show", owner of Softball Junk, and other softball related things started making them. I made the video on the Windmill Trainer website and actively endorse this product as I think it can REALLY help a pitcher getting away from "slam the door" and HE into the correct way to pitch. There's only a couple products I think are actually worth anything, this is one of them if used correctly. If someone tries getting you to put it on the side of your leg, they are teaching you "slam the door" and most likely "hello elbow". If you believe that to be correct pitching mechanics, then there you go. If you believe in being open as the arm goes through the hips, then put the flag on the center of your thigh.

Bill

My DD wears hers at a 45 degree angle on the hip. We have found that this position gives her maximum velocity. I have read the research and I understand why people advocate being completely open, but for her age (12) and body type we have found that this works best for her right now.

Hopefully I don't ruin her for when she gets older.

Also my wife made one of these for under $4 (it had purple lace, my DD loved it).

Thanks for the DVD's, Bill, I am a fan of your work.

Bill Hillhouse said: " If someone tries getting you to put it on the side of your leg, they are teaching you "slam the door" and most likely "hello elbow". If you believe that to be correct pitching mechanics, then there you go. If you believe in being open as the arm goes through the hips, then put the flag on the center of your thigh."

That makes sense. That's what I was looking for. I didn't understand any benefit from the flag sticking out off the side of the leg. Still that is the only way I have seen it being used.

left turn said:

Bill Hillhouse said: " If someone tries getting you to put it on the side of your leg, they are teaching you "slam the door" and most likely "hello elbow". If you believe that to be correct pitching mechanics, then there you go. If you believe in being open as the arm goes through the hips, then put the flag on the center of your thigh."

That makes sense. That's what I was looking for. I didn't understand any benefit from the flag sticking out off the side of the leg. Still that is the only way I have seen it being used.

Click to expand...

Yep... now put the linkage of this, to the arm brushing the ear at the top of the circle, and you have a pathology of pursuing the Perfect Circle.

The Flap

I personally find the "flap" to be irrelevant because of a different orientation of how to trigger the release of the ball- meaning that the upper inside of the forearm brushes the hip as the reference for when, where, and how the ball is released. There is no question in my mind that most of the elite pitchers use this very tried and true technique. If one studies the side view, short 4 second slow motion video clip of Jennie Finch on U tube, it shows very clearly the upper inside of her forearm catching her hip as she releases the ball and the primary swing point of her pitching arm at release is her elbow. ( This may be unfair to say this because it comes from second and third hand information; but Jennie's father, Doug, disapproves IMO of brushing the hip which could indicate how controversial and misunderstood this brushing action is. ) The video I see of Angela Tincher demonstrates this brushing technique also. And possibly the highest positioned pitching coach in the Nation today believes in a brushing style. So IMO the flap is unnecessary because of this hip referencing.

Rich Balswick said:

I personally find the "flap" to be irrelevant because of a different orientation of how to trigger the release of the ball- meaning that the upper inside of the forearm brushes the hip as the reference for when, where, and how the ball is released. There is no question in my mind that most of the elite pitchers use this very tried and true technique. If one studies the side view, short 4 second slow motion video clip of Jennie Finch on U tube, it shows very clearly the upper inside of her forearm catching her hip as she releases the ball and the primary swing point of her pitching arm at release is her elbow. ( This may be unfair to say this because it comes from second and third hand information; but Jennie's father, Doug, disapproves IMO of brushing the hip which could indicate how controversial and misunderstood this brushing action is. ) The video I see of Angela Tincher demonstrates this brushing technique also. And possibly the highest positioned pitching coach in the Nation today believes in a brushing style. So IMO the flap is unnecessary because of this hip referencing.

Click to expand...

Irrelevant... I disagree!!! It becomes un-used after a while, but then can be handed on to the next 8-10U starting out and or 12-18Uer's feeling cheated out of the opportunity, and wanting to give pitching a go later. It is one of the first of many self correcting techniques that is taught by a Master. In other words you can be a big help with the teaching, without ever haveing to talk with your DD.
I have used It and found it so relevant that I used it as my Username. IMHO