He's making her slap her thigh.

Amy in AZ. · Jul 26, 2014

Ugg. I have a talented young lady that has taken pitching lessons from me, for a year. She recently has started slapping her thigh, because the coach is making all of his pitchers do. I was quite surprised to see her doing that. I asked her to stop and to pitch the way she has been taught. She stopped for about 2 pitches.

Her mom wants the girl to speak up to the coach.

The coach has no expertise in pitching. So, I may lose a student, because I can't instruct her, when someone else is overriding my decisions. It is just to difficult for the little girl to be in the middle.

SoAZDad · Jul 26, 2014

I always wondered why some pitchers (usually young, correct?) are thigh-slappers. I concluded that they or their coaches think it's an advantage because it distracts the batter. Anyone agree?

In any case Amy, that's too bad. If the girl is really young, maybe her mom should be the one that talks to the coach.

3bmama · Jul 26, 2014

My dd10 sometimes slaps her thigh. No one has taught her to or told her to, I don't know why she does it. I worked on getting her to stop and she did for a while but is back at it now. Just started with a new PC, hopefully she will help me break her of it.

Rick Pauly · Jul 26, 2014

If slapping the thigh is the biggest problem a pitcher has then she is in pretty good shape.
Personally I prefer a light brush slap on the outside of the thigh as the glove slightly passes. The slap itself doesn't do any good or harm (maybe a slight redness if the slap is to direct)........it is really a strong finish to pulling the arms together......way to many pitchers stop pulling the glove arm downward....this creates an imbalance in the muscles of the back/scapula area.....it leaves a little energy "on the table". I say finish it off. From a timing and balance standpoint the glove "brush" should happen milliseconds after release.

PEPPERS · Jul 26, 2014

DD ‘s one time pitching coach taught slap your thigh, I found out he had no experience as a pitching coach his DD went to another pitching coach and he used what his DD’s pitching coach taught her to teach his students.

I moved her to a different coach and the slap was one of the first things he stopped her from doing.

As a parent I stood up to more than team coach who tried to change her motion, after paying good money to a coach she and I believed in and her being successful, I was not going to tolerate someone else putting questions in her head.

NVfishing · Jul 26, 2014

The body works in sincronicity and some players or coaches use it as a key for release. My oldest DD did it but it wasn't taught. She grew out of it.

Amy in AZ. · Jul 26, 2014

Right Peppers. It isn't what I teach and I follow mostly what Hillhouse teaches. In fact, he really speaks against it. I love how he asks the student if they slap while walking and while throwing overhand.

It is exhausting and I like a KIS (keep it simple) approach. If I can hear the slap, it is too hard. Long term injury to that glove arm and wrist has to be a possibility. It might not show up until they are 30, though.

Coach Al · Jul 26, 2014

When I first saw this, I thought it was about the pitching hand. What about pitchers that hit their thigh with their pitching hand?

Cowdogz · Jul 26, 2014

NVfishing said:
some players or coaches use it as a key for release.

Why would you want to audibly tell the hitter when the ball is coming?

javasource · Jul 26, 2014

Gotta say... I'm with Rick on this one... in that as long as they're not hanging it out there, I really don't care what they do with it. Slap, brush, tickle, whirly-gig, or swim... IMO, this is often over-analyzed... and coming from me... that's saying something!

He's making her slap her thigh.

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Amy in AZ.

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PEPPERS

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Amy in AZ.

Coach Al

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