- Jun 29, 2015
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Thanks....
The next one I find that actually knows what they are doing in the whole state will be the first.
I am not aware of any in central Indiana.
Funny story... Once a few years ago, I had drove out to a nearby softball facility to meet and speak with one of the pitching instructors... I had been on the hunt for someone teaching IR mechanics and had heard she was a good PC. In our brief meeting I asked of and demo'd the use of IR mechanics. Outside of making me feel like an idiot for even broaching the subject, her only actual verbal response was "maybe that motion is used for a riseball"...
Well about 3 weeks later, I attended a pitching clinic put on by Doug Gillis at the same place. Right after he opened the coaches clinic by demonstrating the modern pitching mechanic (which was full on IR style), he said that one of the reasons he was in Indiana was to certify that same PC into the Doug Gillis style of pitching mechanics... That was a nice redeeming moment for me .
FWIW she was a former player of his and didn't appear to know the first thing about the IR mechanic... She probably executed it flawlessly every time she pitched but wasn't aware of it.
The bottom line is that Indiana lags behind the other states when it comes to sending kids to D1 schools. The hitting and pitching instruction is poor throughout the state.
To be fair, good pitching mechanics have been taught for years before anybody coined the phrase "internal rotation," as this pitching coach obviously had been taught good mechanics. This coach probably hasnt been on this board, and was not familiar with the "IR" Jargon. Just beacuse somebody isnt teaching "IR" terminology, doesnt mean they're not teaching the "IR" method. Also, I think from a practical perspective of teaching pitching using "IR" terminology can come off as over complicated Kinetic technology that goes over the heads of young girls and the typical layperson bucket dad. I think a lot of coaches have methods to teach this with their own specific cues and demonstrations that are much simpler and more easily understood. I know two pitching coaches who teach in Indiana who teach modern pitching mechanics and with my discussions are very familar with Internal Rotation, but they rarely use "IR' terminology. Just curiouse, did Doug Gillis use the phrase "Internal Rotation" in his clinic?