mothgirl,
For a kid who has whip down, it's just a matter of finding the grip and cue that works for them. I don't teach this spin unless asked or to break up a routine. I like it because it's fun to throw and helps kids develop body awareness. It helps to have long fingers and flexibility.
shaker1
Huge respect for throwing this pitch in BP! I wish I had that kind of time (and someone who would catch me regularly!)
PEPPERS,
His story about having a ball nearby is one of my favorite Hillhouse lessons and I've passed on this advice to my kids--encouraging them to play around with grips and spins. Not sold on the double ball yet--hoping to catch a Hillhouse clinic next time he's close!
Doug,
I was mixing the middle finger grip (above) with a two finger grip, where the index and middle fingers are together and the ball/grip is oriented in a 4 seam fashion. The cue with the middle finger grip is to push/pull the seam with the side of the middle finger whereas the cue for the two finger, 4 seam grip is more like a twisted flip change--takes a lot of flexibility... For smaller hands, the ring and middle fingers pull the ball. I play around with these two the most, but I think it helps to try out and play with every cue and grip you hear about.
JJ,
So I guess that averages to a C+?
corlay,
Definitely a "doh!" moment when I saw that too! For my kids who read DFP--do as I say, not as I do!
PC,
Glad to help if I can. I tend to think of myself as a student-teacher rather than an expert. Again, this is not my creation.
I have to really focus on the cues to get decent spin in full motion. I think this is where a tinkerer like Littlejohn excels. Most can spin a ball to a catcher standing 10 feet away, but the spin breaks down as the speed and intensity goes up. It takes tinkering with cues, which affects control--that's where the real hard work and dedication comes in. A person who truly masters 3 pitches is a rare person.
For a kid who has whip down, it's just a matter of finding the grip and cue that works for them. I don't teach this spin unless asked or to break up a routine. I like it because it's fun to throw and helps kids develop body awareness. It helps to have long fingers and flexibility.
shaker1
Huge respect for throwing this pitch in BP! I wish I had that kind of time (and someone who would catch me regularly!)
PEPPERS,
His story about having a ball nearby is one of my favorite Hillhouse lessons and I've passed on this advice to my kids--encouraging them to play around with grips and spins. Not sold on the double ball yet--hoping to catch a Hillhouse clinic next time he's close!
Doug,
I was mixing the middle finger grip (above) with a two finger grip, where the index and middle fingers are together and the ball/grip is oriented in a 4 seam fashion. The cue with the middle finger grip is to push/pull the seam with the side of the middle finger whereas the cue for the two finger, 4 seam grip is more like a twisted flip change--takes a lot of flexibility... For smaller hands, the ring and middle fingers pull the ball. I play around with these two the most, but I think it helps to try out and play with every cue and grip you hear about.
JJ,
So I guess that averages to a C+?
corlay,
Definitely a "doh!" moment when I saw that too! For my kids who read DFP--do as I say, not as I do!
PC,
Glad to help if I can. I tend to think of myself as a student-teacher rather than an expert. Again, this is not my creation.
I have to really focus on the cues to get decent spin in full motion. I think this is where a tinkerer like Littlejohn excels. Most can spin a ball to a catcher standing 10 feet away, but the spin breaks down as the speed and intensity goes up. It takes tinkering with cues, which affects control--that's where the real hard work and dedication comes in. A person who truly masters 3 pitches is a rare person.
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