fpmomma

I have heard different theories on what style is best. Is it better to close the door or leave it open?

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Carianne

bigdaddy

Whenever I read a question like this, my answer is ALWAYS the same!

Watch slow motion video of the elite pitchers and decide for yourself.

Slo-mo video is your truth detector! Compare what people tell you to elite athletes and see if it's true or not.

Personally, I have studied 100's of pitching clips and EVERY elite pitcher uses their back hip to "close the door" as you mentioned. In some pitchers, that closing action is easily seen in live action, in others, the hip snap is so quick that you can only see it when you slow the video down.

Don't take my word for it...see for yourself.

Keith

wboonville

if your picther stride foot lands at a 45 and the push foot heel comes up and it drags stright to the catcher it will close . ve been doing this for years I use a 10 foot board 8 ins wide and 4 ins off the ground with a stride line in the middle. this also lets them learn to hit the conners by changing the stride line with the setup on the mound

Mark H

Here's a few. http://imageevent.com/siggy/throwing/windmill

StacieM

Hey those clips are cool because you can actually stop it then go frame by frame right around the release and see where the hips are.

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ArmWhip

Siggy's website also contains video of hitters, in many of these clips the pitcher is also in view so you can check out their action as well. In my opinion good pitchers never close the door/hip until the ball/hand is past, at that point the hip will follow. Trying to close the hip will only cause problems. The three pitchers on this link show very little hip closure until the ball/hand is past. I have video of many division I pitchers which shows that their elbow is actually inside the hip as they come into release.

kenkrause

I agree with Armwhip. What many perceive as the hips closing is really the hips following as the back leg drive into the front leg. The hips remain open until the elbow passes the back hip. Watch those clips again, freeze them at release, and you'll see what I mean.

Essentially the hips are a "no-teach." Keep them out of the way, let the arm come through, and drive the back leg into the front leg hard. The rest will take care of itself.

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Mark H

It's about the kinetic chain IMO not so much the degree of closure. If you don't think Ueno and Cat are using hip loading and unloading as a significant factor in the kinetic chain we see the clip differently. Even the clip of Finch shows a quick little unload of the pelvis before the arm comes through though she leaves the hip mostly open. Again, it's about energy development and delivery rather than any specific angle of the hip IMO.

ArmWhip

Sure there maybe some movement of the hips, it varies from pitcher to pitcher, but telling a girl to close her hips can cause problems. One of things that I have been noticing at the lower levels of Division One is that many pitchers leave the hips wide open and actually bring the elbow inside the hip. With a move like that you can't close at all until well after release.

ifubuildit

I would be interested in hearing why you think closing the hips leads to problems and what problems you think it will cause.

I would agree that if the hips are not open when the hand gets to release that is a problem. Often the pitcher will hit herself in the hip with the ball. But that is the only problem I am aware of and that can be corrected by working on timing of the motion.

Elliott