Another Glove Slapping Question

[Snapperny]

Hi All,
I know glove slapping has been covered A LOT. I don't want to re-ignite the debate of is it bad/good/neutral. My daughter is learning to pitch (9 yo), and doing pretty well for her age. Anyway, she does slap the thigh with her glove, not because she thinks it's "cool", but because it feels most natural to bring her glove arm straight down at her body.

It hasn't been an issue before, but lately she must be hitting it harder because it's been causing some bruising & pain in her thigh. Because of this I would like to explore what can be done to stop it. What I want to know is where should the glove be brought down to as an alternative?? She doesn't "swim"...the glove stays pretty well in line with her front shoulder. She pitches from a mostly open release and thrusts the glove up and at the catcher during her arm circle (not straight up & not parallel to the ground...almost right between horizontal & vertical). Now, from a physics standpoint, it seems like pulling the glove back and down to counter-balance the whip of the arm circle of the pitching arm is necessary. And if the glove arm goes behind (near her butt) it will pull her shoulder off line and cause the pitch to go outside to a righty. If the glove goes in front of her thigh it seems like it will interfere with the release of the ball. (I love Hillhouse, but I am confused when he says for girls to practice by throwing into their own glove because it would seem that this will cause girls to form the habit of having their glove "in the way" of their release point)

So my question is...where can the glove be brought down to? It would seem right down at their body line would make the most sense, but this causes an inevitable collision between the glove and the body. I'm looking for suggestions & any video of alternatives would be greatly appreciated. Also, if I am incorrect about any of my statements, please correct me...I am definitely just a bucket dad when it comes to windmill pitching.

Thanks !!

 

[halskinner]

There was a video of what I think was a HS pitcher that glove slapped her thigh.

On one pitch, she got a screamer right back in the face and it dropped her like a rock. She had just enough time to bring tyhe glove up to around her belly button when she got her face caved in.

I would also suggest she pull the glove back to the beltline, the holster position.

You might also want to do a search on "Pitcher / batter self-defgense drills" on this site.

 

[Snapperny]

I am not debating the reasons why glove slapping is bad or why it's not a big deal. I am looking for practical alternatives (hopefully with video so I can better understand). Wouldn't pulling it back to the holster position just cause it to slap the hip instead of the thigh?

 

[NVfishing]

Our extremities try and work in conjunction with each other. It's natural for the glove to come down to the opposite side of the body at release. Pulling the glove back makes a conscious effort to do something other than what the brain is programmed to do.

 

[WaSpeed02]

What your dd is doing is a completely natural balancing maneuver of the body. My dd had the exact same problem. I had her wear sliding shorts whenever she pitched, but that only worked for a short amount of time. Eventually I saw it was going to be a problem, because she would subconsciously try not to hit her thigh as hard with her glove and it cost her in terms of less explosion off the pitching plate and less velocity on the ball. I'm not sure there is any "one fix", but I suggest you evaluate her form and make the necessary adjustment. Remember, at first she will say the adjustment doesn't feel right or natural. She's right, it isn't natural. But that does not mean the adjustment is necessarily a bad one. Muscle memory doesn't want to let her out of her comfort zone. However, after a few sessions/days of consistent pitching with the implemented change, her body will naturally become adjusted to change. It took my dd a few days, but she no longer slaps her thigh. Part of what I did is have her focus on drawing her glove hand back to belt level and slightly closing her hips at delivery (in between open and 45 degrees). Best of luck getting this fixed.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

With my beginning student, I don't let it start. We lead with the glove, the glove punches out and then, the elbow comes back towards our ribs. The glove is still in front of us, protecting us from a line drive. A few girls will come in and they try the glove slapping, because they have seen someone else do it. I show them how to work the glove out and the elbow in, and they change quickly. A few times, they will slap, out of habit - and I can tell that they think that they are going to get in trouble. I assure them, that that isn't the case.

I can't work with a girl, that isn't willing to change. It just isn't what I teach. I honestly would not let my DD pitch, is she continued to bruise her hip and irritate her glove wrist.

Show your DD, how she does not slap herself, with the overhand throw. Have her mimic what her glove hand does, then, in pitching.

Also, there are glove tappers and glove slappers. It sounds to me, like you have a DD that needs to change, before she develops a carpel tunnel problem. Good luck. She can do it. My students change, in one lesson.

 

[halskinner]

I am not debating the reasons why glove slapping is bad or why it's not a big deal. I am looking for practical alternatives (hopefully with video so I can better understand). Wouldn't pulling it back to the holster position just cause it to slap the hip instead of the thigh?

No. Pulling the glove back to waist high, holster position, with the fingers up and glove open. The wrist touches the beltn not the glove.

Some step style instructors will teach it and say it is to better balance the pitching mechanics. They are full of it.

The windmill circle cause whjat is called a 'Distraction force' to the forward momentum. Tvhat is a pulling force to the throwing side. Slapping the thigh does not counter that force to maintain balance or a straight forward stride effort. The glove comes forward as the ball comes up and back, two motions that the forces there cancel each other out.

As the ball comes forward from behind, obviously, the perfect force to counter that force is to pull the glove back to the hip.

Anyone that says slapping the glove on the thigh assists with balance and / or speed is putting one over on you. Of course, most of those instructors teach a weak step style of pitching. Good luck there.

 

[Snapperny]

Thanks for the replies...Amy or Hal (or anyone) do u have any video links of pitchers who do it the way u support so I can get a better visual? I see countless videos of Finch, Uneo, Osterman, etc. but they don't do it like u describe. I am not saying high level pitchers don't, I just want to have someone to look at (and show my DD).
Thanks