Bill Hillhouse pitching demonstration

[txnick]

I recorded this video during his visit to San Antonio.

[video=youtube_share;n_GNfa5RYyo]http://youtu.be/n_GNfa5RYyo[/video]

 

[CoachFP]

As you watch Bill you can see the effortless way he demonstrates his pitches. I have found in my experience that very few female pitchers can actually take their time and throw this way. They start warming up like they are running from a fire. The reason he can do it and most male pitchers can do it is that they focus on the mechanics. If the mechanics are engrained you can throw every pitch in a relaxed manner and make them move.

 

[coach james]

Bill asked me to catch him as he demonstrated a few rise balls to my dd. He looked like he was giving it about 1/2 effort... no real leap and a somewhat slow arm circle, but that ball was every bit of 55-60 mph and to see it jump upward nearly knocked my hat off my head. I'm a firm believer that at least his riseball most certainly does lift! Point is about how smooth and effortless he looked made the actual speed extremely deceptive! If you get the opportunity to get a lesson, don't hesitate.

 

[Out in Left Field]

Coach FP: Not quite fair to draw lines line that. I think the men can do that because they are allowed to crow hop on purpose when they feel like it over worrying about the rule against it. You also have like 100 males (mostly adults or dare I say seniors) and 10,000 females pitching in the US, not quite equivalent samples.

 

[txnick]

What I missed in the recording he threw 2 nasty knuckleballs. I will see if I can get recording.

 

[curiousgeorge]

Coach FP: Not quite fair to draw lines line that. I think the men can do that because they are allowed to crow hop on purpose when they feel like it over worrying about the rule against it. You also have like 100 males (mostly adults or dare I say seniors) and 10,000 females pitching in the US, not quite equivalent samples.

Sorry to disagree. I don't believe (having been told by Bill) that crow hopping is not an issue here. Don't confuse mechanics with hopping. I've seen Bill pitch with and without hopping, depends on if he wants to "ruin his shoes" (his words not mine) when he throws.

CG

 

[BoardMember]

Pretty dang funny regardless..........Bill doing a clinic demo for a bunch of young ladies trying to learn how to pitch, and until someone mentions the crow-hop (when he then stops it), he's hoppin like kangaroo!

"Oh ahhhhh.........And Girls.........Do what I say, NOT what I do!"

Precious Bill.........Precious.........

 

[Hillhouse]

Pretty dang funny regardless..........Bill doing a clinic demo for a bunch of young ladies trying to learn how to pitch, and until someone mentions the crow-hop (when he then stops it), he's hoppin like kangaroo!

"Oh ahhhhh.........And Girls.........Do what I say, NOT what I do!"

Precious Bill.........Precious.........

You know BM, I realize you're the resident expert on this board and I am not going to engage in a debate with you on this forum about anything. Truth be told, you're probably much smarter than me and it would probably be a useless fight on my part. But, when I do come on this board, I sit back and read your condescending comments sometimes and just think there has to be better ways to get your point across. But, I also realize that internet anonymity gives people a certain bravery that isn't always there when things are done with out it.

You're looking at a 1:29 clip of something from a 1 hour talk/demo, without knowing any of the facts and yet you felt the need to make snarky comments to, once again, show your superiority. For example, when demo'ing the mechanics, I did so under the rules of what the girls use (the same pitching rules I used when playing international softball, so pitching that way is something I've done since I was 18). Although now that leaping and hoping is legal in International softball for males and females, that opens up a whole other debate. However, that portion of the demo wasn't shown in this clip, it was only about ball rotation. #2. this portion was only so people could see the ball rotation for the rise and drop. I was barely throwing it at 1/3 speed, just trying to show the backspin and forward spin for each pitch. #3. 2 days earlier I had my back injected with my bi-annual shot for pain control and nerve block: I actually wasn't supposed to be pitching at all but, I did it because I had promised to and figured throwing easy wouldn't hurt much. And #4. I emphatically told the crowd I was going to cheat when demo'ing the spins for 2 reasons: I wasn't wearing my shoes that I normally pitch in with to protection so I didn't want to ruin them, and #2 (and most important) "crow hopping" and landing on my back foot greatly reduces the stress and pounding my left side takes when I land (which is where the injection is put in).

I really don't care if you believe that, but anyone who was there will tell you I was emphatic about that. And when going over the mechanics, I made sure not to "hop" or cheat. To imply that I only say "do as I say not as I do" is completely unfair and incorrect. Without question, I could've demo'd the spins without the hop and "cheating" but, when people are supposed to be watching the ball and it's rotation, not my feet I took the easy route. So if you want to be critical of something, be critical of that.

And you'll be happy to know that some of the "HE" pitchers who came to me for lessons there, and became converts away from that were advised (or at least I told their dad's) to read your "IR" threads on this site about the differences. So, I gave you your props.

Bill

 

[BoardMember]

Bill, there's a HUGE difference between a little "ribbing" of someone I respect, and "ripping" on someone I don't...........

Obviously that wasn't very obvious in my post.........Sorry it was taken the wrong way.........

Apology offered.........

 

[Greenmonsters]

Bill, there's a HUGE difference between a little "ribbing" of someone I respect, and "ripping" on someone I don't...........

Obviously that wasn't very obvious in my post.........Sorry it was taken the wrong way.........

Apology offered.........

Good job, BM, way to man up. We definitely need more emoticons to distinguish between busting chops and bashing