Can't find any brush instructors

[curiousgeorge]

He's got his own mouth and can voice his own opinion so I don't want to speak for him but having been around Hillhouse for a while I think I have a pretty good concept of what he teaches and tries to teach. Much of what he instructs in the slow-motion stuff is exaggeration. In my experience and watching pitching students if you tell them to brush their hip they will immediately whack their arm or slam the door trying to touch the hip. Hillhouse tells people to get through the hips by making contact with the belly. If the ball has the correct rotation and the mechanics are what he's looking for then I've never seen him micromanage teaching that. It's similar with pointing the ball towards third-base at the 12 o'clock position. From what he says having girls exaggerate that position helps them eliminate the curling and cupping of the rest which gives bulletspin at the end of the pitch or release. In my own daughters case pointing the ball towards third has not been an issue because she learned how to get her hand in the right position at the release through the hips. But initially he had her exaggerate the position to get it spinning the right way. The concept of brushing passed her stomach help her get through her hips instead of going around them.

CG

 

[coach james]

If our kids are looking up to and emulating the best pitchers in the world. It only stands to reason that they mimic their idols mechanics!! Including brush interference, IR, and front side resistance. After all, those are what every single elite pitcher in the world have in common!

 

[javasource]

OK Please explain how you throw a flip change, screwball, and rollover drop with brush.

BHH has a flap that you attach to your thigh. I don't know how you hit that and your leg/hip at the same time.

If you don't throw the flip change etc. with brush (I don't believe you can) than my batter can see the difference, which is great for our batters.

You'll find that some of the best that throw the rollover have their elbow tucked in tight to their body... moreso than most pitches, making the resultant forearm proximity that much closer. The screw is marked by the necessity to stay inside the ball... and when coupled with the typical lean... the arm gets sucked in that much more. With change-ups, it happens too... but not always... I have seen a few that don't. The most common type... the horseshoe change - definitely does.

Why does it happen? Pitchers that maximize their potential do so with good posture... meaning their body is aligned regardless of lean. Power is better utilized and the ball is better controlled the more proximal it is to the body. Lastly, do a little experiment with a string and a weight... spin it around... and notice that the circle is at 90 degrees to the axis. Then... look at how the arm is attached to the body...

Given all this... and noting that I never used the word brush... is it at all possible that you see why it happens?... and when it doesn't... it's usually a sign of something that needs to be corrected?

The only time I work on 'brush' is when the pitcher is making an effort to clear out of the way... with their butt sticking out or bent over at the waist. Given the plethora of research available on injuries that result... surely you agree that the situation needs correcting?

In this... is where I assume you disagree on the fix. Why not just work on the posture? If that's anyone's question... my answer is simple:

When you work with pitchers over the years, you come to see how much the arm circle dominates their thoughts. You tell them to stand upright... and it just goes right by them... and they repeat the wrong action over and over. So... you change your cue to what they are thinking and preoccupied with... the circle.... saying let the arm lightly brush the side. In order to do this, they must stand tall... so it's a win for everyone.

I don't know of anyone advocating a bang of the arm/hand... hence the choice of words... brush. Does it need to be tought? No. Does it happen? Yes. Does it help some that instruct? Yes.

 

[sluggers]

Just some basics first: A change in 1 inch of the release point results in a change of 9 inches at the plate. For a 65 MPH pitcher, the hand is going faster than a 1000 inches per second at release. In order for a pitcher to consistently put a ball in a 4"x4" area, the pitcher has to have accuracy of around 99.5%. In other words, the margin for error is less than .5%.

Can a pitcher throw the ball hard without BI? Yes. Can she be consistently accurate without BI? No. BI is essential to accuracy at high speeds.

As we all know, the key to throwing a softball fast is the "whip/IR". (Yes, leg drive is important, but without the whip/IR, the ball won't break glass.)

The more whip and the more IR a pitcher has, the faster the ball goes. The faster the ball goes, the smaller the window a pitcher has to release the ball.

In order for a pitcher to be accurate, the pitcher has to have a cue as to when to start the unfolding of the arm and the IR.

When a skilled pitcher feels the arm brush, the last phase of the pitching sequence starts *reflexively*. BI provides a tactile signal for the start of the unfolding and the commencement of IR.

Suppose a kid does not use BI. How does she determine when to start "unfolding the arm" and the start of IR? She has no basis to start the final pitching sequence. She has to use an internal clock as to when to start the sequence. The kid's accuracy will be all over the place. She will not be able to consistently put the ball exactly where she wants.

One inning she'll be spot on. The next inning she'll be all over the place. As her arm speed slows down at the end of the game, her accuracy goes out the window.

 

[Ken B]

My guess is that most would have a hard time finding a whip/IR instructor, or an instructor that doesn't teach HE, or palm forward through release.

Please add Hal Skinner and Rich Balswick to the list of brush advocates.

 

[KCPRK]

Doug Gillis
Gillis Fastpitch University

 

[curiousgeorge]

OK Please explain how you throw a flip change, screwball, and rollover drop with brush.

BHH has a flap that you attach to your thigh. I don't know how you hit that and your leg/hip at the same time.

If you don't throw the flip change etc. with brush (I don't believe you can) than my batter can see the difference, which is great for our batters.

Not sure what the issue is with the flip change is, the concept for mechanics is the same. Can't speak on the screwball, DD is not taught to throw it in the "conventional way". ("Screwballs" were probably responsible for 75% of the HR's at the WCWS if you go back and watch games. And if that number is high, ok, it's just to illustrate a point. So, 70%.) And while I'm on it, when you have video of the 3 top coaches in the country (Eriksen, White and Candrea) doing a clinic telling pitchers to throw rise, drop and change, why monkey with the other stuff? That video was posted on here long ago.

RE: rollover drop. You know, I'm not sure cause DD throws a peel. But, in watching pitchers who throw a "roll over" a huge number of them don't actually do what they think they are. Most are throwing a peel, then with IR they finish with the hand turned over and they think they threw a roll over. DD's coach pointed that out once and I went through video on YouTube to see he was right. Rolling the hand over AFTER the release of ball isn't a roll over drop. IMO.

CG

 

[knightsb]

 

[Sweet Lou]

DD's PC absolutely teaches brush. In fact she goes a bit father and tells DD to find connection. She had a pretty successful D1 college career so I'm inclined to listen to her.

 

[Doug Romrell]

Shame, shame on this gal (Monica Abbott) for making contact with her hip (brush interference)!