IR Is it safe for a beginner?

[Ade's Dad]

Ok,Iv'e just got to throw this out while this is still a hot topic. Is full IR safe for the younger ones? I have been told five or six times now on this forum and in person(2 different pc's) that full IR by a youngster is not safe. If this is so,then why?

 

[Screwball]

I don't think safety is the issue, it is just not necessary to have and explain all that kinesiology info to a kid for them to do it right.

 

[BoardMember]

Ok,Iv'e just got to throw this out while this is still a hot topic. Is full IR safe for the younger ones? I have been told five or six times now on this forum and in person(2 different pc's) that full IR by a youngster is not safe. If this is so,then why?

I believe it could be dangerous........Watch the Mom flinch from the velocity of this 8 or 9 year old!.......She's gonna need some gear to be safe!........

Oh you mean for the pitcher?........ABSOLUTELY NOT........

This young lady (8yo) and her father showed up at my workplace just last Friday.........She had taken 6 lessons with a well known PC in my area.........At $45 an hour.........

After talking with me on the phone, he asked her PC about I/R.......The PC also told the dad that he believed I/R is unsafe for youngsters........So he didn't teach it........

I gave him my address and told him to cancel ANY MORE lessons with that PC..........

Here is exactly what she learned in those 6 lessons...........

Grip......Stance.......Windup.......Stride......Arm Whip Delivery WITHOUT I/R......Drag/Follow through......

You can see ALL of the things he taught her in this first eval. clip I took.......

Bottom line........I guess it depends on "who" you ask.......

I'll be giving her lessons from now on.......

 

[quincy]

I think this comes from baseball, I am still not a fan of teaching young players curve or screwballs. I have seen 11 and 12 YOAs have arm operations because of the stress these pitches can place on the pitcher’s shoulders and elbows.

I look at IR differently. I think of it as placing the pitchers body parts in a more comfortable/ better position that will actually minimize the chance for injury regardless of their Age.

I have lost this argument with some smart people and no longer have it.

 

[marriard]

My DD did it naturally from day one.

If anything I think it is a much more natural arm movement than 'hello elbow' or other forced arm movements.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

IR is a natural motion. No way, would it be dangerous.

 

[Jojo]

I believe it could be dangerous........Watch the Mom flinch from the velocity of this 8 or 9 year old!.......She's gonna need some gear to be safe!........


Oh you mean for the pitcher?........ABSOLUTELY NOT........



This young lady (8yo) and her father showed up at my workplace just last Friday.........She had taken 6 lessons with a well known PC in my area.........At $45 an hour.........

After talking with me on the phone, he asked her PC about I/R.......The PC also told the dad that he believed I/R is unsafe for youngsters........So he didn't teach it........

I gave him my address and told him to cancel ANY MORE lessons with that PC..........

Here is exactly what she learned in those 6 lessons...........

Grip......Stance.......Windup.......Stride......Arm Whip Delivery WITHOUT I/R......Drag/Follow through......

You can see ALL of the things he taught her in this first eval. clip I took.......


Bottom line........I guess it depends on "who" you ask.......

I'll be giving her lessons from now on.......

Boardmember, I feel for you I really do. There are so many TERRIBLE instructors around where I give instruction. Every dad whose DD ever took a lesson or two is an instructor around here.
I end up getting kids that look just like the one above all the time.
I just had one last week, I asked her to show up early and be warmed up by her lesson time so I could see her at full pitch right away. As she was warming up, my student I was working with looked over at her and said, "Is she one of yours!?" I said, "Yes, today will be her 1st lesson, she's been seeing someone else". So then she says, "Good luck!"

I do teach my beginners IR from the beginning, and most of my older pitchers that come from other instructors have natural IR, so I explain that they just need to relax about their hello elbows and not try and fight it so much. They are usually relieved because most of them think they are doing it wrong when their hand doesn't naturally come straight up at release.