Ball up at 9 o'clock

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Jul 14, 2008
1,798
63
I could say so much on this subject it's not even funny........So here we go........

First of all.......Lets say the "palm up" is subjective with regard to the flexibility of an athelete. But what is NOT subjective about "palm up" is that it does NOT mean palm down, or palm sideways at 9:00.......It can be thought of as any amount of palm up more then down or sideways is creating MORE LOAD for the UNLOADING in the form of I/R..........

"Ball Up and 9:00" has everything to do with creating OVERALL superior bio-mechanics in the pitching motion, and nothing what so ever to do with "creating arbitrary static positions". It is every bit as important, if not more important, then "leading with the elbow" when it comes to creating whip in the pitching motion. I.E. if you lead with the elbow but create zero load in the forearm for I/R by keeping the hand on top of the ball down the back of the circle, the bio-mechanical result will still be inferior.........

Why do I say "as important, if not more"? I say this because it is a bio-mechanical fact that creating a palm up position is ONLY POSSIBLE if you are leading with the elbow......Better said........Leading with the elbow is a "byproduct" of palm up........IOW, palm up is an "automatic" elbow leading position...........

Transversely........Leading with the elbow IS possible without being palm up or creating load in the forearm for I/R.........IOW, you can lead with the elbow and still be "palm down" in a pushing position, BECAUSE I/R, or radial/ulnar rotation allows it.

Palm up at 9:00 also creates a bio-mechanical advantage because in order to be palm up, or "load the forearm for I/R, you must be "more sideways" to the target then "facing the target"..........IOW.......More open then closed as the ball travels down the back of the circle..........

The importance of this relates to proper "ADDuction" of the throwing arm into the body and then through to the target with some core rotation to create the "window to the target" using ADDuction...........Vs. a bowling motion that allows the arm/ball to push through to the target with little to no ADDuction...........ADDuction of the arm is the act of pulling the arm INTO the body as a way to generate power. It is a FAR SUPERIOR power generator in the whipping motion.........

The reason Rick Pauly is such an advocate of "Brush Interference", is because in order to create "Brush Interference", the arm MUST ADDUCT itself into the body........And in order for the arm to ADDuct as part of the delivery phase, you must be properly open/sideways from the target during the ADDuction process......IOW, if you are too square to the target during the downswing, and use PROPER ADDuction, you'd be throwing the ball at dugout

Bill Hillhouse advocates for an "open style" delivery.......Because IF you are open from 12:00 to 9:00, you WILL ADDUCT the arm into to the body and through to the target.......So being open CREATES an ADDUCTION move of the arm to deliver the ball...........It's why MOST high level PC's understand that "throwing across the body" to some degree creates a superior mechanical advantage........

These are ADDuction/IR deliverys.........The ball is being PULLED INTO THE BODY........And the body's other actions such as hip/shoulder rotation create the alignment window to the target.......

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And lastly.....Being palm up at 9:00 helps reinforce proper posture with some rearward lean, because without hello elbow, if you lean forward, you WILL throw the ball into the ground..........

So why is palm up important as it relates to pitching?

1.) Reinforcing a more open pitching style for proper ADDuction of the arm into the body, vs. bypassing ADDuction in the delivery from being more closed.........

2.) The resultant factor of ADDuction in the delivery is a more powerful move, PLUS brush interference.........

2.) More forearm LOAD for I/R unload resulting in higher velocity's and spin rates.......

3.) Superior "TORQUE" created from the palm up position, which is bio-mechanically quicker and more powerful do to Radial/Ulnar rotation........

4.) Training at an early age the bio-mechanical movements that ALL high level pitchers possess........Vs. "waiting to see what happens" down the road.........

5.) Reinforcing posture..........

There's more........But this is enough reason for me........Sorry for the long post to such a simple question........

Oh and BTW OILF..........Golfers hit the slot by ADDucting the arm while they are sideways to the target.........And maintain a "palm up" rear forearm position during the process to create speed and power in the swing.........

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Being a fast pitch pitcher, has allowed me to be a single digit handicap golfer since I took up the sport after retiring from pitching...........
 
Sep 19, 2013
420
0
Texas
Hello BM! What an honor!
I just want to Thank you for all you do. You have changed our lives b/c of I/R. It has helped us tremendously. We have been working on I/R for a short time and I can't believe she is already whipping the ball. She is pointing the ball towards 3rd base. This was the reason for my question. I thought it was beneficial but was not sure why we wanted to be palm up. Now I do! We are in the process of trying to make sure we are palm up at 9 O'clock. Java suggested your "Show and Throw it drill". Java is awesome! Here is a video of her pitching.

Once again, Thank you.

All of you guys rock on this website!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




DSC 0452 Frontside - YouTube
 

javasource

6-4-3 = 2
May 6, 2013
1,347
48
Western NY
This subject gets recycled often on DFP... and...

There is so much pitching knowledge in this one post by BoardMember... well, it's ridiculous... Tough for me to say one post is better than the rest... but, IMO, this might be one of his best singular efforts... I hope people see it... and soak it in... or someone appends it to the I/R thread...

Adduction, SSC, Getting open, posture, etc... so much info... and all spot on.

Again... that post is absolutely freakin' amazing... and why DFP is the place to be...

You can't click the thanks button more than once... so this is just my way of saying "thanks" twice...

Screw it... I'm gonna toss a third one out there... THANKS, BM!!!! ;)
 
Jul 14, 2008
1,798
63
Hello BM! What an honor!
I just want to Thank you for all you do. You have changed our lives b/c of I/R. It has helped us tremendously. We have been working on I/R for a short time and I can't believe she is already whipping the ball. She is pointing the ball towards 3rd base. This was the reason for my question. I thought it was beneficial but was not sure why we wanted to be palm up. Now I do! We are in the process of trying to make sure we are palm up at 9 O'clock. Java suggested your "Show and Throw it drill". Java is awesome! Here is a video of her pitching.

Once again, Thank you.

All of you guys rock on this website!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Life Changing" is a pretty powerful endorsement. Thx for the kind words SB.

Your DD's overall mechanics are really good. Here's my observation about Palm Up with regard to DD. And remember, any amount of palm up is better then palm sideways or down. She has a small move over the top that, with a little attention, will help her create a better, more loaded position at 9:00..........

I notice she uses a black line on the ball.........The black line is a great point of reference regarding ball position in the circle.

If you watch that black line, it is pointing toward the catcher on the way up the circle......Until the ball gets to head high in the front........From head high, as she passes over the top, that black line turns upward toward the sky, and outward third at the same time..........Because she turns her thumb out to far.......

Then when she gets down to 9:00, she wants to turn her thumb back up........WATCH THE BLACK LINE........It trys to turn back up through 9:00........Remember.........Turning the thumb outward too far over the top unloads the forearm..........

Because her mechanics are pretty solid at this point........If I were you I'd focus on just trying NOT to turn the thumb out so far over the top.......A little is ok, but too much unloads the forearm causing an attempt at "recovery" of the load in the forearm on the way down..........Start by working on limiting the amount of outward thumb rotation over the top.........Rather then focusing on the 9:00 position on it's own..........

If she can limit the amount of outward thumb rotation over the top, she'll be carrying a "better forearm load" into the 9:00 position..........

Take a look:

2jd0zq.gif


Start with something simple like: "Try to keep your thumb pointing in front of your shoulder"..........
 
Dec 4, 2013
865
18
This could be a stupid question. My apologies. How about a screwball? Would it make sense to be palm down at 9 o'clock, and at release point externally rotate the forearm?
 
Dec 4, 2013
865
18
Personally, I think palm up at 9:00 makes it VERY easy to learn the riseball. I think the riseball is hardest to learn with the HE style.

Before I understood IR I was banging my head off the wall trying to teach a HE pitcher how to get backspin. I used the doubleball, striped ball, football, all sorts of drills and gadgets and got nowhere! Once the pitcher learned how to throw with IR we went back to trying to get rise ball spin. She was able to produce backspin the first day!
 
Jul 14, 2008
1,798
63
This could be a stupid question. My apologies. How about a screwball? Would it make sense to be palm down at 9 o'clock, and at release point externally rotate the forearm?

I guess it depends on the screwball mechanics you're trying to achieve. Jenny Finch explains her screwball as "pulling on a merry-go-round"........

IMO, screwballs don't move much if at all. They are more of a "pushed angle" pitch that are just as effective with bullet spin as any other spin........
 
Sep 19, 2013
420
0
Texas
Hello Professor BM.
What an appropriate title for your thread "I/R in the Classroom". I may not b the smartest student in class but with you as the teacher I don't have to b. You will find a way to make me understand I/R. What I don't understand by reading I can look at pictures! (Hansen Principle). LOL! Then if I still don't understand, there are great Tudors waiting to assist me. All I have to do is ask!

Thanks BM, Javasource, Txnick, Ken B,and Amy in AZ.
 

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