Hello elbow question

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Jan 19, 2020
3
1
I'm helping coach my DD team this year and am surprised at how many girls are still being taught hello elbow style pitching. My daughter is also a pitcher but does I/R style. My question is are a lot of the mechanics still the same for both styles? I would like to be able to help the other girls more than just constantly asking them "if that's the way their coach wants them to do it" lol.
 
Sep 29, 2014
2,421
113
First thing I would always do before talking to any girls is ask if they are seeing a Pitching coach if they are I would probably not rock the boat too much, if you want to talk to the parents on the side that's fine but unless your DD is the #1 pitcher and clearly head and shoulders above everyone else how much credibility do you have to say X is better than Y. You could coordinate with the HC to see if he has talked to any of their pitching coaches and what they are working on but overall I would tread very lightly.

As for what you can reinforce that is the same maybe good leg drive and that is probably it anything having to do with the arm circle is different especially past 12 o'clock, they might even have different ideas about leg drive....you just don't want to be that coach that is contradicting the pitching coach that they are paying good money for even if they are wasting it.

Also this depends on what kind of relationships you have as well as the girls ages and lots of other factors too. If they are 16U/18U the odds are the HE finish is for show and they pitch IR if they are any good, although I have seen a few legit HE pitcher at more than one college.
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
I'd say they are definitely seeing a pitching coach because one has to be TAUGHT the hello elbow crap.

And even if my DD was head and shoulders above everyone else on the team, I'd want the parents to ask me... I would not go to them with advice. I realize some parents have the rose colored glasses and think their daughter is the next Rachel Garcia or Monica Abbott without seeing reality. But I'd let them come to you, even if they are just inquiring why your DD does things differently. If you go to them, the optics are bad. And you'll never make them see what they don't wanna see, especially if it's a "family friend" who's the pitching coach. As my grandma would say, Never try teaching a pig how to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig.

Bill
 
Jan 19, 2020
3
1
Thanks for the replies. I would never tell them to change coaches or anything like that. I just feel bad watching them at practice and not being able to help them at all. Most have already asked what coach my DD is going to so fingers crossed that they make a change.
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
Thanks for the replies. I would never tell them to change coaches or anything like that. I just feel bad watching them at practice and not being able to help them at all. Most have already asked what coach my DD is going to so fingers crossed that they make a change.

If everyone stops going to Hello Elbow coaches, I'll be out of a job.

Bill
 
May 15, 2008
1,913
113
Cape Cod Mass.
Most girls start out 'bowling' the ball. Then they develop an arm circle but still 'bowl'. Changing from that 'face the plate' bowling action to the sideways IR arm whipping calls for a complete rebuild and you can't do it in stages, it's all or nothing. To make it more difficult their control will suffer and coaches don't like walks.
 
Oct 2, 2018
205
43
Georgia
I have lost my way many times just to realize I am on the correct path.
Watch "Estas Tonne || I LOST MY WAY || Moscow 2010" on YouTube
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
Most girls start out 'bowling' the ball. Then they develop an arm circle but still 'bowl'. Changing from that 'face the plate' bowling action to the sideways IR arm whipping calls for a complete rebuild and you can't do it in stages, it's all or nothing. To make it more difficult their control will suffer and coaches don't like walks.

Can you explain this another way? The only part of what you wrote that I understood was "Coaches don't like walks". And, for once, I'm not trying to be smart a$$.

Bill
 
Jul 14, 2018
982
93
During my years as an AC for my daughter's Rec teams (assuming that's what we're talking about here) I was generally the 'pitchers and catchers' guy. As others have said, there's really nothing you're going to do as an AC to make any great impact on any kids mechanics.

Your primary role will be to make sure the pitchers have enough time to go through their existing warmup routine during practices and before games. Practices will consist of pitchers and catchers working together to get some familiarity. When the HE girls tell you they throw seven different pitches, use practice to narrow down their best two or three.

Once the games start, if your daughter is throwing strikes and the HE girls are struggling, she is going to start gathering the majority of innings in the circle. Some will lament 'Daddy Ball," but the open-minded folks will ask what your daughter is doing to pitch effectively. That's your opening to explain the difference between HE and IR.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,481
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top