- Jul 14, 2008
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Look up I/R Recoil on here somewhere.........You'll get it........
I/R in the Classroom
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Look up I/R Recoil on here somewhere.........You'll get it........
This one? http://www.discussfastpitch.com/sof...w-pc-advice-sympathy-needed-4.html#post193127
I think the reason we are throwing around words like "afterthought" and "superfluous" is that my (very) rudimentary understanding tells me that no matter which ear the hand winds up next to, the will be "pointing at the target," so to speak (e.g., Hillhouse finishes at his non-throwing side ear, with elbow bent and "pointing at the target"). So, it looks like a conscious effort by Finch and Scarborough to end at the throwing-side ear instead.
In looking at video to see who finished at which ear, I also wondered how Osterman never hurt herself stopping her arm the way she did. Baseball PCs generally teach not to try to put on the brakes like that.
- Jul 14, 2008
- 1,798
- 63
EEEEGsaclty.........
1. The reason the words "afterthought" and "superfluous" are used is simply because they are sufficient to describe the HE motion.
2. Hillhouse, to my knowledge, does not consciously teach (or rather make a point of emphasizing) that the elbow needs to be pointing at the target during the cross-body delivery method he teaches. I've never heard him use that language in the videos I own or in the many video clips I've watched on the web.
3. There are many, many pitchers who rarely "finish at the ear" (either ear) for any reason. If they do, it is merely a result of the type of pitch they were throwing and definitely not the result of an ingrained mechanical delivery method.
4. As noted by many, including some here at DFP, the I/R mechanics used by pitchers such as Cat Osterman are actually the most natural way to throw a softball. By natural, they mean it is less stressful on the body and the safest way to pitch.
5. While I agree with the concept of fast pitch being "throwing the ball underhand", that does not mean to convey in any sense that baseball pitching is synonymous with fast pitch softball. The two are apples and oranges. In your example of Cat Osterman, the difference with her (and all softball pitchers) in comparison to a baseball delivery is that the stress is not on her shoulder complex when she "hits the brakes". She is using her body to transfer energy from her shoulder down into her arm and ultimately into her wrist/fingers by pronating her arm at release. If you watch slow motion video very closely, you will see that her shoulder/bicep comes to a complete stop momentarily during this process. All this motion, while violent and explosive, is actually quite natural for the body to perform. Of course, overuse of any body parts can be dangerous, so precautions should always be taken to prevent injury.
I joined yesterday and Im in information overload right now hehe!
1. What is IR?
"IR" is short for Internal Rotation.
2. What is internal rotation?
Internal rotation is an anatomical term. It means the movement of a joint, around its long axis, toward the midline of the body. (Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing, Farlex 2012).
For example, to internally rotate your arm, extend your right arm, with the palm of your hand up. Rotate your hand so that the palm is down. Note that the thumb rotates from pointing to 3B to point to 1B. This also called pronation of the palm.
3. What is HE?
"HE" is short for "Hello Elbow". It is a term used in pitching to refer to the arm location after release so that the elbow is pointing to the catcher. Generally, HE is characterized by the forearm being vertical while the upper arm is horizontal, forming an "L" shape.
4. What does IR have to do with pitching?
One aspect of pitching is to create energy through the use of muscle groups. (A second aspect of pitching is the transfer of the created energy to the ball.)
One of the fastest movements of a human body is the IR of the forearm. The pronator teres and the pronator quadratus contribute to the IR of the forearm.
Correct use of IR in the pitching motion allows these two muscles to contribute to the pitching motion.
In the HE motion, the arm does not internally rotate, and thus these muscles are never used, resulting in less speed.
5. Is IR used in throwing motions other than softball?
Almost all athletic motions involving one arm where speed is a factor use IR. Baseball overhand throwing, javelin throwing, shot put, tennis, ping pong, and golf all use IR.
6. Who invented IR in softball?
IR has been used for many years in softball. So, no person "invented" IR.
However, BoardMember (as he is known on this board) came up with a succinct and consistent explanation for IR which he freely shared. He also developed methods as to teaching IR.
"IR" is short for Internal Rotation.
2. What is internal rotation?
Internal rotation is an anatomical term. It means the movement of a joint, around its long axis, toward the midline of the body. (Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing, Farlex 2012).
For example, to internally rotate your arm, extend your right arm, with the palm of your hand up. Rotate your hand so that the palm is down. Note that the thumb rotates from pointing to 3B to point to 1B. This also called pronation of the palm.
3. What is HE?
"HE" is short for "Hello Elbow". It is a term used in pitching to refer to the arm location after release so that the elbow is pointing to the catcher. Generally, HE is characterized by the forearm being vertical while the upper arm is horizontal, forming an "L" shape.
4. What does IR have to do with pitching?
One aspect of pitching is to create energy through the use of muscle groups. (A second aspect of pitching is the transfer of the created energy to the ball.)
One of the fastest movements of a human body is the IR of the forearm. The pronator teres and the pronator quadratus contribute to the IR of the forearm.
Correct use of IR in the pitching motion allows these two muscles to contribute to the pitching motion.
In the HE motion, the arm does not internally rotate, and thus these muscles are never used, resulting in less speed.
5. Is IR used in throwing motions other than softball?
Almost all athletic motions involving one arm where speed is a factor use IR. Baseball overhand throwing, javelin throwing, shot put, tennis, ping pong, and golf all use IR.
6. Who invented IR in softball?
IR has been used for many years in softball. So, no person "invented" IR.
However, BoardMember (as he is known on this board) came up with a succinct and consistent explanation for IR which he freely shared. He also developed methods as to teaching IR.
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What happens if your young pitcher is being or has been taught HE? How hard is this to change to "IR" later on? *
* I'm sure this is stated somewhere in the thread but it's getting quite long and didn't want to look through all of it again.
* I'm sure this is stated somewhere in the thread but it's getting quite long and didn't want to look through all of it again.
