Help with a Bullet Spin

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May 26, 2013
372
18
Ramstein Germany
One of my pitchers has developed a bullet spin on her fastball. During warm-up throws she has a nice 1 to 7 spin. But when she drives off the rubber it's a bullet spin. I've attached a clip, the first half is just circle warm ups with a nice 1 to 7 stripe. The second half of the clip is her driving off the rubber and throwing with a bullet spin. I'm hoping someone can see where the problem lies. I suspect it's the release point.

[video]https://youtu.be/ptwQtPtv3yA[/video]
 
Feb 7, 2013
3,188
48
Don't know if this is the problem but it seems that when her arm is coming down the circle it is too bent. Compared it to Amanda's arm angle prior to release, she has less of a right angle (if that makes sense). Your student also has some "heavy" brush interference at the bicep, maybe tone that down a little bit. Overall, her mechanics of what we can see look good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5X86nD_WS4
 
Last edited:

javasource

6-4-3 = 2
May 6, 2013
1,347
48
Western NY
WillyT,

Have her place her thumb on the stripe... opposite the middle finger. Tell her to "Think about getting the thumb slightly forward AT RELEASE".

Nothing else changes... although I do agree that she's holding too much bend... working some of that out during the release phase would be a good idea.
 
May 26, 2013
372
18
Ramstein Germany
Thanks Java, we've talked numerous times about lengthening the arm at release with no luck so far. I think the arm bend is indicative of someone muscling the ball versus a loose whip. I'd probably fathom a guess that this is why she's struggling to get above 52mph. Her inside/outside control is good. Her change up is good. I'd just like a better drop on the ball (less flat is a better descriptor) as we head into the HS playoffs in three weeks. We'll work in the off-season on a better whip (less muscle).

I'm trying to visualize "Think about getting the thumb slightly forward AT RELEASE". I took a snapshot of IR2's bullet spin release. The only thing I can visualize is cocking the wrist a bit so the thumb is more forward than her "normal." Is this what you mean JS?

IR2 - Release.JPG
 

javasource

6-4-3 = 2
May 6, 2013
1,347
48
Western NY
Willy, it's just a cue... as it appears that she's leading with the pinky a little too long.

When you're throwing stripes, having the thumb on the stripe will really tighten things up... I couldn't make out her thumb in the video. If the bar is pretty solid, and all you're seeing is pure bullet, it probably has to do with wrist flexion and late pronation getting in the way. In this case, getting the thumb forward will help pull some of the flexion out of the wrist. Too much flexion can act as a preventative to getting the fingers up the back of the ball. Sometimes the cue is to get the thumb forward and down... just depends on the student.

When the palm is up on the backside, the biceps are highly engaged... and the biceps act as a flexor in the elbow. When the hand is pronated, the biceps become disngaged... the triceps activate. These act as an extensor at the elbow. Just some fyi... however... these anatomical functions can sometimes cause rigidity through that joint. What we really should be focusing on is accelerating the forearm. When I ask kids that know IR to do this... you can really see the rigidity of the elbow on display... which I'm pretty confident you'd see in this girl, too. Her whole arm would accelerate... as there is little to no way with a locked angle in the elbow.

She looks good, no doubt.
 
Feb 3, 2010
5,752
113
Pac NW
This kid takes core power to the max! I agree with you & JS to loosen up the lower arm. The bend and lock seem fine to me if things are looser from the elbow down. I like the thumb cue. Try it yourself and alternate leading with the pinky and using the thumb cue to see/feel the difference.

Other cues that have worked for me are:
-Exaggerate IR through release so the thumb/palm is down early in follow through
-Ring finger and thumb on the stripe and the feel of the ring finger pulling up and the thumb pushing down through release
-Pushing/whipping with the index finger
-HE release feel minus the HE finish.
 
Last edited:
May 26, 2013
372
18
Ramstein Germany
So I took a closer look at some of the other slow motion video I took on Monday and found a better look at her release. I clipped the video and repeated the sequence of release four times fairly slow and then really slowed it down for another four shots. You can see that her middle finger and thumb are both lined up on the stripe nicely. But what is really telling is the hand orientation at release, her palm is facing "third" at release. The forearm's orientation is wrong at release and it's directly related to muscling the ball and having that bend in it. In fact JS, the more I look at it the more I'm convinced she's not actually doing IR. She's rotating but there's no true whip, the arm is too rigid. It's this rigidity that is orienting the forearm and grip at release. I'm not sure it's something we can fix in three weeks and still have control. Here's another better view. The first two are of the infamous bullet spin while the last two are full circle warm up drill with a one to seven spin. She's more relaxed when just doing the drill which allows for some whip and forearm orientation.

 
Last edited:
Jan 14, 2015
95
0
Do you consider bullet spin a major flaw that is limiting potential and should be fixed asap, or just a minor imperfection?
 
Jun 18, 2012
3,183
48
Utah
Willy,

(1) That last clip was fantastic!

(2) I would walk very carefully in what you change. In my opinion, I think she should lengthen her harm just a bit going into 7:30 and through release. I think her brush contact is great, just needs to be longer.
 

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