Is HE a money grab?

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Sep 30, 2013
155
28
Northwest, IN
So I have to share a story that happened to me this past weekend. Every Sunday we run our TB practices, and at the end of the practice we also allow for pitchers and catchers to throw for about an hour. During this time we have our pitching coaches work with our pitchers. It was my turn to work with our 12u pitchers as we rotate teams from week to week. All of us on the coaching staff or MAJOR I/R teachers.

As I begin to walk around and watch mechanics, I see a pitcher of ours who is throwing HE style. So I move over and start to talk to her about mechanics. (Great kid, listens, totally coachable!) I ask her who her pitching instructor is, and she mentions that she takes lessons from player from our area who went on last year to get a D1 scholarship in the PAC12 and was actually PAC12 Freshman pitcher of the week last year at one point.

At that moment I had to stop and collect my thoughts, because I know this pitcher (D1) does not pitch HE, she pitches with I/R and pitches really well! I began to talk to our 12u player about I/R and how we want the ball facing third, almost palm up closer to release, to whip it across our body. (Again coachable, so she starts working on it) (went straight to Lock it in drill)

I worked with our 12u kid the rest of the hour, and told her I wanted to talk to her mom. Mom was there, listening, and very receptive. I spoke to her about how the best most elite pitchers pitch with I/R, and why they pitch this way. We then looked up, on YouTube how her pitching coach pitches, and she is complete I/R.

It was interesting to see her face when I showed her the mechanics. Needless to say, Mom and player both see how she should be pitching, and they are ready to make the change to I/R.

Later that night I sent them videos of the best pitchers, I even sent them pictures and video of the PC they use... Yup... Ball facing third, beautiful I/R mechanics

It just floors me that even pitchers both former and current are not teaching the best mechanics out there..... or even better, not teaching them the mechanics THEY use when pitching....

So is HE just a money grab? Hey I want my daughter throwing strikes, and I don't care how? So PC just lines them up and makes them fire away.....

So crazy! Any way, thought I would share this story, as I was shocked!
 
Oct 1, 2014
2,219
113
USA
easy to use video has been around long enough now that you would think more people (read PC's) would be using it and coming to that "ah ha" moment.
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
I don't think it's a money grab as much as it's ignorance on how to teach pitching at the youngest age.

If you had to give lessons on how to shoot a three point basket to a 8 year old what would you teach them? The easiest way would be to teach them how to shot put the ball with the shooting elbow out. At 8 most kids don't have enough strength to shoot with proper technique (right elbow in). So now you are teaching a technique that the best players in the world do not use but the kid still has some success in hitting three point shots at 8 years old.

While I agree with you 100% they should teach the correct technique at the youngest age I can see why it still happens.
 
Last edited:
Sep 29, 2014
2,421
113
I just posted this last week...most pitching coaches that were college pitchers I feel DO NOT understand the mechanics of their own motion.

This was my exact suggestion go get film of them actually pitching. Showing how they pull the ball down and whip through with the arm naturally going across their body as the ball is released.

I DO NOT believe it is intentional they just simply have never taken the time to break down their own mechanics in video and see exactly how they actually pitch.

I would not be mean and aggressive at the next lesson if I were them I would simply break down the video of the PC pitching and then have the player say I want you to teach me to pitch like you.
 
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
easy to use video has been around long enough now that you would think more people (read PC's) would be using it and coming to that "ah ha" moment.

They won't do that without a reason to do it. Someone has to show them that what they're teaching is not what they actually do.

My guess is in many of these stories you have a spectacular athlete who has found success in spite of bad coaching. They naturally have I/R mechanics, their pitching coaches try to teach HE, but their body just kind of refuses to do the wrong thing (I've seen this happen). Their talent takes over, they develop into good pitchers in spite of their PC, and then they credit their PC when they get that D1 scholarship. Then they teach what the PC taught them because they've never bothered to study their own mechanics.

It's a vicious cycle.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
When DD was younger I mentioned HE to instructor, it was explained to me that IR was dangerous for younger players. IMO, money grab no. Ignorance, probably.
 
Sep 3, 2015
372
63
Agree with Gunner, it's easier to teach to young pitchers and most rec leagues have a 'PC' that probably means well but isn't really qualified. Happened to my DD and I didn't know any better at the time.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
Most of the time, I think it's DOING not translating to TEACHING, but not on purpose. They were taught HE, but are natural pitchers and throw IR even while they think they throw HE. I don't think they're trying to sabotage young players by teaching them the wrong thing. They just really believe that's what they're doing even though it's not. Jennie Finch is a great example. I think she is a real stand-up person. I've gotten to meet her briefly a few times with DD and I just can't imagine her being that unethical. Maybe I'm naive, I don't know. But I think she really believes what her daddy taught her and doesn't realize she doesn't actually pitch that way.
 
Sep 30, 2013
155
28
Northwest, IN
Most of the time, I think it's DOING not translating to TEACHING, but not on purpose. They were taught HE, but are natural pitchers and throw IR even while they think they throw HE. I don't think they're trying to sabotage young players by teaching them the wrong thing. They just really believe that's what they're doing even though it's not. Jennie Finch is a great example. I think she is a real stand-up person. I've gotten to meet her briefly a few times with DD and I just can't imagine her being that unethical. Maybe I'm naive, I don't know. But I think she really believes what her daddy taught her and doesn't realize she doesn't actually pitch that way.

It's funny you say that, I had a few of the pitchers parents I work with go to the Jennie Finch camp this past month. I told them to watch her mechanics, and then listen to what her dad says and see if there is a difference in what being said and what you see. I believe I read here on DFP that her dad tells pitchers to do a style of HE.

Thats what happened. She pitched one way, he said do it the other. Can't agree with you more!
 

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