Rita Gilman

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Feb 3, 2010
5,752
113
Pac NW
RLG has made progress over the years. She's studied, listened and made changes to what she teaches. Her understanding of whip is better. I haven't talked to her since before she made some changes, but the conversation was lively and I can see how she gets buy in from her students. She likes gadgets and some of the stuff she sells isn't helpful in my opinion. I haven't checked out her stuff in a while and will try to take a look and update this when time allows...

Added: I'll just say that her understanding of whip has improved...
 
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sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,132
113
Dallas, Texas
It appears that she does.

A basic part of IR is for the ball to be pulled around the circle rather than pushed. So, look for the hand behind the ball at 12 and the hand under the ball at 9.

She says Megan Good is one of her pitchers and she uses IR.

good.jpg
 
Jan 28, 2017
1,662
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Yes, she teaches hand under the ball at 9:00 but the finish is different than what I view true IR.

If the ball is pointed at 3rd is that considered IR?
 
Feb 3, 2010
5,752
113
Pac NW
Yes, she teaches hand under the ball at 9:00 but the finish is different than what I view true IR.

If the ball is pointed at 3rd is that considered IR?

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.......

2v923d0.gif
x5p5di.gif


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.........

mj9zxu.gif


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...........

. Z Guggenheim gg
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,132
113
Dallas, Texas
If the ball is pointed at 3rd is that considered IR?

This will result in some IR, but is not the most proficient.

Do this test:

Hold your arm at the 9 position, with the palm down. Now rotate your arm so that the palm is up.

There is no tension with the palm down, some tension with the palm pointing at 3rd, and a great deal of tension with the palm up.

The tension is your muscles "loading", like twisting a rubber band. The greater the tension, the more force when the arm untwists.
 
Feb 3, 2010
5,752
113
Pac NW
In addition to what sluggers' said, there is also more potential energy stored when the ball is lagged. Imagine swinging a bat with less lag. A better comparison might be a golf club with the head inline and not offset. That potential energy from the head pulled into contact would be given up.

AAEAAQAAAAAAAAfbAAAAJGIyNzU3ZGFlLTlkYWEtNDVmMS1hMDdhLTNkYjczOGJhMTVhZA.jpg

Lag.JPG
 
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Nov 25, 2012
1,437
83
USA
Somehow I landed on her site and was checking out the speed club.... https://softballpitchingtools.com/speed-club/

I have to say I am impressed by the numerous girls she has been able to get to throw in the 60's and close to 70. We all realize that speed isn't everything so no need to rehash that it is just amazing to me to see so many girls under one coach that throw that hard. I know she coached Waldrop and others but it looks as of late she has a huge client list of upcoming girls that are extremely fast.

It just makes me wonder what she is doing to get those kinds of speeds out of that many girls at such a young age.

2nd part to this post, does anyone know anything about the radar guns in the pictures that the girls are holding up as well as Jugs backyard bull pen. Just wondering how accurate they are or if they can be calibrated higher or lower manually.
 
Jun 18, 2012
3,183
48
Utah
It just makes me wonder what she is doing to get those kinds of speeds out of that many girls at such a young age.

I'd be more interested in what those pitchers actually do in their pitching. Someone pick clips of the best 3-4 that have been her students. Let's analyze what they actually do while pitching. Then, let's compare what they actually do with what she actually teaches.
 

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