getting open

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Jul 30, 2018
44
8
I took my dd to a pc for the first time last a week ago.

Some issues and you guys can tell me if im wrong here

She kept stressing get open get open. When my dd TRIES to get open it isn't good..she turns on the mound.

I have always told her to resist that turning action and get a feeling of driving straight forward and land hard at a 45 degree angle.

She also has a problem with the hip beating the hand at release..All of the video that I see clearly has a hip snap or stop action at a 45 degree angle with the hip winning that race.

When I see the hips lose the race the butt will pop out and we will pitch sideways. I just do not like the GET OPEN philosophy.

I basically never say get open or closed...I like to get to a strong 45 and stick the landing...I don't like walking through nor do I like getting sideways. The hip action is something I worked hard to get and it seems as if this PC is wanting to take it away.


What drills are you guys doing for late whip.
 
Jul 30, 2018
44
8
What I see here is NO effort to get sideways ( open )

I see a drive forward while turning sideways and getting back to 45 and a STUCK landing as the hips SNAP STOP to a 45.

I see no sideways throwing or throwing from an open position here or any other high level pitcher that ive looked at

 
Last edited:

JohnnyO

Began this habit in 1980
May 13, 2015
270
18
Midwest
When a so called pitching coach stresses getting open you should interpret that as opening the door and leaving that practice session..
 
Apr 12, 2015
792
93
When a so called pitching coach stresses getting open you should interpret that as opening the door and leaving that practice session..

Bingo. Stressing "getting open" is the quickest way to kill a good leg drive.

Opening/Closing are both non-teach items as far as I'm concerned.
 
Feb 3, 2010
5,752
113
Pac NW
What I see here is NO effort to get sideways ( open )

I see a drive forward while turning sideways and getting back to 45 and a STUCK landing as the hips SNAP STOP to a 45.

I see no sideways throwing or throwing from an open position here or any other high level pitcher that ive looked at



For the most part, I think you've got a much better handle on the motion than your PC. I generally do not emphasize either getting open of getting closed. Rather, I usually focus on the mechanics that result in these things. Since each kid is different, sometimes I do emphasize one or the other, but usually related to drag leg motion and plant foot angle.
 

Chris Delorit

Member
Apr 24, 2016
343
28
Green Bay, WI
I took my dd to a pc for the first time last a week ago.

Some issues and you guys can tell me if im wrong here

She kept stressing get open get open. When my dd TRIES to get open it isn't good..she turns on the mound.

I have always told her to resist that turning action and get a feeling of driving straight forward and land hard at a 45 degree angle.

She also has a problem with the hip beating the hand at release..All of the video that I see clearly has a hip snap or stop action at a 45 degree angle with the hip winning that race.

When I see the hips lose the race the butt will pop out and we will pitch sideways. I just do not like the GET OPEN philosophy.

I basically never say get open or closed...I like to get to a strong 45 and stick the landing...I don't like walking through nor do I like getting sideways. The hip action is something I worked hard to get and it seems as if this PC is wanting to take it away.


What drills are you guys doing for late whip.


From what you've described, you're looking directly at about 3 or 4 seperate issues to address as part of the full pitching motion. "Open" and "closed" can be confusing to a young player if they really don't understand what that terminology means. I think that her instructor would be best suited to elaborate on what she expects from your daughter.

Since your post topic is "Getting open", let's address that. The degree in which your body rotates to at plant (45 degrees - give or take) is largely the product of how her hands and arms seperate and eventually shoulders open up rotationally into her plant. This occurs after her initial linear drive. Her torso just follows along. The degree in which her shoulders rotate will directly affect her torso and her plant foot degree. This is important, because it provides a natural path to her eventual release point, which should absolutely not include either hip beating or rear pop out (posture flaw caused by the hip beating). Both of those effects are the result of directly related causes. Her feet are a linear kinetic energy mechanism, and are ideally not used in a rotational movement at the rubber. You also mentioned hip snap. Hip snap isn't really a concentrated effort, it's the result of the combination of the plant resistance working in opposition of both hands forcefully working downhill into release. The core torque energy that's created there in essence ends up concentrating into the backside and then released (power). The rear hip should naturally rotate with the drive leg once it's off the gas.

In your scenario, I'd suggest matching terminology with it's desired mechanics. You'll teach, rather than confuse. Her full motion pitching may benefit from breaking it down into easier-to-digest pieces, such as seperating drive mechanics from the Power-K, etc.

Here's a couple fo clips that show similar mechanics, but with a slight variation in degrees at the Power-K position.



Chris
 
Last edited:
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
When a so called pitching coach stresses getting open you should interpret that as opening the door and leaving that practice session..

Just one man's opinion here but, I am not sure I could agree with this more. I do however, agree with Chris that just saying "get out and open" to a young pitcher is jibberish. This is why I really advocate pitching from the sideways position in one of the 3 drills I used in my videos. It will teach her hips to be open, so the hand can pass through, then "close" behind the hand. I got the impression from the poster that this girl is quite young. She is probably stepping straight to the targets with no turn at all. If this is the case then she needs to learn to open. Making sure her front toes do NOT point to the catcher, making sure she hides the back shoulder, whichever terminology works to get her sideways during the pitch.

Again, we could ALL be wrong. It all depends on what this coach was seeing. We're all shooting in the dark here. But, to lay out a blanket statement that you should run I think is wrong. She could've been stepping without the 45 degree turn, no shoulder rotation, leaning forward... we don't know.

Bill
 

shaker1

Softball Junkie
Dec 4, 2014
894
18
On a bucket
About as open as they come at a high level. With these mechanics, she has both a drop and a good rise, mid to upper 60's with speed
 
Jul 30, 2018
44
8
She doesn't step straight .
What I've taught her is not to get turned on the rubber...drive straight out and snap stop the hips to a 45....I don't see the High Level pitchers doing what Bill says ...the clips obviously have the hips ahead of the hand to allow for that brush at the hip....Sideways and then the ball is ahead of the hips makes no sense to me. When my dd thinks get open...sideways...the drive is compromised.

The clip of Amanda she is driving out and her hips get sideways then snap back to a 45 at landing.

That's what I'm seeing...the hips beat the hand.
 

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