Arm bent Vs. Straight Question?

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Jan 10, 2019
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We had our first High school scrimmage yesterday and the other teams coach commented that my pitcher should not keep her arm bent.I responded that i didn't think this was right because we are trying to create elbow snap. She pitched in college and I am novice and learning. Was I right? She said arm straightens as some point. Comments and suggestions please
Thx
Coach McCombs
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
Coach McCombs,

Keep in mind, there is a HUGE difference between "straight" and "locked". 99% of pitchers who preach "straight arm" are actually teaching locked arm... very bad. Lots of shoulder problems occur this way.

There is a such thing as "too bent" also. So, there is a delicate balance. While I don't advocate posting video of someone else's kid on an internet board, it's hard to say how your pitcher is doing without seeing it. But, I can tell you that I believe in a long, loose arm (words that combine both straight and bent arm) but, if you see pics of me pitching, it always looks like I have my elbow bent. So, a pitcher needs to find the balance between the 2. By and large, I'd say YOU are in the right. But that's my skeptical nature of anyone who tells you to straighten your arm, which usually means to lock the elbow. I do not recommend it. Nor do I know any World class pitchers who do that.

Bill
 
Jan 10, 2019
14
0
Coach McCombs,

Keep in mind, there is a HUGE difference between "straight" and "locked". 99% of pitchers who preach "straight arm" are actually teaching locked arm... very bad. Lots of shoulder problems occur this way.

There is a such thing as "too bent" also. So, there is a delicate balance. While I don't advocate posting video of someone else's kid on an internet board, it's hard to say how your pitcher is doing without seeing it. But, I can tell you that I believe in a long, loose arm (words that combine both straight and bent arm) but, if you see pics of me pitching, it always looks like I have my elbow bent. So, a pitcher needs to find the balance between the 2. By and large, I'd say YOU are in the right. But that's my skeptical nature of anyone who tells you to straighten your arm, which usually means to lock the elbow. I do not recommend it. Nor do I know any World class pitchers who do that.

Bill

Thanks Bill. Ive watched all your video on website and watched you pitch on youtube. I am in San Saba, Texas. Trying to build a new program in a town that is basketball crazy. Ive basically taken everything you say and embraced your philosophy. If i send you a video with parents permission can you give a few pointers?
Thx
Coach McCombs
 
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
When other coaches offer this wonderful free advice in the future, just smile and nod. There's really no point in engaging in a debate.

What I usually do is saying something like "Yeah, she's still learning" or "We're working with her" or something vague that just implies we know she's not perfect and we're doing what we can without really acknowledging the specific advice.

Then I come here to find out if the advice was any good. :)
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
When other coaches offer this wonderful free advice in the future, just smile and nod. There's really no point in engaging in a debate.

What I usually do is saying something like "Yeah, she's still learning" or "We're working with her" or something vague that just implies we know she's not perfect and we're doing what we can without really acknowledging the specific advice.

Then I come here to find out if the advice was any good. :)

Exactly.

I often go with level 1 snarkyness and mention that she has a professional pitching coach.
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
Thanks Bill. Ive watched all your video on website and watched you pitch on youtube. I am in San Saba, Texas. Trying to build a new program in a town that is basketball crazy. Ive basically taken everything you say and embraced your philosophy. If i send you a video with parents permission can you give a few pointers?
Thx
Coach McCombs

Coach

I know what you're saying but this bears repeating... Nothing I teach, taught, or do is my own. I didn't invent anything here. What I did as a pitcher and now teach has been passed down from generations, so as the old saying goes: there's nothing new under the sun. Now, we could talk all day long about "philosophy" in pitching. What pitches to throw, and when? Etc. But, in my opinion, there's nothing philosophical about mechanics. It's not really a matter of opinion, the body is designed to work in certain ways. And it's sad when people teach in contrast to that. Even WORLD FAMOUS Olympic pitchers who teach pitching using mechanics that they don't use themselves when they pitched. I realize they are teaching things as they were taught when young, but it wouldn't take much to watch video of one's self and figure out what you're actually doing vs. what you THINK you're doing. That's what I did as a young pitcher, because the only "pitching coaches" were teaching girls softball.. there weren't boys learning to pitch fastpitch. And I would watch these instructors, watch the girls throwing, then compare that to what the best pitchers in the city were doing and it was polar opposite. I actually remember questioning this to myself at age 12 or so... "why is this guy teaching kids to bend the elbow straight up when nobody actually does that?" And it's not a gender thing because the best FEMALE pitchers in the women's league were not doing the "hello elbow" either, they had different wind-ups but the mechanics didn't change from males to females. Send me a private message on here, I used to do monthly lessons in Dallas... maybe I'll be able to do them again when the college season is over.

Bill
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
Totally off-topic and you don't have to answer, but what led you to fastpitch vs. baseball, Bill?

I'm not sure I could have found that opportunity even if I was looking for it, back when I was a child (boy).
 

Ken Krause

Administrator
Admin
May 7, 2008
3,911
113
Mundelein, IL
One of my 16U students has run into a similar issue. At her team's pitching practice the 18U coach came over and offered some "advice." Said she should be following through palm up, that letting her hand turn over would hurt her, and that she should point her elbow at her catcher. Fortunately my student knows better but it does cause that usual dilemma of what to do. I suggested just skip the pitching practice when the 18U coach is there, but that of course wasn't going to work. This program, by the way, is notorious for having coaches who teach HE.

What I did for her is pull video of the four pitchers on the current national team, none of whom do what the 18U coach is saying to do. Said maybe she could find a discrete way to share them. But at least she has them for herself so she knows she should stay the course, and just smile, nod, and ignore Ms. Helpful.
 
Apr 5, 2013
2,130
83
Back on the dirt...
Thanks Bill. Ive watched all your video on website and watched you pitch on youtube. I am in San Saba, Texas. Trying to build a new program in a town that is basketball crazy. Ive basically taken everything you say and embraced your philosophy. If i send you a video with parents permission can you give a few pointers?
Thx
Coach McCombs


You can post it here and get some great tips to help out.
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
Totally off-topic and you don't have to answer, but what led you to fastpitch vs. baseball, Bill?

I'm not sure I could have found that opportunity even if I was looking for it, back when I was a child (boy).


"back in the day" men's fastpitch was one of the most popular games in the country. Where I grew up, Erie PA, there was so much men's fastpitch every night of the week that they actually had a "morning league" for guys who worked 2nd and 3rd shift and could not play city rec ball on weeknights. So, my father played fastpitch in the morning league and my brother and i would go to every game, be the bat boys, imitate the pitchers, and just became "park rats" by hanging out there non-stop. As time went on, I keep practicing pitching, mimicking the best pitchers in the city, and never gave it up. I never played a single game of baseball in my life, only fastpitch. In my high school, the baseball coach also played in the men's fastpitch league and I would see him at the ballpark on weeknights and would even pitch against his team (getting my butt kicked as a kid pitching against grown men). But, during school.. he was relentless trying to get me to play baseball for school just to DH... as I was a pretty decent hitter. And hitting the better men's FP guys would make baseball look like beachballs, so he would tell me. But, I never had any interest. I was so engulfed in fastpitch that it absolutely consumed my life.

Bill
 

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