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Feb 26, 2009
2
0
Hello,
I coach a college team and we have 2 pitchers who slap their leg pretty hard during their motion. It's gotten to the point where our trainer asked me to research protective compression shorts. I've found shorts with built-in pads for basketball and football, but nothing for softball. Before I lay down $50 for a pair of shorts, does anyone have any experience with this issue?
Much appreciated!
Coach Gervais
JSC Softball
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,133
113
Dallas, Texas
How about suggesting they not slap their legs? Slapping their legs hard doesn't do anything except create a big bruise.
 

Cannonball

Ex "Expert"
Feb 25, 2009
4,854
113
My daughter did this for a while and actually had skin tears. We simply got a thigh pad any trainer can easily get and it worked well. Still, we worked with her and she no longer does it. These thigh pads come in numerous sizes and so you should be able to find one easily. I think our trainer said the one my dd used cost $12. It is too old and decrepid to tell what company made it for me to get that info to you.
 
May 13, 2008
831
16
Your trainer has a right to be concerned, slapping the leg with the glove can cause vascular damage over time. Besides the potential long term health issues, slapping the glove gives a hitter a timing mechanism.
 
Aug 4, 2008
2,364
0
Lexington,Ohio
Agree with cshilt. This use to be taught, but not many pitching coaches I know recommend it. We do teach hitters to time off of it. The one thing we have found filming and scouting pitchers. Pitchers hit themself different on different pitches. I know one we play against that can't figure out why we know she just threw a change up and the hitter knows it coming. Just one more area that can help us guess the pitch. I follow the same pitching coach that I think cshilt does. He does not recommend this.
 
Feb 26, 2009
2
0
Thanks for the replies. I certainly know and understand the issues around slapping the leg. However I have inheritted girls that are 21-22 years old and have been doing this for years. Not so sure I want to change a habit in such a short season at the end of their careers!
 
Mar 18, 2009
131
0
La Crosse WI
I have noticed that are two thigh slaps:
Either the pitcher:
1. Starts her motion with a swing of arms forward and up then down. She does the drop-back with the pitching arm. But the glove arm doesn't swing back past the body but slaps the thigh.
Or
2. As the pitcher sweeps the ball past her thigh to the release point, the glove arm swings down and the glove slaps the thigh -- it's what you use the K-drill for, coordinating the two arms to move in concert.

I don't like #1. because it discourages active use of the glove arm in the delivery motion -- the pitcher isn't inclined to swing that arm back up along with the ball arm.

I like #2 because it discourages the swing of the glove arm back past the hip, which tend to pull the body back to closed prior to the ball passing the hip.
 
May 12, 2008
2,214
0
I don't like a thigh slap that leaves the glove down low at release rather than up near the heart and head.
 

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