76 mph

[RADcatcher]

What I’ve noticed on this topic is that, other than people arguing for argument’s sake, is that she(Pickens), starts out like someone who wants to throw fast. How fast can my arm go. Her arm’s speed straight out of her backswing is extremely fast, and only gets faster. Her lower body doesn’t appear to be able to keep up. Incredible to think, that if she could get to a proper posture at release, she would brush, and science(use of levers and pivots)says she would be even faster. Ridiculous speed.

Even in throwing overhand people's body and timing / tempo of mechanics are not always consistent.
Same could be said in hitting mechanics.


From that think people want to dissect and try to find faults. Then recognize the person has found an efficiency of Their Own.

 

[sluggers]

I think that the fact that the exact spot where the contact takes place is very vague (rib cage, hip, outer thigh) keeps it from being a causal factor, for both control and velocity.

(For this particular pitcher, it appears she does brush against her hip at the start of the release phase.)

You're missing the point about control and velocity. There are two parts of BI.

For control, "the initial brush" gives the mind (brain + body) a reference point to determine the location of the arm. A reflex develops so that when the arm contacts the body, the release phase starts.

If there is no brush, then the mind has to somehow keep track of the arm location. The hand is moving at more than 1000 inches per second, and the release has to be accurate within 1/100 of second to consistently throw strikes.

My observation is that pitchers without brush are very inconsistent. They'll be cruising along and then suddenly can't throw a strike.

As to "baseball doesn't have brush"-- that's true, but there are also more walks in baseball than in softball. The CWS softball OU Sooners averaged 1.7 walks per 7 innings. The CWS baseball champion LSU Tigers averaged 2.8 walks per 7 innings.

There some intuitive examples used to justify BI, one is the action of a whip. But a whip is not forcibly halted, just like when you throw overhand the upper arm is not impeded, the energy gets transferred as part of the process.

You're wrong the physics. The arm is a linked lever with four parts (upper arm, forearm, wr

 

[El Oso]

I thought proper brush "caused" the effect of control and improved velocity and thus that is why we call brush one of the keys to solid mechanics.

Lots of people here have tried to make you believe that for years, but it just isn't true. It's their narrative and they stick by it through thick and thin and will condescendingly dismiss you if you try to argue otherwise. Don't fall for it though. Don't be a sheep and blindly follow.

 

[El Oso]

Absolutely not. The number of new pitchers who will bowl the ball, almost forcing themselves to not internally rotate, is well over 90% from my experience. These are girls who have not had any pitching instruction. They're trying it for the first time. Some adjust quickly, but almost none of them internally rotate the arm.

It's a natural body movement, but for most, it's not instinctive.

Agree 1000%. IR is the opposite of natural for most girls. They want to bowl.

 

[El Oso]

but there are also more walks in baseball than in softball. The CWS softball OU Sooners averaged 1.7 walks per 7 innings. The CWS baseball champion LSU Tigers averaged 2.8 walks per 7 innings.

Being 43 feet away from the target versus 60 feet away is the reason for that, not brush trigger! lol....

 

[yougonnaeatthat]

Agree 1000%. IR is the opposite of natural for most girls. They want to bowl.

Agree 1000%. IR is the opposite of natural for most girls. They want to bowl.

Posture and body position in relation to the target are very important to both lines of thinking. What most consider proper body posture and positioning does not allow for a natural “bowling” type form. Right or wrong?

 

[Rolling Hard]

I don't believe Hillhouse employs brush. Just saying.

 

[yougonnaeatthat]

Love me some Bill. Oldest brother is also Bill. But…science.

 

[BucketDud]

Being 43 feet away from the target versus 60 feet away is the reason for that, not brush trigger! lol....

Very interesting point and something I hadn't considered.

Also would note the ball is larger. Practically speaking an umpire might call the zone the same regardless, but in reality more pitch locations (ie center of the ball) should catch a piece of the zone in softball and thus be called a strike.

 

[ArmWhip]

It's interesting that the next two fastest pitchers that I remember in the WCWS were Fouts and Canady, they topped out at 72. Fouts is 6'1" or 6'2", Canady is 6'0". Both have near classic form. But Pickens, with her 'flaws', blew their doors off with 76.

For control, "the initial brush" gives the mind (brain + body) a reference point to determine the location of the arm. A reflex develops so that when the arm contacts the body, the release phase starts.

If there is no brush, then the mind has to somehow keep track of the arm location. The hand is moving at more than 1000 inches per second, and the release has to be accurate within 1/100 of second to consistently throw strikes.

If brush contact is so important for control then why do Cat Osterman and Sara Pauly often wear neoprene elbow sleeves? Wouldn't a sleeve reduce sensitivity and therefore hurt their control?