Hello All, first time poster and thanks for great info...i have a 12u player\pitcher on my squad that has been taking lessons 2+years, she is a fine pitcher with good control and throws around 49-51 mph...here is a NEW issue that has came up over the last month or so...her side bruises and swells from I assume her arm hitting it on pitches, the lone new in her routine has been her pitching coach beginning her on weighted balls, the problem has been severe enough where we haven't used her in fall ball at all to see if time off will help, does anyone have any input or experience with this ...thanks for any help or replys...Coach W.
badly bruised on side
- Thread starter coachwilly
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Coachwilly, welcome to active participation. One of the first things you'll find is many of us will ask you to post a video so we can see what's happening.
I wouldn't think weighted balls would be cause of this issue -- unless they're much to heavy for the girl in question. If that is the case, she may not be strong enough to maintain a good arm circle. Weighted balls shouldn't be more than an ounce or so heavier than a regular ball, but there are some that are considerably heaviy.
That's just a wild guess, though. Tough to say without seeing.
I wouldn't think weighted balls would be cause of this issue -- unless they're much to heavy for the girl in question. If that is the case, she may not be strong enough to maintain a good arm circle. Weighted balls shouldn't be more than an ounce or so heavier than a regular ball, but there are some that are considerably heaviy.
That's just a wild guess, though. Tough to say without seeing.
- Aug 21, 2008
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Sorry to disagree Ken but I could see weighted balls as an issue. Not saying it IS the issue but it could be. If she's using a weight ball, it COULD slow her arm circle down and effect her overall timing. This could make the hips close premature and then BANG.
I'm more concerned why this coach is having a 12 yr old use weighted balls in the first place.
Bill
I'm more concerned why this coach is having a 12 yr old use weighted balls in the first place.
Bill
Are you talking about her pitching side or glove side? I am guessing that it is the pitching side.
I haven't seen that problem in any of my students or in other pitchers. Could she be hitting her side with her elbow?
I show the girls the weighted balls, just for fun. We try a few flips with them and I explain that they are not to take them over their head, in a full windmill. Then, I never bring them out again.
I haven't seen that problem in any of my students or in other pitchers. Could she be hitting her side with her elbow?
I show the girls the weighted balls, just for fun. We try a few flips with them and I explain that they are not to take them over their head, in a full windmill. Then, I never bring them out again.
it is her pitching side...her father and i have ask that we loose the weighted ball routine when she goes to her pitching coach...i thought maybe she was forceing the pitch and causing a flaw in the mechanics...she pitches in a game and as the game goes on the spot begins to get inflamed and bruises...she has not pitched for a couple weeks as we are trying to give her plenty of time to heal, not sure if i'll let her see action this fall...is 12 to young to begin a weighted ball routine? maybe this could be a great thread to start...
thanks again folks, coach W.
thanks again folks, coach W.
my guess is between the weighted balls and possibly hips closing before the pitching arm gets through...... (*** I've seen coaches stress to their pitchers to brush their side/hips with their pitchinig hand on snap; wonder if she is being taught this as an exaggeration?) (( I just don't like weighted balls for young pitchers. Id rather see them work distance pitching.))
Beat me to it. I would add that some pitching instructors actually teach kids to slam their arms into the hip in the belief that this method somehow increases velocity.
What i have seen first hand was a pitcher on DD's college team who was taught this method. She had all of the same problems as above and as a result she had several surgeries and her college pitching career was greatly shortened.
Coachwilly, Your post says "her side bruises" which I take to mean the area of her torso where the lower rib cage is. Is this right? If so I would further assume her elbow and / or upper forearm is causing the bruising. One of cues I have heard used is "pull your elbow into the side of your torso" to lead the arm down into release. I used this cue with one student and she took it so much to heart, her side would be red at the end of a lesson which is why I always remind students to take a teaspoon of medicine(the cue) not the whole bottle.
This could possibly be a reason for your DD bruising. Also you may want to look at her posture at release, is she creating space at her hip to give her arm room to come through? As others mentioned a video of her motion would allow other better diagnosticians on this forum to pinpoint the cause.
Coach-n-Dad
Crazy Daddy
- Oct 31, 2008
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First off, I don't beleive in weighted balls at 12U. I think they can do way more damage than good. I prefer that a pitcher do long toss from second base or beyond to build strength and velocity. But that is really neither here nor there...
DD is 13, 5'10" and 220. She went through exactly what you are talking about this spring. We think that there were several things that combined to cause it.
1) She had just dropped 25 lbs over 3 months and all of a sudden she HAD hips
2) She had increased her speed by 10 mph over the last year after changing pitching coaches
3) She was maturing into her "womans body"
The fix for her was to wear a girdle while she worked with her pitching coach to adjust her mechanics so she wasn't hitting her hip as much.
We are now 3 months later and she doesn't wear the girdle any more, nor does she get a bruise on her hip.
DD is 13, 5'10" and 220. She went through exactly what you are talking about this spring. We think that there were several things that combined to cause it.
1) She had just dropped 25 lbs over 3 months and all of a sudden she HAD hips
2) She had increased her speed by 10 mph over the last year after changing pitching coaches
3) She was maturing into her "womans body"
The fix for her was to wear a girdle while she worked with her pitching coach to adjust her mechanics so she wasn't hitting her hip as much.
We are now 3 months later and she doesn't wear the girdle any more, nor does she get a bruise on her hip.
Valid points as well.
