Dr. Kaila Holtz OLY

[mydogeaston]

Dr. Kaila Holtz OLY posted the following link on her Twitter account. Don't agree at all with the 99.9% as it can be construed as only .1% are doing it correctly which can also be construed as there aren't many pitching coaches who know what they are doing. Definitely an over exaggeration on the percentage IMO but will stayed tuned in hopes she has good things to bring to the table.

Dr. Kaila Holtz OLY Retweeted

Dr. Kaila Holtz OLY
@KailaHoltz
·
Nov 3

99.9% of all softball pitchers are throwing with their upper torso, shoulder, elbow, wrist. No legs or trunk. This means up to 50% of potential power is lost.
Quote Tweet

Pitching Science

@PitchingScience
· Nov 3
Now if the shoulders lead the hips through the critical instant of force transfer up to 50% of power is lost.
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[flogzilla]

I feel like the 99.9% is a sensationalized number to grab your attention. I do feel like she is correct that a lot of pitchers don't have a proper sequence regarding lower and upper body. The pictures she has of Ueno are absolutely wonderful, looks like any long driving golfer, olympic quality thrower or nhl slapshot.

 

[coach james]

While I agree with the message here that the legs need to be utilized more... 99.9% is a gross exaggeration!

 

[_MIA_]

Somebody should ask her to name the 1000 pitchers she has watched and which one used her legs...

 

[DrRiello]

Well she is a physiatrist. She seems to understand the human mechanics pretty well and it appears she is attempting to determine how injuries occurred in pitchers.
From what I gathered here more so than anything is an explanation or the kinetic chain from legs to fingers and how there is separation and intimately a whip at the end. Further down she goes in to talk about elbow injuries coming from those that force the ball with the forearm.
Unless I read it wrong she is really advocating for what we do. A main reason we started IR was to eliminate the forced throw and let things happen in timing and whipping vs pure strength which seems unnatural and opens the athlete up to injury.

What you guys think. ?


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[Fluid Fastpitch]

She's probably counting the 12 pitchers I have on my team ...

 

[Rick M]

While I agree that 99.9% is a silly number, calling her a 'Twitter Guru' grossly underplays her credentials. She pitched in D1 and the Olympics, and is a physician with a specialization in muscles and the nervous system (had to look up physiatrist!!). We need more women like her, with a background and a passion for the sport, accompanied by some serious science and research. Hopefully she can lay off the eye-grabbing hyperbole.

 

[DNeeld]

I think her percentages are off. Definitely the 99.9% and I don't think legs add 50% of power to the pitch. Probably closer to 10-15% in my experience.

But her general point is correct....lots of pitchers, even those at the elite level, have inefficient lower body mechanics.

 

[badmonkey]

I think her percentages are off. Definitely the 99.9% and I don't think legs add 50% of power to the pitch. Probably closer to 10-15% in my experience.

But her general point is correct....lots of pitchers, even those at the elite level, have inefficient lower body mechanics.

Sure the percentages are exaggerated, but maybe not as far off as you would think at first glance. If a pitcher increases her speed from 40mph to 49mph, she has increased the power in her pitch (the energy in the ball) by 50%.

 

[_MIA_]

Sure the percentages are exaggerated, but maybe not as far off as you would think at first glance. If a pitcher increases her speed from 40mph to 49mph, she has increased the power in her pitch (the energy in the ball) by 50%.

Which one is it..power or energy?