Elbow Bruise

[dwang56]

My daughter has been hitting her elbow on her hip when she pitches. Sometimes so much that she developed a bruise and a lot of sensitivity. I think it may be from a couple things. Either her arm circle is off center and she is taking her arm too far behind her or she is closing her hips too soon and can't clear her hip when she throws.

Any idea what she can do to fix this?

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Try having her pitch completely open, if she is getting the wrong hip angle. Do lots and lots of Power Ks.

One drill, that I probably got from Hal, is to tie some an old softball in a long sock or plastic bag. You go out to the circle and go through your motion while holding the end of the sock. If your arm circle is off the ball will hit you between the shoulder blades.

I stress that the ball has to stay above the power line, all the way through the circle. You should always be able to see the ball from the bucket. If it is disappearing behind the shoulder, you will be able to tell from catching her.