Elbow injuries

[Rick Pauly]

Hey Bill
How do you really feel about the Perfect Circle Trainer?

I bought one---used it for about 10 minutes. Haven't used it since. I see no value in it-------kind of hard to swallow since it cost $29----that's a lot for 25 cents worth of material.
Based on video I have of elite level pitchers I think this device would not encourage the upper arm to move into the side of the body like it should and also it wouldn't encourage the "brush assisted" snap created when the forearm brushes by the thigh.
Rick

 

[Hillhouse]

Rick

I think when used correctly, the PC is a great tool for young pitchers with the mechanical problems of either:
1. closing the hips too fast
2. arm being too far away from body at ball release.

The picture and CD Rom that guy sells is criminal and I cannot say enough bad things about it. Why would any pitcher want to teach themselves to let the ball go at the side of their body? That would promote going AROUND the hips, not through them. Plus, its insane to advertise that a pitcher can feel the flap on different parts of the hand for different pitches.

Personally, if I have a pitcher that either cannot get their arm in FRONT of their hip at release or has a gap between their arm and body at release... then I encourage they get one of these and put it on their center thigh. For a RH pitcher, it should go on the center of the Right THIGH, so the flag points OUTWARD toward homeplate. Then throw socks into a mirror and if they miss the flag (which they can see in their reflection) then they know they either closed the hips too fast or were far away from the body at release.

In short, to use it the way that guy 'advertises' would be counter productive and promote HORRIBLE mechanics. I've explained this to him and even had a deal to film his new CD ROM for him. He got into a tiff with the video production company and never used the new CD Rom and uses his old one instead.... which is why I tell people to throw it and the picture that comes with it away.

 

[Darrick Brown]

good point on the front foot Bill. This also sets the hip angle. Yesterday I had a new client who is 6'1" and very hippy. Her plant foot was straight so the hips were always in the way. I asked 2 questions. Do you hit your hip alot and do you miss in on righties alot and of course the answer was yes! The sad part is this kid spent 3 years with a different instructor and was allowed to do this. Oh well, we will get her fixed. I have to because she will play for me!

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I have a new student, a 14 YO, who's plant foot is straight also. She, too, sometimes hit her hip. The angle of the plant foot is one of the main things that we worked on.

 

[KWright]

There was a pitcher who played for UCLA years ago who did this. I can't recall her name at the moment. They were talking about it during the College World Series and they said that the muscle had started to seperate from the bone.