Explain this style.

[Jojo]

Where I live there are many instructors with a variety of pitching styles.
I saw a new one the other day. At first I thought it was just an individual thing this pitcher was doing because maybe she struggled getting open but I was told later a new PC was teaching it. All his students do it.

They stand on the rubber and turn completely sideways. They present the ball then bring both hands down to the front knee --bent over. They separate the hands and begin the backswing straight back. Then they drive off the rubber completely sideways. There is no rotation of hips and shoulders. I have not seen the other pitchers finish, just the 10yr old I saw, she finished at about 45 degrees but was bent over so I don't know if that is the way he teaches or she's still learning to stay tall.

It reminds me of those baseball pitchers that stand sideways then lean on one knee to take a signal then pitch.

Anyone else ever seen this?

 

[amanda_cake]

I'd like to see this in video.

 

[Jojo]

Hee hee, you want me to film myself demonstrating it!--that would be a laugh!

 

[Lozza]

I saw something simillar like this about ten years ago with some friends. One club sent all their girls to one pitching coach and they all had a simillar style, an extreme bend when pitching.

No girls went onto state (and some were promising) and all of them now have terrible backs in their mid to late 20s.

 

[remind]

It is uncommon, yes. but why is it considered bad?
The usual close->open phase is a rotation to the opposite side anyway right?

 

[shockcoach]

Sounds like a violation of the rules to me. While on the rubber and before the pitch, the shoulders shall be aligned with 1st and 3rd base (ASA Rule 6, Sect 1.C.). As for the bending over, that's bad mechanics. There is no release point trigger. When standing straight up, the hips are your trigger. When leaning forward, you have to release in no man's land past the hips. Plus, as has been said it's not good for their backs. Find out who their PC is and stay away!

 

[Jojo]

I think I found another way to describe it.
The arm circle drill where you stand sideways and just swing your arm around.
Basically it's this, but if your a right hand pitcher, you place your right foot on the back part of the rubber, keeping your shoulders sideways as you bend down to the front knee. Then drive off sideways.

I understand "open" style but to me this is extreme open style. When I try it, there is no rotation of the body, I don't get any whip feel in the arm, just how fast I can move my arm around. I cannot drive off that much either.

I didn't know about the shoulder rule, I knew about the feet rule, which is supposed to cause you to face home plate. Interesting that this could actually be an illegal motion.

 

[halskinner]

If it is exactly as you describe it,

What you are describing is referred to as a 'Forward Dip' and has been recognized as an unsafe pitching motion for many years. If they start their forward momentum AS they are shooting back up with their torso, it will not be long before that instructor has many students with MAJOR back problems. That motion has been specifically blamed for stress fractures to the Lumbar spine.

There used to be a female instructor in my area , (May still be teaching it) , that hurt alot of kids.

What is wrong with some of these parents?? If they tried it themselves THEY would feel it is not a safe motion.

 

[Lozza]

The worst part of it is, that the extreme bend does nothing for the kids in the slightest. The 'up, down' movement is all style and is purely for the pitcher to get their rhythm. So not only is it putting these girls at great risk of injuring themselves, its doing it for no added benefit! The only part that I associate with the 'up, down' movement is the rock, which is needed for momentum, but I remember the girls I knew who pitched like that had massive problems getting that rock going because they were so off balance.

 

[halskinner]

In my area, that instructor reportedly taught it to 'Hide the pitch' from the batter. Myself, I think it was a signature pitch/style.