Follow Through

[RobD]

My daughter has been learning to pitch for just over a year now. She is starting to get fairly consistant and does a decent job overall. Last week, the high school pitching coach was working with a few other girls from our in town rec league and had them using a different kind of follow through. Apparently last year in the mens league he plays in, they had a New Zealander over here and he was showing the guys this kind of follow through. Instead of following through and bringing your hand up towards your head / chest area, he had them folow through so you end up pointing in the direction of the catcher. I guess if it works for them, it does. I am wondering how you get a get hard wrist snap doing it that way. If the wrist snap has a natural upward motion, what happens when it is changed to going out towards the catcher, instead of upwards? Maybe I am missing something here. Let me know what you guys think.

Thanks,

Rob

 

[cshilt]

Maybe Bill Hillhouse will chime in on this one. He's been over to New Zealand a time or two.

 

[NVfishing]

I think I've seen a few of the top women throw like that with a roll over drop?

 

[sluggers]

If the wrist snap has a natural upward motion...

Your premise is wrong, so your question doesn't make much sense.

The "wrist snap" doesn't have a natural upward motion. There are two bones in the forearm--the radius and the ulna. The radius is on the thumb side of the hand, while the ulna is on the little finger side of the hand. The radius rotates over the ulna at release.

The rotation of the radius relative to the ulna is also found in overhand throwing and tennis serves.

Ray

 

[alabama_lowlife]

^^^so i guess if she looks like those clips, my DD is NOT snapping wrong after all lol

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Also, as a reference check out the Nancy Evans videos. There is a 30 sec. preview with each one. She teaches "point the elbow."

 

[sluggers]

Where were these slow motion videos when I was working with my DD? They really clarify how the forearm/wrist/hand works together.

 

[FJRGerry]

I've remarked on this before, but I'll do it again. It appears the original question is regarding the basic fastball, not a movement pitch which the videos appear to be showing. The point is compare apples to apples - want to see how some top pitchers throw a particular pitch then post videos of those pitches only. Want to see follow through for a curve ball, then post those videos only...

 

[sluggers]

These are videos for fastballs. I once thought as you did that these were breaking pitches.

But, I changed my mind.

(1) I've looked at many videos of college level pitchers. Everyone is rotating the radius over the ulna. I can't find one video where it doesn't happen.
(2) The rotation of the radius over the ulna is used in every sport where there is an attempt at speed or power in a throwing motion: bowling, golf, baseball, and tennis. So, it doesn't seem logical that pitchers wouldn't use the same motion if at all possible.

Again, there is a huge discussion in the thread entitled "Internal Rotation". After reading that, it convinced me.

Ray

 

[tom.guerry]

sluggers -

You should try looking at slomo video of MLB hitters too.

Video isn't really too technical or sciency to endanger young minds.

Your belief system can take a little more change.