My DD is 11 and has been pitching for almost two years now. Her first pitching coach was a hello elbow coach. We had to leave her a while back which was not our decision. When we had to leave the 1st pitching coach I started training her on for arm fire or internal external rotation. It was tough at first but she started coming around nicely and actually liked it once she understood fast ball spin. Recently we have found a new pitching coach. During our last lesson she noticed my DD turning her palm down (internal rotation of the forearm) and said she was throwing a drop ball. I stepped in and showed her the spin that the external internal rotation produces and she then said that it was a screw ball. She quickly changed her release to have her thumb down and sweep. My DD was confused to say the least. We left that lesson with a lot of questions and this point I don't know what to do. Keep working on internal / external rotation or go with the thumb down sweep method. If we decide to stay with the internal / external rotation we are going to have to leave this coach because she doesn't teach it. Am I battling between old methods and new methods?
How good is internal / external rotation
- Thread starter jaysz280
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If your "pitching coach" can't differentiate or recognize a drop ball/screwball from a fastball without help then yes, it is time to find a new pitching coach. Forget everything else.
Why would you pay someone for coaching if they are not even capable of recognizing what they are meant to be coaching.
And it is not old versus new - it is 'not teaching what happens when high quality pitchers pitch' versus 'teaching what high quality pitchers actually do'. The smarter pitching coaches are adapting and moving forward - the others are just living in the past and teaching 'what I was taught' with little thought or research into what has been evolving in softball the past few years in teaching methods.
Why would you even consider having your DD learn a third new way to pitch especially since she has been on the right path with the previous pitching coach (and I assume effective in games)?
"Why would you pay someone for coaching if they are not even capable of recognizing what they are meant to be coaching."
I think the pitching coach was watching her turn her over and not watching the spin that my DD was creating.
"And it is not old versus new - it is 'not teaching what happens when high quality pitchers pitch' versus 'teaching what high quality pitchers actually do'. The smarter pitching coaches are adapting and moving forward - the others are just living in the past and teaching 'what I was taught' with little thought or research into what has been evolving in softball the past few years in teaching methods."
So it appears the pitching coach is living in the past and using the methods that she was taught. I think I just really need to believe in this external internal rotation method in order to just move on without her.
"Why would you even consider having your DD learn a third new way to pitch especially since she has been on the right path with the previous pitching coach (and I assume effective in games)?"
It would actually be a second way of pitching. Her first two coaches taught the thumb down sweep release method. I have taken it upon myself to try and teach her the external internal rotation by using this website. I think for a while now she has been caught in between. With that being said her effectiveness in games has struggled during the fall using the thumb down sweep method.
I think the pitching coach was watching her turn her over and not watching the spin that my DD was creating.
"And it is not old versus new - it is 'not teaching what happens when high quality pitchers pitch' versus 'teaching what high quality pitchers actually do'. The smarter pitching coaches are adapting and moving forward - the others are just living in the past and teaching 'what I was taught' with little thought or research into what has been evolving in softball the past few years in teaching methods."
So it appears the pitching coach is living in the past and using the methods that she was taught. I think I just really need to believe in this external internal rotation method in order to just move on without her.
"Why would you even consider having your DD learn a third new way to pitch especially since she has been on the right path with the previous pitching coach (and I assume effective in games)?"
It would actually be a second way of pitching. Her first two coaches taught the thumb down sweep release method. I have taken it upon myself to try and teach her the external internal rotation by using this website. I think for a while now she has been caught in between. With that being said her effectiveness in games has struggled during the fall using the thumb down sweep method.
jaysz280,
Don't make this a difficult thing for you or your DD. Just look at the Model Pitchers Video's and ANY game slow motion video of all college pitchers of any note and they all pitch with internal rotation. The hand position and finish after and especially well after release is in part a style issue and in part based on what pitch is being thrown (and in many cases has nothing to do with the release but mentally reinforces to the pitcher what she thinks she is doing at release). But the actual pitches are IR all the way. Go for it and learn it.
Don't make this a difficult thing for you or your DD. Just look at the Model Pitchers Video's and ANY game slow motion video of all college pitchers of any note and they all pitch with internal rotation. The hand position and finish after and especially well after release is in part a style issue and in part based on what pitch is being thrown (and in many cases has nothing to do with the release but mentally reinforces to the pitcher what she thinks she is doing at release). But the actual pitches are IR all the way. Go for it and learn it.
- Jun 18, 2010
- 2,615
- 38
- Jun 18, 2010
- 2,615
- 38
My dd had many HE coaches before I found this site. Our PC now directed us here and told us to learn it. Learning it yourself is a must, to fully understand and teach it. Even then I am learning everyday, I still come on here daily and read thru things I've already read many times.
If you don't have the time to teach, and many don't! Then I would say your dd may be better off learning on her own for a while. I know how valuable a good PC can be, but I also know how destructive a bad one can be. Don't go backwards!
I hate tacos- said no Juan anywhere
If you don't have the time to teach, and many don't! Then I would say your dd may be better off learning on her own for a while. I know how valuable a good PC can be, but I also know how destructive a bad one can be. Don't go backwards!
I hate tacos- said no Juan anywhere
Last edited:
- Jun 12, 2015
- 3,848
- 83
I got very lucky with our PC. I'd never heard of IR and had no idea what to ask. I just picked her. Fortunately she's an IR person so my dd didn't have to relearn things completely at some point. It is crazy how many people teach things incorrectly. It's in all walks of life, too.
