Internal Rotation

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Apr 5, 2009
748
28
NE Kansas
That release is something that I am trying to figure out also. How does the ball come out of the hand, and what position is the hand in? For every 10 pitches I do, maybe one seems to feel better than the others. I realize that I am probably the silliest looking dad on the block as I try to figure out what is happening. I told my daughter that there is no way I would have her trying this until I figure out the release. It seems that if I get confused when doing the motion, I create a bad feeling in my shoulders movement. Any help would be much appreciated.

As far as video... how about visualizing an old, fat, bald guy trying to learn something he has never done. That will get you real close.

Many thanks.
 
Jul 14, 2008
1,800
63
I will try to get some close up slo-mo video of the release phase this weekend.......It might help you to understand the action.......

Like I said in the first post......I cannot teach you to "feel" right from wrong over the internet.....But maybe I can help.......

The most important thing is that you SEE there is a difference between PULLING/WAVING and actually "Throwing" a ball underhand........

Best regards.......


That release is something that I am trying to figure out also. How does the ball come out of the hand, and what position is the hand in? For every 10 pitches I do, maybe one seems to feel better than the others. I realize that I am probably the silliest looking dad on the block as I try to figure out what is happening. I told my daughter that there is no way I would have her trying this until I figure out the release. It seems that if I get confused when doing the motion, I create a bad feeling in my shoulders movement. Any help would be much appreciated.

As far as video... how about visualizing an old, fat, bald guy trying to learn something he has never done. That will get you real close.

Many thanks.
 
Apr 5, 2009
748
28
NE Kansas
Board,

Many thanks. I can't figure out if my underhand throw is sideways or underhand. I can skip a rock with the best of them yet that action that doesn't feel right using a softball. I can throw a small object underhand pretty good but if said object requires more than my thumb, index, and middle finger, it feels like my wrist is stiffening up. Specifically, if my ring finger is part of the equation, everything heads south.

Of course all the above is assuming that I'm even coming close to what you describe. I think I am but will have my daughter film me so that I can see if I've got a clue. The things we do to learn...:)
 
May 7, 2008
8,506
48
Tucson
I teach my students to do a lot of flips with the ball. I tell them to "feel the seams." We kneel and have our left knee up. The ball is in the right hand and we isolate the wrist under the left knee and flip the ball straight up.

This is the release on the ball that I want my beginners to use.

To get them to pitch to the glove, I tell them that they will feel the ball come off of the middle finger, last. Then, the hand goes palm up towards their right shoulder, in a relaxed manner. I want to see their elbow.

I also tell the little girls that throughout the arm circle, the ball is staying above the power line, so the ball is a little bit in front of you - not dropping behind the back shoulder.

A video that I can recommend is Framing The Pitch, by Denny Throneburg. It will take you through the windmill, frame by frame.
 
Nov 6, 2008
71
0
“I teach my students to do a lot of flips with the ball. I tell them to "feel the seams." We kneel and have our left knee up. The ball is in the right hand and we isolate the wrist under the left knee and flip the ball straight up.

This is the release on the ball that I want my beginners to use.

To get them to pitch to the glove, I tell them that they will feel the ball come off of the middle finger, last. Then, the hand goes palm up towards their right shoulder, in a relaxed manner. I want to see their elbow…”

Amy,

We all have our preferred methods of teaching the pitching motion but I have a different take on wrist snaps as well as kneeling and other static drills. I believe that static wrist snaps detract from learning the fluid, coordinated effort of the arm as a unit. You are asking the muscle to remember to snap the wrist as an independent entity. I abandoned any isolated, static movements that ignore the other important body movements, including wrist snaps years ago. They are counter productive in my mind. I would suggest that you watch Hillhouse’s basic pitching video on the subject of drills – he makes perfect sense in my opinion.

I would not force anyone to finish palm up or to elevate the elbow to any predetermined height, or to finish towards the ball side shoulder necessarily. As long as the release is proper and the follow through relaxed, I think that the finish is largely determined by the student’s individual physical makeup.

JMHO,best of luck with your students.

Steve
 
Jul 14, 2008
1,800
63
"Flip the ball straight up".........

Classic push down-pull up, hand behind the ball, underhand "wave the wrist" pattern reinforcement.......Not optimal......

If one knee drills are used, the wrist should be "snapping" inward toward the front thigh using radial ulnar internal rotation of the forearm and wrist.........Unless you are specifically teaching "peel drop". And even then is isn't a straight "flip-up" underhand wave of the wrist......

Hollowell's peel drop.........Watch the release carefully.......It isn't a flip straight up palm to the sky.......It "snaps" toward the front thigh.....then follows up.......

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See any "wrist waving" here?.......

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I teach my students to do a lot of flips with the ball. I tell them to "feel the seams." We kneel and have our left knee up. The ball is in the right hand and we isolate the wrist under the left knee and flip the ball straight up.

This is the release on the ball that I want my beginners to use.

To get them to pitch to the glove, I tell them that they will feel the ball come off of the middle finger, last. Then, the hand goes palm up towards their right shoulder, in a relaxed manner. I want to see their elbow.

I also tell the little girls that throughout the arm circle, the ball is staying above the power line, so the ball is a little bit in front of you - not dropping behind the back shoulder.

A video that I can recommend is Framing The Pitch, by Denny Throneburg. It will take you through the windmill, frame by frame.
 
Jul 15, 2008
44
0
Experimented for a while today.. and got more questions.

Do I have to push the ball forward while undergoing the internal rotation?
When does the ball leaves the hand? is it at the moment when the internal rotation caused the palm to face at homeplate? which is 6:00?
Then did the wrist or fingers snap? Do they snap at this moment or they should have already been snapped? or they just push forward?
I find it real hard since "the internal rotation of the arm" v.s. "the snap of the fingers/wrist" are like, on two axis that are perpendicular to each other.


Does the clavicle and scapula assist in the pull down part? in other words, do I have to intentionally raise them (and my shoulder) real high at around 12:00, so that they have more angle-range to swing downwards to help out in the downward part? and so the center of the circle is not at the shoulder but at the end of the clavicle, extending the length of the radius of the arm circle?
If I am feeling some "electric" feeling at around 3:00 kind of inside my biceps, what am I doing wrong?
 
Apr 5, 2009
748
28
NE Kansas
A little video help please.

Now that I have some video of my underhand motion, how do I slow it down so that I can tell if I am even coming close to showing an understanding of the underhand motion which Boardmember described earlier.

It was recorded on a JVC Everio w/ SD cards.

Thanks in advance.
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,132
113
Dallas, Texas
Jul 14, 2008
1,800
63
Here is are warm up clips I shot yesterday. This kid is a D1 Pac10 Soph who throws 65+........

She's been my student since the age of 14. Her mechanics show what I've been talking about here regarding the release phase......And the difference between "waving it up" and "throwing it"........

s!AnqXNd9FW0pLhBNOhURcvgnttSth


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