OMG I thought I knew pitching mechanics…

[timrya]

My 13 yr old DD has been pitching for 3 years and I have studied pitching mechanics quite a bit. I have had her take lessons from the area’s most esteemed instructors and I have read everything I could get my hands on. Until today I have never heard the term Internal Rotation applied to a softball pitchers mechanics.

My DD has been taught to have her palm face third base when at the top and rotate to face second base with her wrist cocked when in T position. Her natural motion is that of internal rotation example (Ueno) I found here. She gets surprising good velocity for a small girl and I have heard people attribute it to a good wrist snap or arm whip.

She has a good fastball but is struggling a little with control. Her previous instructor was hell-bent on having her finish with her elbow facing the catcher and her pinky finger near her right ear which seems to be inconsistent with an IR release. Her current instructor has not said anything about how her arm finishes but has another issue… he wants her to fire her right hip through at her release. This also seems to be inconsistent with an IR release.

Should I be looking for yet another instructor? Is there any harm to be done by telling her to fire her hip at release?

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Is there any harm to be done by telling her to fire her hip at release?

Yes. It isn't necessary and brings added stress to the hip. "Slamming the door" adds nothing to the pitch, the ball is gone.

Are you in the Midwest? Because I saw a lot of instructors teaching as you describe, when I lived there.

 

[timrya]

Thanks! We live in New Jersey. She just started training for the spring season and it is a good time to make changes now if we are going to.

 

[fastpitch5]

i'm in st louis, amy. a very prominent instructor here has a program here and thats what they teach. we did one session with them a few years ago when my dd first started (when i knew absolutely nothing abt the motion) and it looked "not good" to me. so we went another route.

Yes. It isn't necessary and brings added stress to the hip. "Slamming the door" adds nothing to the pitch, the ball is gone.

Are you in the Midwest? Because I saw a lot of instructors teaching as you describe, when I lived there.

 

[Ken Krause]

Yes, find another instructor. Don't necessarily look for someone who teaches "internal rotation" because that's not really a common term. It's more of a term used here. But the principles stated as internal rotation are what you want. Relaxed, loose arm, ball turned toward third base at the top of the circle, elbow slightly bent, elbow leads through the circle, whip the arm through (no focus on snapping the wrist as a conscious effort), no snapping the hips closed (or whatever they call it), follow through long and loose instead of forcing a particular follow-through -- especially point your elbow at the catcher or touch your shoulder with your hand.

Amy, you are right. That is still a lot of what is being taught around here. I just did a youth pitching clinic as a favor to a local HS program where one of my pitchers plays, and I asked them if they'd heard some of those things. Several had been taught that. I showed them video of Cat and Jennie pitching (figuring they'd know who they were) to show that's not the way top-level pitchers pitch. Even with that, one of the girls tried to tell me the person teaching her, and who told her to do it, is a good pitcher too. I wasn't going to argue with a 10 year old but all I could think was "Is she National Team good?"

Good news was the JV coach, who was a successful HS pitcher at that school, was there taking notes and asking questions. She'd been taught the same stuff, but listened to the explanation and seemed willing to learn. So maybe there's hope.

 

[ArmWhip]

Tim, what you describe is all to common in pitching instruction. Ball facing second, wrist cocked, slam the hip, gives me nightmares. It should be ball facing 3rd, elbow relaxed and leading the downswing, hips stay open until release. Try to find another instructor but it might be difficult.

 

[Jojo]

Tim, what you describe is all to common in pitching instruction. Ball facing second, wrist cocked, slam the hip, gives me nightmares. It should be ball facing 3rd, elbow relaxed and leading the downswing, hips stay open until release. Try to find another instructor but it might be difficult.

Almost all the PC's in my area teach this method in step style, also with many of the pitchers taking 2-3 steps forward after releasing the ball. I just cringe whenever I see this.
I am the instructor with the "weird" style because I teach an unorthodox method around here.