Pitching styles

[ElmoBlatch]

It was very interesting watching the Auburn-Tennessee game last night. Both teams had very good pitchers but their styles were quite different.

Angel Bunner, the lefty from Auburn, has a very open style and releases the ball from an almost fully open position.

Ellen Renfroe, the Tennessee freshman, barely opens at all in her motion and is almost all the way closed at release.

The game went 10 innings and TN won 2-1. Great pitching duel. Renfroe struck out 20; her rise ball is very effective. Bunner struck out 9 and gave up 7 hits in 10 innings.

Different techniques, but both very successful.

 

[ArmWhip]

Without the benefit of high shutter speed slow motion video it is very difficult to see exactly what a pitcher does. It is likely that Renfroe opens just as much as Bunner but closes faster as she gets close to release. It is hard to throw a good riseball without opening up completely.

 

[ElmoBlatch]

Without the benefit of high shutter speed slow motion video it is very difficult to see exactly what a pitcher does. It is likely that Renfroe opens just as much as Bunner but closes faster as she gets close to release. It is hard to throw a good riseball without opening up completely.

It was pretty clear that Renfroe had a very closed style and barely opened at all. This was apparent to the naked eye but I also used the DVR to slow it down to slow motion to show my daughter. She does not open nearly as much as Bunner.

 

[golancers]

Not as open as some, but still open

 

[ElmoBlatch]

View attachment 1052
Not as open as some, but still open

According to this article, that's Ivy, not Ellen:

TNJN - No. 11 Lady Vols clinch series against Gamecocks, 10-3

 

[ArmWhip]

There's some video of Ellen Renfroe in the model pitchers. You are right she doesn't open a lot, what's interesting about that is you can see the consequences of it if you look closely at her motion.

 

[golancers]

sorry..my bad

 

[ElmoBlatch]

I see that Ivy is fully open, and her sister pitches much like her. Not sure why you would call that NOT open.

As noted, look at the video clips that FFS posted in the Model Pitchers thread and tell me if you would consider that open. Especially note the position at release.

http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-pitching/5208-model-pitchers-13.html

 

[ElmoBlatch]

Well, hopefully we can at least agree that Angel Bunner pitches with a much more open style than Ellen Renfroe. Here's an example picture of her:

 

[ArmWhip]

Look at her hips and the number on her back, Ellen Renfroe is probably the least open D1 pitcher I have seen.