question: Brush Interference/ self taught?

[KneeHighSocks]

first off I will say that I didn't even know what BI was up until recently. My DD is only 10. She started to pitch last winter (November, age 9). She learned the basics and went out and pitched. It was sometime around mid Spring/Summer of last year that we realized that she could actually be pretty good. She started seeing a regular pitching coach--> enter Internal Rotation. She was instructed on Internal Rotation last Summer, picked it up fairly easily (because she was never really taught NOT to do it and sort of did it naturally anyway). Since then I now have become aware that she brushes. I think maybe her PC has said she shouldn't really be, he's never told me that this it's just what she says she thought she heard him mention. He has never tried to get her to stop doing it either, but we are working on several things so don't know if eventually he will. Now that I've studied up here I see it's a good thing. She does it all on her own no one has ever instructed her to do it, but I can hear it when she pitches. I ask her what part is brushing and she says it's the inside part of her upper arm by her elbow brushing her side (like waist area), not her hip. Is this ok? Since she's never been shown or told how to do it and her coach has never mentioned to to me I'm afraid to ask because I'm afraid he will want her to stop (and I don't know for sure he will, I just don't feel like having that conversation right now). I will try to get a video or picture up but my photo stream isn't cooperating at the moment.

thanks

 

[KneeHighSocks]

Ok here is a video and picture it's all I have on my phone at the moment

https://vimeo.com/162076692

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Doug Romrell]

Looks pretty good for being fairly new to it.

I would say that the brush striking point would be just a hair further back (or around the back of her hip) such that there is a hint of more of a roll around the hip with all of the forearm (starting at the top of the forearm and ending down toward the wrist). In doing this, make sure she doesn't pick up the (bad) habit of arching back toward 1B.

Also, from the looks of her drag foot, it looks like she is sort of trying to avoid the brush contact a bit. I'm thinking her right knee need to be a little more forward at this point, given where her arm is.

 

[sluggers]

I agree with Doug.

She looks good. She is a newbie pitcher, so you can't expect her to have the "advanced" brush interference of pitchers like Abbott, Osterman, etc. She will get better. If you want her to have good control, make sure she keeps brushing.

On a related note, she'll pitch better if she stops taking that little step she takes toward home plate after she throws.

 

[KneeHighSocks]

Looks pretty good for being fairly new to it.

I would say that the brush striking point would be just a hair further back (or around the back of her hip) such that there is a hint of more of a roll around the hip with all of the forearm (starting at the top of the forearm and ending down toward the wrist). In doing this, make sure she doesn't pick up the (bad) habit of arching back toward 1B.

Also, from the looks of her drag foot, it looks like she is sort of trying to avoid the brush contact a bit. I'm thinking her right knee need to be a little more forward at this point, given where her arm is.

oh ok nice catch. I don't actually know where she brushes. To be honest we have never really discussed it. She's certainly never been instructed on it. It's just what she does natuarally.... I guess I'm just trying to make sure it's not a bad thing. I'm sure eventually we will explore her refining it

Yes her drag foot is the 1 thing we are working on now. Her drag foot can be a little lazy sometimes

 

[KneeHighSocks]

I agree with Doug.

She looks good. She is a newbie pitcher, so you can't expect her to have the "advanced" brush interference of pitchers like Abbott, Osterman, etc. She will get better. If you want her to have good control, make sure she keeps brushing.

On a related note, she'll pitch better if she stops taking that little step she takes toward home plate after she throws.

thanks
She doesn't always take that step. Not in games anyway. This was a pitching lesson and each girl was throwing a pitch one at a time. I think she was just trying to be casual or something. all the other girls there were high school age. lol

 

[Tatonka]

On a related note, she'll pitch better if she stops taking that little step she takes toward home plate after she throws.

Sluggers - would you (or someone in the know) please expound further on the "little step" after the throw? I'm trying to understand where and when that should be used. I'm not trying to hijack this thread that comment just caught my attention and it's been a topic with our PC lately.

Thanks!

 

[KneeHighSocks]

Sluggers - would you (or someone in the know) please expound further on the "little step" after the throw? I'm trying to understand where and when that should be used. I'm not trying to hijack this thread that comment just caught my attention and it's been a topic with our PC lately.

Thanks!

oh I took it like how she starts walking off after she throws the pitch. She does't even do that except maybe once in a while in practice. maybe he meant something else

 

[sluggers]

Sure, if you look at the video, you'll see that *after she releases the ball*, she takes a small step toward the catcher. It is a common problem.

Here is a clip of Whitney Canion. Whitney was an All-American from Baylor. In 2011, she was best pitcher in the NCAA. Whitney's mechanics are superb.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-czxt7uUvXw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Look at her feet. Notice that her left foot (she is a lefty) never goes in front of her right foot. Why?

Pitching is about momentum transfer. So, the classic example is: If you had a brick on the dashboard of your car, and you wanted the brick to go through the windshield, do you gradually slow down? Or do you hit the brakes and come to a full stop? Obviously, you want the car to come to a full stop as fast as possible.

When a pitcher throws, she gets her body and arm in a line moving toward the catcher. This creates momentum toward the plate. Then, the pitcher slams on the brakes and stop her body with her left leg (assuming she is a righty). The better a pitcher stops her body, the faster she throws.

Take a look at Knee High Sock's DD. Shhe stops almost stops herself with her left leg, but doesn't quite get the job done. She takes a step toward the plate. Not a big step, but nevertheless it is a step. Not a huge problem, but it is a problem.

If KHS's DD wants to pitch better, she needs to stop taking that step toward the plate. She needs to keep her right foot behind her left foot.

KHS says that she was a little sloppy on that pitch. She may have been...young pitchers do get sloppy. But, all I have is this one video of her and I thought I should point it out.

 

[Tatonka]

That's pretty much what I thought and have observed, thanks for the additional info and video.