The best not knowing what they do (did)

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May 12, 2016
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I don't see any issue with a pitcher or any athlete warming their wrists up before practice/game. Personally I think it's good practice. We always warmed our wrists up previous to a hockey game, and I would flex my wrists before playing ball as well. Nothing wrong with a dynamic warm up for the pitcher IMO
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,133
113
Dallas, Texas
I never realized (or even looked) that Monica Abbott didn't realize what she pitched until i saw this.

Not surprising.

Very few good athletes understand what they are doing. Good athletes don't think about their mechanics....they just do it. My DD had no clue that she used IR until after my discussions with @BoardMember and we pulled out some old tapes and slowed them down. (My DD did a fakey HE finish, like Scarborough.)

People who really understand the actual process of pitching, hitting, or any athletic movement, tend to be good, but not great, athletes. They studied the athletic movement in hopes of becoming better.

There are some exceptions, like Ted Williams and Dusty Baker. But, most of the really great athletes can't explain what they are doing. It is not their job.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
I think the issue with wrist flips is it places the focus on the wrong thing. If they really were needed wouldn't baseball pitchers use them since your wrist "flips" when you throw overhand or wouldn't we all do it when we warm up? Think about any sport with people throwing or handling a ball or anything really do you see any of them isolating their wrist in that manner for any motion they use.

In rec softball, wrist flips as part of an overhand throwing warm-up progression are a thing. I shake my head every time I see it.
 
Aug 20, 2017
1,474
113
In rec softball, wrist flips as part of an overhand throwing warm-up progression are a thing. I shake my head every time I see it.
I’ve seen it in travel and high school ball. I ask my girls what they are doing over there? I still see one knee “L” throwing drills, I see coaches hitting fly balls with one hand to outfielders on the fence teaching them to have first step forward, I see coaches telling infielders to get “down and ready” with their glove on the ground as the starting position. I see all kinds of craziness 😂
 
Oct 26, 2019
1,375
113
I thought the problem with wrist flips is that they are done with the arm straight and we don’t want the arm straight.
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,133
113
Dallas, Texas
I thought the problem with wrist flips is that they are done with the arm straight and we don’t want the arm straight.
The problem with wrist flips is that they are a waste of time. They train the hand to move in an incorrect manner. The wrist does not flop back to 90 degrees with the arm at release.

Do @BoardMember's lock-it drill or unlock-it drill instead of wrist flips for warm ups.

 
Oct 26, 2019
1,375
113
The problem with wrist flips is that they are a waste of time. They train the hand to move in an incorrect manner. The wrist does not flop back to 90 degrees with the arm at release.

Do @BoardMember's lock-it drill or unlock-it drill instead of wrist flips for warm ups.



straight arm is incorrect right? That’s what I meant.
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
I never understood why people have such a negative opinion on wrist flips.

Ok, where should I start? First: what's the point? Most people say "warming up the wrist". OK, does she throw overhand before starting understand warm ups? Probably. So, just in terms of how the wrist moves when someone throws overhand, they are "warming up the wrist". So then, what's the point in doing it AGAIN understand? There isn't one.

Second: Muscle memory. Standing 10 feet away, flat footed, arm locked and flicking the wrist is about as useful as a screendoor on a submarine. That muscle memory is the exact thing you're trying to avoid when you want to get a whip in the pitch. The whip begins with an UNLOCKED elbow. And because SOOOOOO many girls get pre-programmed with H/E mechanics when they actually start pitching (usually by a well intentioned little league coach before parents research actual pitching info), the HE mechanics reinforce a stiff arm on the down swing, usually pointing the ball towards 2nd base, etc. etc. etc. That stiff arm muscle memory is reinforced when doing wrist flips. A LOT (not all) but A LOT of pitchers who pitch with stiff arms get very sore on the front of their shoulder!!!! The straight arm over taxes the shoulder as to bending the elbow relieves that stress.

I still think there are a lot of similarities between overhand pitching and underhand pitching, and I say this as someone who has NEVER played a game of baseball in his life. Only fastpitch. But, never have you seen a baseball pitcher standing 10 feet away with his arm straight up doing wrist flips. Why don't you ever see that? Because throwing overhand requires the elbow to be lose and whip, same as underhand. Isolating the wrist only would take way the elbow's whip, which is needed for both overhand and underhand.

Just my 2cents.
 
Oct 1, 2014
2,219
113
USA
Wrist flips are always good for a chuckle at the field, often we can even tell who the PC is behind some of these pitchers are just by their warm up routine.
 

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