Wrist Snap

[Amy in AZ.]

I was taught the wrist snap by one of the greats in IL. I use his videos almost exclusively. Although, I taught that to my DD, she just naturally evolved into how she pitched in later years. They can develop so much, from age 8 - 16.

I teach a beginner the 4 clock positions, while she is on one knee.

The term I use is "flip at the hip" and that is for their release point, which is the rear hip. You would be surprised to find out how many girls that have "pitched" for 3-4 seasons have no idea where their release point is. When I get a girl that is leaning or bending forward, I ask her where her release point is, for a fastball and she has no idea.

We warm up flipping the ball to each other from about 10 feet and move back to 20 or so. My objective (I was a PE major) is to show the girls just how far they can flip the ball. The arm hangs at the side, we rock back and forth, transferring our weight and flip on the power line.

 

[cyfairslam]

When you throw a curve, you 'prepare' for it at 3 o'clock by cocking your wrist out sideways; you finish at the opposite pocket. Yes, you do snap it off hard (that darn word we use). But stand in the open position, put your palm up, and move it in the spinning motion from your rear hip; and see what I mean about the length of this, and the fingers do most of it. Is there a sideways wrist snap?

The hand never moves and there is not conscious effort?

How about on a twisting screwball, going against the natural movement. How could that be a wrist snap?

A flip change in no way has a wrist snap as it is backwards. If you snap it, changes won't work. Funny many call change up warm up 'wrist snaps.'

How about Lisa Fernandez's or Amanda Freed's change up?

Maybe this is all just a formality on the words, but the fastball wrist snap does not prepare you for these spins.

Depends on what you think a fastball wrist snap is. Corkscrew does and is why many coaches teach that as the fastball/base pitch for initial development.

So I don't think close spins are wrist snaps.

Not by themselves, amplifies the use of the fingers. I have never have advocated the use of wrist snaps (as stated in the drill I described and told it is useless) without the use of the fingers.

Some of my older students don't ever spin the ball close ever (even if you call those 'snaps'), even while learning. Since they have time, they pitch it from the K and full motion until they get it (into a fence). That's how we did it in the dark ages.

Exactly, speed is what most consider the goal and spin is overlooked until later in development. Exactly my point about the wrist snap.

Lastly, you can spin a rise and peel drop to yourself, so it is good to do on your own while learning. I don't see that as a snap either.

I do, especially if you are isolated to the hand you are using the wrist muscle as I see it. Curve too by the way

 

[bobbyb]

Definitely an interesting thread. We went to a nearby college pitching clinic this past weekend and they were teaching everything for a IR style in my opinion except…they wanted a “make a muscle” wrist snap for fastball and they did a lot of wrist snaps. All the other pitchers looked like they had been been learning from this PC except my dd…who was doing the IR type release. It really stood out and the pitchers for the college kept looking at her…trying to figure out what she was doing wrong…once they did…they came over to get her to do the “make a muscle” move.

Our warmup wrist snap is from an open position and is more of a 5 oclock to 7 oclock IR action than the “wrist snap” that people think about. Such as under leg snap ect.

Everybody definitely sees or talks about this differently.

I would say the extremes of “wrist snap” are the peel drop…and the open hand change up.
With the peel drop…you have to snap wrist for the fingers.
With the open hand change up…there is no wrist snap.

So it is just the fastball and peel drop with a “make a muscle move” is what you are talking about in regards to wrist snap.

The way it feels to me is…all other pitches are fingers and forearm more than wrist…wrist is the hinge and creates the angle for the fingers and forearm. The wrist is involved…its just not primary.

On ALL pitches… the major muscle groups for the wrist are activated in some way.
I don’t see how someone can grab a ball and not be activating the major flexors/extensors or the wrist. And these are not small muscles…these are the large forearm muscles.

That being said…if those major muscle groups are already activated…what do they do? Are they just stabilizing the wrist?
or
Are they playing an active part in the “thrust” of a ball?
Or
Are they playing a active part in release/deceleration?

I think they do all synergistically…their primary function is stabilizing…secondary function angles of wrist/spin engagement…third beginning a little thrust ..fourth releasing and engaging for deceleration. If the later…maybe it would be good to work the wrist snap in the opposite direction.

With Arm Whip descriptions confuse people (at least they do me) because its like everything is suppose to be loose to whip like a whip…yet…I don’t believe you are getting a “loose/non active” wrist major muscle group relaxation until release. You get wrist stabilization when you grab a ball, at least slight wrist movement whether powerful or not…then you get wrist release with firing of the deceleration muscles (ala whip).

So do wrist snaps help? I would say they could for toning/building strength of forearm muscles for stabilizing the wrist, building finger strength and working release/deceleration strength…which is the whip/snap people are talking about rather than a snap thrust effect IMO. I do not think they are that useful…. once you have that tone and strength other than warming up the wrist…which is always a good thing. Just my opinion.

 

[crystlemc]

I do, especially if you are isolated to the hand you are using the wrist muscle as I see it. Curve too by the way

The wrist is actually a joint. It has no muscles. The forearm flexors and extensors (muscles and tendons) control its movement. There is no way to "weight train" your wrist, but rather the forearm muscles to become stronger.

 

[CoachFP]

As I find this discussion fascinating I did some more thinking about the wrist and pitching. In my opinion on the peel drop or fastball the ball is let go while the hand is parallel to the forearm. Therefore the wrist has only moved a little bit from whatever position it was cocked at prior to the release. I maintain that it is not a significant movement. The "snapping" that we saw on the Cat Osterman still pictures was done after the ball was long gone out and out of her hand, and is a function of the amount of whip and the slowing down of the arm. In other words the deacceleration causes the hand to push forward and is a by product of the pitch not the driving force behind it.

 

[halskinner]

I have never taught wrist snap, per se. What I have taught mty students is; once they reach 12:00, cock the wrist back as the ball goes down the backswing. The 'snapping' of the wrist happens naturally at release for most pitches. No conscious thought or effort to make it happen and no drills necessary.

There are movement pitches that require NO wrist snap and with those, conscious effort is used to make sure it does not happen.

Everyone still must consider that there is more than one way to throw the same movement pitch. Example; the curveball. One way has great requirements for the wrist, the other next to none.

sneakysoftballpitching.com

 

[splinterpicker]

I have the upmost respect for everyone on this board. That being said, For the posts that wrist snap drills are useless I disagree. Pitching is basically the reverese of throwing the ball overhanded. Show me one person that throws overhanded that does not snap. I teach using arm speed and a good snap. According to most on this thread this is wrong. Maybe I just do not uderstand, but my dd has never hurt or had any pain from achieving maximam ball spin. Maybe it is the differnce in a 50mph breaking ball and a 60+ breaking ball. I have witnessed IR, it seams more torque on the elbow over a period of time would cause pain or injury over time. Just my uneducated opinion.

 

[Ken B]

Bump

Speaking of which, I just bumped into previous kid and her dad who said they are really excited about the PC on their new team. They are working hard on wrist snap and strengthening drills, and making sure they get that HE finish... New PC says her hand is doing that floppy, palm down stuff... My heart sunk. Hoping to get them back in for winter gym sessions!

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Bump

Speaking of which, I just bumped into previous kid and her dad who said they are really excited about the PC on their new team. They are working hard on wrist snap and strengthening drills, and making sure they get that HE finish... New PC says her hand is doing that floppy, palm down stuff... My heart sunk. Hoping to get them back in for winter gym sessions!

You can't save them all Ken.

The intentional muscled wrist snap is a good way to short-circuit the kinetic link.

 

[Ken B]

Wish I could save the PC's...