Arm back swing

[Hawkeyes]

Not sure the technical term for this.

I caught a girl on Sunday. I noticed that her back swing the ball goes directly behind her glove shoulder and higher than her shoulder. How much of a concern is that? I dont teacher girls to have a back swing, but am willing to work with those that do. If you are going to go backwards, do you need to go straight back or is that not a necessity? I am thinking for control here, but yet the way of her movement also has be wondering about a shoulder injury.

I hope i explained that correctly

Sorry no video or photos

 

[mikfish711]

When DD was using a backswing she had the same issue. She would dip her shoulder and the ball would end up way behind her. She was able to compensate in other areas of her pitch to make it work for a while but when she started throwing faster all it did was get her off balance early in her pitch messing the rest of the pitch up. We have since eliminated the backswing and it has made all the difference for her. Now she stays balanced and drives forward.

 

[JohnnyO]

In what I've been reading and told by guys on here she should keep her shoulders square with the rubber on back swing, her back swing should not go above the shoulder line as that stresses the shoulder joint.

 

[marriard]

Not sure the technical term for this.

I caught a girl on Sunday. I noticed that her back swing the ball goes directly behind her glove shoulder and higher than her shoulder. How much of a concern is that? I dont teacher girls to have a back swing, but am willing to work with those that do. If you are going to go backwards, do you need to go straight back or is that not a necessity? I am thinking for control here, but yet the way of her movement also has be wondering about a shoulder injury.

It isn't bad if it is not effecting anything else in the swing. The slo-mo video of Amanda Scarborough everyone shows from Powerdrive on Youtube shows she had an enormous backswing but everything caught up as she came forward and she got into great positions once her she started coming forward.

However, with many girls, it does have an effect. Some include:

- Timing - legs get ahead of the arm or similar
- Straightening drive legs - as they go back they straighten their legs and never get back to a good drive position
- Going 'hard' back - you go fast back it is not only a waste of energy, but also tends to throw you off balance
- Twisted - when they go back with one arm, they twist their body so the glove shoulder is now forward - again - balance (see square shoulders mention above)

So if it is just style - no problem. If it is causing problems later in the pitch, then it is an issue. I have never thought of it as an injury concern though.

 

[djcarter1966]

Yeah usually when I point to that video as a model I try and caveat that the back swing is over done and does not need to be copied. Usually I would say style versus must have on the back swing and amount of back swing.

I was actually doing a little research and noticed an interesting tidbit...most female pitchers use some back swing while most guys don't I have my theories but I am keeping quiet...for fear of Hillhouse finding me and crushing me.