Pitching Technique Question HE -> IR

[Fastpitchdadnc]

My daughter, currently 8, has been taking pitching lessons and pitching since about May this year. She can throw strikes 7 of 10 pitches but doesn’t have much velocity (velocity isn’t a big concern as long as accuracy is on) . We are beginning to work on pushing off with more power and maintaining her pitching form. She has no issues as of now pitching.

She has been learning hello elbow style and I am wondering if we should be looking into a coach that teaches internal rotation?

The reason I am curious is because a few months ago we had to drill into her to not rotate her wrist, as this is her natural motion, when she releases at 6 o clock and also to not cross her body after release. After researching internal rotation these both appear to be natural movements of IR. We recently met another coach in a camping trip and he mentioned we need to find the pitchng style that suits her best. After this discussion I began to look into IR. I am torn on what to do for her trying to keep her most successful outcome in mind. I’ve read that most HE pitchers transition to IR at some point in their career and would rather do that sooner than later if that’s the case. Thank you in advance for any input suggested!

 

[Chilixa]

Best advice I ever received is to watch what the girls that play the game at the highest level do. You will find information out there that all sounds good but conflicts with each other. People with good intentions can be wrong. Internal rotation appears to me to be what girls at the highest level are doing as opposed to hello elbow. I would make the change.


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[bosdiva11]

My daughter switched to IR for about a year now after seeing a HE coach for about the same time length and probably pitched several games with HE so wasn’t too in-depth with it but you’d be surprised at what muscles memory does. She just turned 10. Do it now before it’s too late. It takes time and she’s progressed amazingly well. I too had seen my daughter naturally rotate and did my research. Trust your instincts.


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[ArmWhip]

The more ingrained the HE mechanics become the harder it will be down the road to change them. I worked with a high school girl last winter who could do the drills but when it came time to throw to a catcher she reverted back to HE. She was in tears because she knew what she had to do but when she focused on a target the old muscle memory pattern took over. With that said at 8 years old it might be tough to get her to switch, HE is a simpler, more natural motion. And don't expect her to throw strikes with IR like she does now, that's the big drawback to making the change, but down the road when she's mastered it you will be glad that you did.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

She has been learning hello elbow style and I am wondering if we should be looking into a coach that teaches internal rotation?

They aren't competing styles. One is the correct way and the other is not.

It's not like split grip hitting style vs traditional where there is some debate. 'Hello elbow' would be like holding the bat upside down while you hit. I mean you could do it, but why would you?

 

[Sonerai]

The more ingrained the HE mechanics become the harder it will be down the road to change them. I worked with a high school girl last winter who could do the drills but when it came time to throw to a catcher she reverted back to HE. She was in tears because she knew what she had to do but when she focused on a target the old muscle memory pattern took over. With that said at 8 years old it might be tough to get her to switch, HE is a simpler, more natural motion. And don't expect her to throw strikes with IR like she does now, that's the big drawback to making the change, but down the road when she's mastered it you will be glad that you did.

I agree with ArmWhip. You should switch to IR now. My DD was being taught at 7 (now 16) to throw HE style and she was struggling because she naturally wanted to throw IR. Out of dumb luck, I switched to a new coach teaching IR and saved her (and me) a lot of pain later. Just know that she is most likely going to struggle through the change. She probably won't throw as many strikes and it will be frustrating. You just have to trust the process and keep working. She will be better off in the long run.

 

[Top_Notch]

You have it backwards. Speed > location. Think about overhand throwing, all natural movements occur across the body. Yet you want your daughter to throw underhand in-line with her body? Ditch your pitching "coach" yesterday, and let your daughter throw across her body which (you and her coach) are fighting now. The longer you go now in your current direction the more harm you are doing adn the longer it will take to break bad habits.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

Bad habits are hard to break. Get to an IR, forearm fire, etc, coach immediately.

 

[PJR202]

You really should switch coaches while it's early. Switching to IR with whip is time consuming. She'll need to stop pitching games while converting because she'll either go right back to HE or she'll throw everything behind the batter (if she's a RHP).

On a positive note, she probably already internally rotates, even if she was taught to turn the ball around at 11:00. Likeky all she'll need is whip. What you'll need to be focusing on it having her keep the ball palm-downish on the upswing and palm up with some bend in the arm by 11:00. Way easier said than done. Lots of backchain from 7, 9, and 10-11 o'clock and baby walk-through pitches. I've found while helping my daughter convert that putting full drive into the mechanics too early is a recipe for reverting.

It'll certainly go more quickly if she's willing to work 3x per week but that's a tough sell for a kid. My daughter is 15 and it's a miracle if I can get her out there 3x in a week.

 

[Hillhouse]

With that said at 8 years old it might be tough to get her to switch, HE is a simpler, more natural motion.

ArmWhip, can you elaborate on this? I'm not sure what part of the HE motion you find "more natural". Are you suggesting letting her continue with this and then make a change later? If so, when would the change happen? How many years of HE training should a pitcher do before trying to unlearn all of that for the whole "IR" thing?