Pitching gurus, Need advice with pitching style...

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Aug 21, 2008
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So why is the instructor teaching wrist snaps when the student isn't snapping her wrist when she pitches? She should be teaching internal rotation. Why would you teach one way and allow your student to pitch a different way? It seems to me that the student isn't doing it the way the instructor teaches and the instructor doesn't know the difference.
I'll say this, and I don't specifically want to put words in anyone's mouth and I know this isn't exactly ArmWhip's point here but, it needs to be said I think. I don't believe wrist snaps automatically mean the person is going to pitch H/E. Not everyone who does them is a H/E disciple. HOWEVER, it does seem to be a more common thing with H/E pitchers. H/E coaches probably aren't spending a lot of time reading this forum, or else I doubt they'd be still teaching H/E. So, in the majority of cases, when I see a kid doing wrist flips, I have a pretty good idea of what she's doing to do when she throws a ball. Again, this is the majority not everyone. I know a pitching coach here in Omaha where I live, a friend of mine who was also a pretty good pitcher in his day and someone I've known for 30 years, I know he doesn't teach H/E mechanics. But he also doesn't seem to care when his pitchers warm up doing wrist flips. Personally, I don't allow my students to do them because I feel it's creating or reinforcing bad muscle memory that we're going to try avoiding when she pitches. I highly doubt he teaches girls to do them, he probably just lets them do it because they saw others doing it or they learned it from another coach. I've never asked him why he allows it, maybe I will do that next time we go for wings/beers. So don't make the mistake of automatically thinking someone will pitch H/E if you see wrist flips, odds are they will throw that way but it's not 100%. Kind of like what my grandmother used to say: All poodles are dogs, but not all dogs are poodles.

I think it's important to say too: the wrist does snap when we pitch. But it needs to snap AFTER the elbow! Elbow, wrist, then fingers. The problem with wrist snaps is, it teaches the locked arm and no elbow snap/whip. A lot of people think it's all in the wrist. When actually, it's should be in the elbow, wrist and fingers. IMO.
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
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I am mean to everybody on here..actually other than my Mom, who passed away a few years ago, I am mean to everybody in general. Plus didn’t you coach at Brown? My HS GF dumped me a month into her stay at Brown so there is that too..😂
I did NOT coach at Brown. So all this time you've been carrying hate for me about something that isn't even accurate. Double shame on you. Shame shame and double shame again. In fact, the team I was coaching DEFEATED Brown that year. Our pitchers threw a shutout that game, I think. So, there... put that in you pipe and smoke it. You were wrong about me! I wonder how many other people who hate me are doing so under false pretenses. My mother (who died when I was young) told me I'm loveable so, maybe you should lighten up on me. I'm almost an orphan.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
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I did NOT coach at Brown. So all this time you've been carrying hate for me about something that isn't even accurate. Double shame on you. Shame shame and double shame again. In fact, the team I was coaching DEFEATED Brown that year. Our pitchers threw a shutout that game, I think. So, there... put that in you pipe and smoke it. You were wrong about me! I wonder how many other people who hate me are doing so under false pretenses. My mother (who died when I was young) told me I'm loveable so, maybe you should lighten up on me. I'm almost an orphan.
Ok right, PC, not Brown. Both are too expensive but at least with one of them you get to say you went to an Ivy :p. I grew up 25 minutes from Providence. My Mom worked at the public library in Providence for 20 years.

Orphans still count as everybody so you are still covered.. ;)
 
Jan 25, 2022
880
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I am mean to everybody on here..actually other than my Mom, who passed away a few years ago, I am mean to everybody in general. Plus didn’t you coach at Brown? My HS GF dumped me a month into her stay at Brown so there is that too..😂

I bet she met Johnny Moxon there. Who WOULDN'T pick Johnny though?
 
Apr 20, 2018
4,581
113
SoCal
When I switched my kid from step to a drive, stopped her private lessons (and took over) and started introducing whip, I warned her it would be a mess. She was like "ok, whatevs." Had no idea what she was in for.

The ball hit the ceiling, the dirt, my shins, her leg, sometimes 10ft to the side of me. It was brutal, and she was so frustrated I could see the tears building up every other session. I just kept telling her to trust the process and it paid off. She's gained a solid 5mph, accuracy is coming back quickly, and her posture is a whole different world. I knew we needed to go back to square one and shore a few things up if she was ever gonna progress beyond where she was. Now that the suffering is paying off, her attitude toward practice is the best it's ever been. I can tell she's genuinely excited to go throw.
When making major changes or trying new mechanics, just have them throw into blownet 6 or7 feet in front of them. They don't get to see the wild pitches, keeps them confident and focused on the change not the immediate result.
 
May 16, 2016
946
93
So why is the instructor teaching wrist snaps when the student isn't snapping her wrist when she pitches? She should be teaching internal rotation. Why would you teach one way and allow your student to pitch a different way? It seems to me that the student isn't doing it the way the instructor teaches and the instructor doesn't know the difference.
IDK. It's just a drill... I've seen countless "Drills" instructors have kids doing that don't make a bit of sense to me... My point is, if the instructor is getting results, don't walk away just because you read on the internet the drill they are using is "wrong".
 

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