An instructors "Bag of tricks" for teaching pitchers.

[Ken B]

If zero degrees is 'Closed;, what do we call the one in between? Halfway open mechanics? Halfway closed mechanics?

Not sure. I just don't recall hearing 45+/- degrees being called "closed" before. When I started learning about this stuff, I recall a local PC, John Gay referenced open mechanics as getting open, about 90, then releasing at about 45. He also had (has) the same link on his site that you often reference to the '96 Steaman Hawkins Report recommending 45 or so as optimum.

Locally, "closed" meant door slammers, or step-style pitchers who hardly opened at all and finished square. During my short time on this site, I've noticed terminology seems to vary from area to area.

 

[BoardMember]

Open or closed...........Is it the same as Foul or fair?........Pregnant or not pregnant?..........Zero degrees or 90 degrees?

When a door is closed it is just that.....CLOSED........When it is NOT closed, it is OPEN......15 degrees......30 degrees.......45 degrees......90 degrees........It is NOT CLOSED when it is 45 degrees open..........

Pitchers hips START closed.........If they DO NOT STAY CLOSED or RE-CLOSE, they are OPEN........Whatever degrees from closed they are........They are OPEN..........

A door that is cracked open 20 degrees is an open door..........It is not open ONLY if standing at 90 degrees open........

Just for rocks...........IF a door is "normally closed" at the start........and is OPENED to 45 degrees.........Is it 45 degrees OPEN or CLOSED from it's "normal starting position"...........

Seems pretty basic to me.......But for Hal........Who's ego needs him to be right........A door.......That starts closed.......And opens to 45 degrees........IS STILL CLOSED.........

Whatever...........It really only matters to the parents, coaches and kids I help.........I want my pitchers to be 35-45 degrees open from their starting position at release........And the plant foot angle somewhere around 30 degrees........

 

[Ken B]

My cup is neither half empty or half full. At best, it contains approximately 50% of it's total capacity.

This tends to cause some confusion however, as even though it has a maximum capacity of 500 ml, in actual practice it is never filled to capacity. In daily use, the cup is filled to approximatetly 450 ml, but this varies by individual preference. Since there is a subjective, human factor involved, it is impossible to speculate or debate whether one's cup is half full OR empty. The answer becomes completely subjective and not worth the effort to debate without fact or common ground.

Tomatoes anyone?

 

[Ken B]

Just looked back through one of John Gay's handouts and did not see where I thought he talked about the shoulders like I mentioned. Although I'm postive I've read or heard him talk about releasing at 45, I can't find it for sure..

www.softballclinics.com/handout.pdf

 

[halskinner]

Just looked back through one of John Gay's handouts and did not see where I thought he talked about the shoulders like I mentioned. Although I'm postive I've read or heard him talk about releasing at 45, I can't find it for sure..

www.softballclinics.com/handout.pdf

Unless you provide us withvideos, stats and other documented certification, nobody will believe you anyway.

Dont sweat the morons!

 

[Ken B]

So true on the first part..., but I don't sweat it, or call folks names.

 

[JDBerry]

While this has seemed to have devolved into a semantical argument, I will say that there is no such thing as partially closed. Closed is defined relative to being open. Something can't be open at all and then be accurately referred to as closed.

To the young lady I think you are discussing above. IMO, She is certainly getting open (way out of balance), her hips turn and the logo on her shirt disappear, it's just not good form