Any advantage to having the glove slap the left thigh on RHP? Seems like a lot of wasted movement. Our PC says some Ps do it to distract the batter but maybe they are trying to generate some torque or limit the out of control swinging of the non-throwing arm?. Any comments appreciated.
Glove slap
- Thread starter SoCalSoftballdad
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my DD slapped her leg, not to distract the batter, and it was actually wasted energy, because it doesn't provide ANY benefit to the delivery of the pitch in terms of MECHANICS generating power, BUT becuase she learned it when she was young and just felt comfortable doing that. BRIGHT RED THIGH and it looked painful, but she insisted. Yes, some pitchers do that to distract the batter, but I don't teach that.
Spend your time working proper mechanics and generating power and spins.
(To me, its like a batter taught to show bunt and wiggle the bat to distract the pitcher - I don't like it, won;t teach it. You don't see that in DIV I ball, do you?!)
Spend your time working proper mechanics and generating power and spins.
(To me, its like a batter taught to show bunt and wiggle the bat to distract the pitcher - I don't like it, won;t teach it. You don't see that in DIV I ball, do you?!)
- May 13, 2008
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The only benefit I can see from teaching a glove slap is to have the pitcher keep from "swimming" out with their glove arm. There are better methods than this, IMO, however.
Depends on whether the pitcher is slapping her thigh before the windmill or afterward. The "before" slap is superfluous and irrelevant.
When starting her delivery, the pitcher should swing the glove arm forward in sync with the pitching arm as she drives forward, then reach the "k" position, after which she sweeps the glove arm back to her side. The "slap" on the thigh prevents the glove arm from swinging past her hip. You don't want that to happen (swinging the glove arm past her hip) because it will pull the hips back to closed prematurely. I have worked with too many young pitchers who close their hips before their pitching arm passes by, caused by nothing other than the glove arm pulling the body around when it is pulled past the hip.
JimP
When starting her delivery, the pitcher should swing the glove arm forward in sync with the pitching arm as she drives forward, then reach the "k" position, after which she sweeps the glove arm back to her side. The "slap" on the thigh prevents the glove arm from swinging past her hip. You don't want that to happen (swinging the glove arm past her hip) because it will pull the hips back to closed prematurely. I have worked with too many young pitchers who close their hips before their pitching arm passes by, caused by nothing other than the glove arm pulling the body around when it is pulled past the hip.
JimP
and I teach to simply drop the glove arm, but what I see are intentional violent slap to the thigh, as opposed to dropping her glove to her thigh. Hard slap is really just wasted energy and I don't want them thinking much about their glove arm, but concentrate on her throwing hand at release and spin.
Isn't it a little early for a "slapping the thigh with the glove" thread? February seems to be the month we get posts about an 11 YOA daughter having a bruise the size of Iowa on her leg from hitting it with her glove.
for many of us, its a matter of taking advantage of advice and absoring as much as possible from coaches like you, Hal, KenK, Cshilt and all the other highly experienced coaches.
Slapping to distract the batter?
Actually your helping the batter if you slap the thigh. I teach my hitting students to listen for it and use it as a timing device to know when the ball is coming. Same way the the pitcher that grunts or screams.
Also, you can cause nerve damage to the leg if you do this for a prolonged period of time. This comes from instructors putting too much emphasis on pulling the arms down together to stop the glove from flying out.
If the glove comes down right behind the front leg and not away from the front leg the chances of the hip opening up too soon are minimal before release. Unless you put too much emphasis on turning the hips as an instructor. Then we are talking a whole different set of issues.
Dana.
Actually your helping the batter if you slap the thigh. I teach my hitting students to listen for it and use it as a timing device to know when the ball is coming. Same way the the pitcher that grunts or screams.
Also, you can cause nerve damage to the leg if you do this for a prolonged period of time. This comes from instructors putting too much emphasis on pulling the arms down together to stop the glove from flying out.
If the glove comes down right behind the front leg and not away from the front leg the chances of the hip opening up too soon are minimal before release. Unless you put too much emphasis on turning the hips as an instructor. Then we are talking a whole different set of issues.
Dana.
H
hailey8987
Guest
If you slap your thigh, it is a timing mechanism for your batter. As a batter, when I hear the slap, I time the girl down from then till the ball crosses the plate. 
All good points regarding the hitter being able to time the pitcher and ball release better, plus in my opinion it just looks very awkward, especially if it isn't a subtle slap.
