Glove slap

[halskinner]

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.

Had lots of students that grunted and a handful that slapped their thigh. I told them if they were going to make that annoying sound in MY facility, they were going to learn to use it as another weapon in their arsenal.

1st inning; Dont slap or grunt until you throw a change up. Then, do it for the 2nd change up. Then grunt/slap on a fast pitch and DONT do it on the 3rd change up. Let them think you are stupid and ONLY do it on a change up, let them figure out the hard way who is stupid.

Then every now and then, couple threetimes an inning, do the grunt/slap on various pitches. The other team's players, coaches and even the parents in the stands watch you very closely to try and pick up on ANYTHING that they THINK will give away the pitch. Turn that against them.

Wanna have some real fun? About the 2nd pitch to any particular batter, step back off the rubber, stare hard at the batter in the batters box. Stare at them until they see you staring at them. Once they see you, slowly crack a little smile, then get sullen faced again and step back on the rubber. Let her think you are going after her. Watch the look on their face when they step into the box. PRICELESS. BREAK ANY CONCENTRATION THEY MIGHT HAVE.

CONTROL THE OPPOSITION. Thats what pitchers do.

 

[redhawkridge]

I would love to coach a pitching staff that slaps their thigh with the glove and faces a team that uses the slap sound to time the pitch. My pitchers would make them look silly. If the batter is trying to gain advantage by synchonizing their commitment to swing to the sound, my pitchers would simply feed them lots of off speed pitches mixed with heat. It's like defensive linemen in football listening to the quarterback's cadence instead of watching for the snap of the ball.
I want the pitcher to understand the purpose of the thigh slap -- to avoid premature rotation of the hips to closure. If they don't have a problem with keeping the body open as the ball passes the hip, the thigh slap isn't needed. But it prevents (and corrects) a pitcher's tendency to close early and "pull" the ball past her hip.
JimP

 

[hailey8987]

True. All good opinions.

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.

 

[ifubuildit]

Jim

I would love to coach a pitching staff that slaps their thigh with the glove and faces a team that uses the slap sound to time the pitch. My pitchers would make them look silly. If the batter is trying to gain advantage by synchonizing their commitment to swing to the sound, my pitchers would simply feed them lots of off speed pitches mixed with heat. It's like defensive linemen in football listening to the quarterback's cadence instead of watching for the snap of the ball.
I want the pitcher to understand the purpose of the thigh slap -- to avoid premature rotation of the hips to closure. If they don't have a problem with keeping the body open as the ball passes the hip, the thigh slap isn't needed. But it prevents (and corrects) a pitcher's tendency to close early and "pull" the ball past her hip.
JimP

Jim,

I hope you also realize what you're advocating here can cause nerve damage to the legs of your pitcher is done consistently over a period of time. I never want to do anything that's going to endanger the health of my students who are pitchers. Not a fan of the leg slap.

Dana.

 

[BoardMember]

Jim,

I hope you also realize what you're advocating here can cause nerve damage to the legs of your pitcher is done consistently over a period of time. I never want to do anything that's going to endanger the health of my students who are pitchers. Not a fan of the leg slap.

Dana.

Not saying it can't happen......but 20 years of leg slapping with 100's of students has never produced "nerve damage" in any of my students.....

I'm just sayin........

 

[calgofo]

Not saying it can't happen......but 20 years of leg slapping with 100's of students has never produced "nerve damage" in any of my students.....

I'm just sayin........

I've never seen it either in nearly 20 years. I too suppose its possible. I have seen alot of red legs