pitching hand felt 'tingling'

[FastPitchCat]

DD has restarted her pitching and with primary focus on proper mechanics namely - strong push off, loose arm, elbow down at 9, Brush Interference and a real good whip.

As DD practiced, she commented on one occasion, "that felt a little funny. my hand (pitching) felt a little tingle. part of the forearm as well"

almost like sitting on pins and needles, but happening only for a tenth of a second.

I've been doing the same pitching motions that DD's practicing (thanks to the good folks in this forum... u can't teach what you don't know) and I have felt that tingling sensation as well. I attributed it to... not being 14 anymore. But when DD said she felt it, now that couldn't be attributed to age!

Note that it wasn't painful at all, just a strange sensation as if the entire hand was so loose and powerful at the moment the ball was released, like all the blood just channeled thru the arm to the hand and shot out the thru the fingers.

I was imagining a GIF someone posted months ago about all the energy being channeled into the hand-fingers-ball with all the right mechanics in place.

Anyone here has felt this or can explain this?

 

[dmaeganx2]

Nope it is contributed to the Ulnar nerve which runs down the inside part of the elbow. it supplys feeling and some muscle control to the little and ring fingers. When she felt it she prolly whacked her inner elbow on her hip a little much. It is also known by another name "The funny Bone". keep your eyes open for feelings of tiredness or weakness in the pinky side of the hand. If it occurs she could have a little swelling in the inner elbow slightly compressing on the ulnar nerve. Just my 2 cents worth

 

[FastPitchCat]

thanks for the responses. will certainly pay more attention the the elbow brush.

 

[Edy]

FP Cat,

Based on the sensation you described my guess is it has no relation to the nerve.
IMO what you and DD are experimenting is just the blood flowing to the extremity of the arm (aka fingers) because of centrifugal force.

Standing still, without the ball, rotate your arm across your body without any brushing (it's the pure bowling motion we're looking for) but do it as fast as you can without hurting your shoulder. You can do this a few times until you feel the blood flowing to your finger tips. If that is the same sensation you've described before here's the answer.

If not, maybe the nerve is really causing the tingle and you should look carefully on the issue.

Please note I'm no expert though.. It's just my 2 cents

Edit: I am not advocating you shouldn't use brushing when pitching. On the contrary, I am a believer.. lol
The reason for not brushing is to check whether the sensation is similar to the one you felt.

 

[javasource]

Here she goes again.... oy vey...

For the love of God... You don't brush with your elbow.

Check and see (via video) if the angle in her elbow is locked into release. If this is the case, and you lead with your elbow, she could be dinging that very narrow nerve passageway, causing the distal tingling... that tingling would be in the pinky and ring fingers, primarily.

When brush occurs, it should occur in the forearm. Stop trying to use this genuine question as a means to beat your dead horse.

If the sensation is elsewhere, look elsewhere, as suggested. Either way, reviewing video of her mechanics should be helpful.

 

[WARRIORMIKE]

Personally I find this to be a "go see the doctor post". DFP'rs are not doctors and should not be giving any medical advice.


Ok just my two cents, I'm going back to bed now.......

 

[FastPitchCat]

FP Cat,

Based on the sensation you described my guess is it has no relation to the nerve.
IMO what you and DD are experimenting is just the blood flowing to the extremity of the arm (aka fingers) because of centrifugal force.

Standing still, without the ball, rotate your arm across your body without any brushing (it's the pure bowling motion we're looking for) but do it as fast as you can without hurting your shoulder. You can do this a few times until you feel the blood flowing to your finger tips. If that is the same sensation you've described before here's the answer.

If not, maybe the nerve is really causing the tingle and you should look carefully on the issue.

Please note I'm no expert though.. It's just my 2 cents

Edit: I am not advocating you shouldn't use brushing when pitching. On the contrary, I am a believer.. lol
The reason for not brushing is to check whether the sensation is similar to the one you felt.

edy,

thanks! i told DD and there was no issue with hitting her elbow or forearm. i guess i didn't explain it clearly, but your description of blood flowing to the finger tips sounds 100%.

i also tried this and i didn't hit my elbow/forearm or even brush, but the force of the whip sort of sent all the blood from thru the arm.

but, will be careful and pay close attention to mechanics.

thanks!

 

[Edy]

edy,

thanks! i told DD and there was no issue with hitting her elbow or forearm. i guess i didn't explain it clearly, but your description of blood flowing to the finger tips sounds 100%.

i also tried this and i didn't hit my elbow/forearm or even brush, but the force of the whip sort of sent all the blood from thru the arm.

but, will be careful and pay close attention to mechanics.

thanks!

Good to hear that!

I felt the same sensation before and could also notice a color change in my hand. That's pretty normal IMO.

In any case, Java's remark about the brush is fantastic. Please keep in mind that the elbow shouldn't bump into the rib cage. This action will prolly damage both.


Keep having fun with DD
Wish you the best.

 

[FastPitchCat]

Here she goes again.... oy vey...

For the love of God... You don't brush with your elbow.

Check and see (via video) if the angle in her elbow is locked into release. If this is the case, and you lead with your elbow, she could be dinging that very narrow nerve passageway, causing the distal tingling... that tingling would be in the pinky and ring fingers, primarily.

When brush occurs, it should occur in the forearm. Stop trying to use this genuine question as a means to beat your dead horse.

If the sensation is elsewhere, look elsewhere, as suggested. Either way, reviewing video of her mechanics should be helpful.

java,

i did take some video and DD's elbow wasn't locked (a little bent). will do some more front view slow-mo next time she practices.
will now try to always remember, it's the forearm not the elbow!

thanks again!

 

[dmaeganx2]

Ok let me explain it better since my DD has went through that and been to an ortho about it.

record her from the side and see if she is inner rotating her bicep before 9:00 the bend will still be in her arm but bent with her hand slightly toward 3rd base. From that position when she her upper arm comes down her Medial elbow can more directly hit the hip bone.

her upper arm rotation needs to begin after 9:00 so that the upper arm slows down as it is inner rotating.

If she upper arm rotates before 9 it will come into her hip at full speed instead of slowing down as it rotates.

an easy way to see it is if her entire arm looks somewhat straight from 9 all the way to brush but had a bend in it at 10 or 11

It might be fine and there may not be any cause for alarm I just know my DD had to stop pitching for 3 months due to ulnar nerve problems that are not caused by inner rotation mechanics but can be caused by improper rotation sequence and timing of the rotation.

Java can explain the workins of how the arm rotates better then I can down the backside but early rotation of the upper arm will/or can cause the same effect as the locked arm

But the above injury is one of the reasons I started coming to this site a lot.