SloMo catching/side/behind for my daughter ( update )

[Ken Krause]

From the angle we're looking at you wouldn't see if the elbow is bent or not. Looks to me like the elbow of facing us. If that's true you wouldn't see a slight bend because it would be coming toward us and we're looking at it in two dimensions.

That being said, Finch probably keeps her arm straighter than any other top-level pitcher I've seen. She seems to throw more with the shoulder than others. Maybe a result of using the Finch windmill?


Compare to this video of Michele Smith at 0:15 seconds. It's an artsy view from below, but you can see a definite bend in her arm.

YouTube - Michele Smith Teaches Advanced Pitching Promo

The attachment shows a better view of this too.

 

[mrslug01]

I wonder about this bent arm thing too. In an earlier post, someone gives a link to Bill Hill house explaining why he starts his mottion the way he does, Meaning keeping the ball in the glove as he brings his right arm back to his side. This stops him from locking the elbow. I've watched a variety of clips of Hillhouse and his arm appears bent around the circle. Michelle Smith's picture looks like Hillhouse at the 12 position. How can you teach someone to straighten the arm then bend it later in the circle to facilitate the arm whip? It seems logical that if it's bent throughout the circle, it has to whip through at the end.

 

[batsics1]

Yes, I think the right arm may be slightly bent and no the picture does not prove her arm is as straight as possible - no bend in the elbow.

The reason a and b don't add up to c is because we can't tell how much she is extending her throwing shoulder to reach across her midline and/or how much she is pinching her glove shoulder into her spine.

My point is that one should have a relaxed/neutral elbow. One should not try to bend the elbow or straighten the arm. I am also suggesting that the bend in the young lady's elbow may be more effect than cause due in large part to the reasons I cited.

My question is if Cat's arm is straight, how and when does the bend in her elbow happen? Or Finch?

 

[CoachFP]

There are slight bends in both of their arms. Hillhouse's advice is based on what works optimally. More bend will result in more snap and thus better movement/speed. Just because these two don't bend it optimally does not invalidate his position. The top men's pitchers all have significant bend in the elbow and neither of our ladies mentioned can move the ball as well as these guys.