Pitching Styles

[concrete]

What do you think the best pitching style is, snap curl and close, snap curl stay open, stay open and extend straight arm to target.

[Lester]

you know this was going to come.... one that works...

[fpitchdad]

Stride and Drive. What the heck is snap curl and close.......I got a chuckle out of that.

[concrete]

Stride ,drag, snap curl the hips close behind the snap, seen some hard throwers with this style.

[oiler pride]

Not to hijack anyones thread, but maybe instead of BEST style, we go with : is one style built more for speed? or is another style harder on the arm and not good for endurance? Just a suggestion to get some of the pitching experts on here to offer up their opinions.

[bambam8]

Originally Posted by concrete

What do you think the best pitching style is, snap curl and close, snap curl stay open, stay open and extend straight arm to target.

I don't see how you can pitch and leave the hip open. My kid and every kid I know of, close there hips. Closing the hip gives the pitcher momentum as they come through to release. Some kids do open the hip more than others. I would think you would lose speed if you leave the hip open. As far as the snap and finish is concerned, most finish straight up or towards the left shoulder (for a righty). I believe colleges tend to prefer the staright up method....believing it's faster. I am not necessarily convinced of that. Finishing towards the left shoulder gives the ball more movement. I don't think either of these methods is harder on an arm than the other, of course, the straight up method is more natural. I am sure you will get a variety of opinions on here, especially where the finish is concerned, and like Lester said the one that "works" is fine with me.

[Trakin daball]

I have watched various college pitchers and I personally do not see them finishing straight up. To me that is the old school style of the hip coming in with the arm at the same time. If you look close at release their bodies are open as the arm moves in a slot. My dd and I have been coached by Gillis Academy instructors for 4 seasons now and have always been told it is ball then hip. For a righty even if the arm finishes to the target the body is at lets say roughly a 45 degree angle (belly button to the 3rd base dugout) so the arm is across the body. If they were to maintain this pose and straighten the shoulders to the catcher keeping the arm in the same place when opening her shoulders to the catcher her arm would not point to the catcher. If you look at fpitchdad`s avatar the pic of the pitcher has good form coming up to first quarter with her shoulders facing the catcher. Her foot is also coming off the rubber straight like a sprinter coming out of the blocks. That is a good start. I bet her "style" is close to Gillis. I would not say Hillhouse because she is not hiding the ball still at this point of her motion.

[Lenski]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPl3VUTNQIM

Len

[Coach_R]

Whatever works ! I personally like up & out with a bit of cheat (hop) long stride

[Thunder's Dad]

Originally Posted by Trakin daball

I have watched various college pitchers and I personally do not see them finishing straight up. To me that is the old school style of the hip coming in with the arm at the same time. If you look close at release their bodies are open as the arm moves in a slot. My dd and I have been coached by Gillis Academy instructors for 4 seasons now and have always been told it is ball then hip. For a righty even if the arm finishes to the target the body is at lets say roughly a 45 degree angle (belly button to the 3rd base dugout) so the arm is across the body. If they were to maintain this pose and straighten the shoulders to the catcher keeping the arm in the same place when opening her shoulders to the catcher her arm would not point to the catcher. If you look at fpitchdad`s avatar the pic of the pitcher has good form coming up to first quarter with her shoulders facing the catcher. Her foot is also coming off the rubber straight like a sprinter coming out of the blocks. That is a good start. I bet her "style" is close to Gillis. I would not say Hillhouse because she is not hiding the ball still at this point of her motion.

I really don't want to start this argument again~ but I will!

You posted two separate entities as far as parts of the pitch. The arm finishing straight up or across the body is one. Some say it is an absolute one way or the other, others say it is more style than substance. I am in the style camp. Many predominate male pitching coaches preach across the body as a "must have" in the pitching mechanics (Gillis and Hillhouse as an example). Most top level female pitchers actually use the straight up method. I'm sure I will be posting many clips in this thread as people tell me I'm nuts. Look at Lenski's link above and pay attention to where Jenny Finch talks about the "hello elbow".

The other part of the mechanics that you mention is the "ball before the hip".
This deals with timing and is pretty much universal. If a girl tries to have her hip and ball at the same place, same time, she will inevitably push her pitch right (right handed pitcher). I have never heard of anyone actually teaching this, but I'm sure it could happen.