We went 0-4 that week in Illinois. I saw pitchers throwing the fastest I had ever seen. I remember seeing my first drop ball as a batter. I mean a pitch that actually falls off the table instead of just going down. She was committed to play Division one. At 15. I realized something was really wrong. I was supposed to be at the level of playing division one... but I was nowhere close to these girls.
I decided to switch travel ball teams. I needed to get some exposure if I wanted to go Division one and college coaches weren't at any Mississippi tournaments. My new coach told me I would have to change pitching styles. Change styles? I thought she was crazy. I had lost three games all summer pitching the way I had been taught! Our first tournament that fall we went to the Rising Stars tournament in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. It's a huge exposure tournament that lots of teams and college coaches go to yearly. Our first game my coach decided to give me the ball. There were tons of college coaches around. I thought to myself, "this is your chance to show everyone what you've got." I didn't make it past three innings. We were run ruled 15-0. I was left out there for all miserable and embarrassing 15 runs. I learned more from those 15 runs than from any of those 40+ wins the summer before. I came home hungry to work and ready for a change.
1. Velocity
When the body is turned side ways (open) instead of remaining straight on (closed) a couple of things happen. First, the arm circle is able to go through its complete rotation without any contact with the body. The fastest way between two points is a straight line. If the arm circle is traveling in a straight line instead of around the body it is going its fastest. Second, the legs are able to do the work. Instead of lagging behind the hip as it closes (closed) they lead the way through the pitch using force from the back leg and resistance from the front leg to create velocity at the point of release. Ask any person you see this question: can you do more squats or push-ups? For the average person the answer is squats. Why? Because their legs are the strongest thing in their body. It is true some women's hips are stronger than men's, but does that mean they are stronger than their legs? No. We use our legs all day long not to mention you can train them easily in the gym. Why not use them in your pitch?
In open style the hip is "open" and the body is facing to the third or first baseman based on which arm the pitcher is throwing with. This creates an alley way for the arm to enter. We already talked about this creating velocity, but it also creates the ability for more movement. The hand is able to stay close to the body, therefore closer to the strike zone. The hand and wrist are stronger close to the body like this therefore giving it the ability to create large amounts of spin on the ball. Spin = movement. It is impossible for the hand to do this away from the body.
I have a lesson now that came to me about two years ago. She was ready to quit pitching. I didn't blame her. Her elbow was swollen to almost the size of a softball. I broke her down to just drills and for six months we did not touch the rubber. She, like me, had thrown closed style her whole life. Her elbow had had enough. Sure, she threw hard, but her body was paying the price of making contact with her hip so many times repeatedly. I wish I had video of her before and after. Not only is her elbow perfectly healthy now, but she also has had a dramatic increase in velocity. Now she is committed to play for the University of Southern Mississippi. I wonder how many other pitchers have had to quit because of injuries like this? Injuries that could have been solved with a simple mechanical adjustment? It makes me sad to think that some girls have given up what they love just because they didn't have the right information.
The only other argument I have heard for closed pitching is that it is "safe" for the girls. How can throwing slower, not being able to easily locate, having no movement, and banging their elbow on their side be safer? Even if their elbow doesn't hurt or they're not making that much contact with their side the first two factors are still there. The slower your daughter throws the easier it is for the opponent to hit it. The farther her arm is away from her body the farther it is from the strike zone therefore creating a more difficult time to locate her pitches. If she doesn't throw it down the middle they won't hit it up the middle. So you tell me what is safer? Teaching her that she can be the best player she can be? Or keeping her protected from the pitcher she can be?
My heart is for these girls. I want to quit seeing girls that don't have the right information. Are you pitching the way the girls on TV are? If you want to be on TV shouldn't you be doing what they are doing?
