You have to Brush it! It’s what my wife and I tell our 3 daughters on a daily basis in the mornings! Brush that hair, brush those teeth! Ahh the life of having 3 young daughters 6 years old and younger. It’s an important time in their lives where we as parents have to teach our kids how to do things and why! I can’t even imagine teaching my crew pitching…. Ugg! I might pull the hair I have left out…..

 

I think it’s important as parents to make sure what is being taught to our kids is correct. There are a lot of “ways” to pitch.  But I think as parents that we want our kids to be taught the best injury free mechanics.

Two of my biggest hurdles when it comes to teaching pitching instruction is teaching students that propper posture dictates release. There should be no bending over or at the waist at all. I see lots of girls bending at the waist and forcing a wrist snap, only to question why their accuracy is off and the ball is sailing high.

Now, I’m not talking about shoulder tilt. I love shoulder tilt, it’s crucial to throwing several movement pitches. I also tell my students that pitching is like old people dancing. We  (older people) dance with our shoulders, so when you come to pitch, come to dance like old people! Blake Shelton could throw a mean rise or drop ball with these shoulder tilts!

 

Now lets look at some really good posture!

Do you see any bending over at the waist on this pitch? She looks tall and her shoulders look pushed back, creating great posture to use resistance for her whip! Did you also notice the brush she is getting with her elbow? She’ll get even more as the forearm will wrap around the hip. Brush is just that, we are brushing (not striking) the hip with the forearm. What helps us get here is the  BENT elbow being pulled to the ribcage (suck it in) (Hulking!!) A little brush will help generate a great whip! Whip assisted brush, that’s what we are after!

The best Brush!  Sure do!

Here is Monica Abbot – She knows a thing or two about pitching! Look at her posture as well. Very tall no waist bending, and look at that arm brush the hip and fire!

 

How about Megan Kleist from Oregon?

yup.. She brushes!

Lastly one of the more underrated pitchers that I like is Trinity Harrington from Texas A & M. She’s a brusher too! See that wrist sneak around that hip? The brush is what is helping that wrist snap!

So it comes down to what pitcher to do you want to be like? If it’s like any of the above, you’ll need to be tall, and brush!

 

Until next time…… Thanks for reading!