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Breaking News: Tincher Pitching Partnering with Andrews Institute on First-Ever Study About the Impact of Throwing a Fastpitch Softball

Denny Tincher (far left) and the team at Andrews Institute assigned to the ground-breaking pitching study.

Extra Inning Softball is breaking this exclusive announcement as well as a feature story on Tincher Pitching, which was founded by sought-after pitching instructor, Denny Tincher.

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First, the exclusive scoop.

Tincher Pitching has been selected by the world-renowned Andrews Institute, founded by Dr. James Andrews, as its partner to provide the data and input for a first-of-its-kind study on the impact of pitching a fastpitch softball.

“This research fits the mission and intent of the Andrews Research & Education Foundation,” said Scott Raynes, the president of the Andrews Institute, and Ashton Hayward, president of the Andrews Research and Education Foundation.

“Dr. Andrews’ passion and intent is injury prevention in sports. This is who he is and what a major part of his legacy will be. Doing the research in this arena (softball pitching for this particular effort) will allow for the education to occur in the future that will prevent or greatly reduce injury.”

“We are excited about partnering with Denny Tincher and his team at Tincher Pitching. Denny has years of experience in fastpitch softball pitching instruction at the highest level. His knowledge and expertise in pitching mechanics are well known by coaches and players throughout the country.”

“What may not be so well known is how his technique helps pitchers throw without being injured. We want to further explore this and dig deeper into this through our research to better understand the “how” behind high-performing pitchers and injury prevention. We believe it is applicable to pitchers of all ages and will be beneficial to all levels of the game to share our findings through education.”

The Andrews Institute is responsible for repairing and rehabbing injuries to countless high-profile professional, collegiate and Olympic athletes.

It is also the top research location for sports injury prevention, with a motion research lab that is like a modern-day, real-life version of the 1970’s TV show, The Six Million Dollar Man.

“These folks have a world-class research facility and a track record of innovative analysis with solid results. They are serious. This is going to be big,” said Tincher.

Tincher is understandably excited.

Says Tincher: “One of our missions is to help college pitchers get better, but we also need to look at where they get started.”

“Andrews chose us. We’re going to do the first comprehensive nationwide study on youth softball pitchers (kids under college age). By the time they get to college they form patterns. One of our missions is to help college pitchers get better, but we also need to look at where they get started. Where did the bad pattern begin?”

The study may take a while, but the results will be worth it according to Tincher.

“This is going to be a multi-stage study, and we’re not sure how long it will take. Every time we study one thing, we learn other things. As a result, we may have to adjust not only what we’re teaching, but the direction of the study as well. We’re ultimately seeking efficient, powerful performance down the road as we ask enough questions now to find out what makes the students perform and peak.”

“We’re currently drawing parameters for the study. It will be a hands-on approach — how do we fix their mechanical issues? How do we prevent the issues from happening? These are keys to identifying when hurting begins before it becomes a full-blown injury.”

“This will be a blind study where look at population and take a random sample of the pitchers in regions and organizations from 10U to 18U. Our sample will include different body structures, weaknesses, flexibility, and strengths.”

Tincher wants to know why there are significantly fewer pitchers at 16U than at younger ages. He wonders if it is because their physical training of their bodies is poor or lacking as they grow older, and if their ability to perform is becoming suppressed. He sees one potential culprit: proper strength training seems to be at a huge deficit and he hopes to remove that issue entirely from softball pitching.

“Expecting a kid to bulldoze through a problem is a recipe for injury. Their brain senses when a movement is wrong and goes into protective mode. Subconscious is way ahead of the conscious and it’s telling the body to not do something,” explained Tincher.

One of Tincher’s network of instructors is Jonathan Hon, who is also an aeronautical engineer. It is clear Hon is very interested in this study.

“I want to know what we can do to get the human body to safely allow my top pitchers to throw 80 mph.” That may seem like eye-rolling crazy talk, but he already has young pitchers pushing 70 mph and he is hopeful that this research could provide a roadmap to perfecting the pitching motion.

Instructor Jonathan Hon believes pitchers can reach 80 mph safely.

To help explain the Andrews research study, Hon used this analogy, “It’s like when you’re sitting on a plane on the runway and the pilot has the break on but thrusts the engines to full throttle before takeoff. You feel the plane trying to lurch forward and the breaks groan. They do this for a reason. They need to make sure the plane will stop safely when they land.”

“This is the same thing going on subconsciously in the human brain. It knows more than we ever will about the limitations of the body. It will automatically slow down or create resistance to protect itself in different scenarios, calculating all the variables present in the body as well as any external factors it senses at that moment.”

“I want to understand how we can safely alter and exactly align every angle and muscle sequence and reaction at hummingbird speed – the kinetic sequence — to help the body to be able to safely stop itself when a pitcher releases a ball throwing it 80 mph. Because your brain will know if something isn’t precise, and if it senses your body can’t handle the whip at 80 mph, it subconsciously won’t let you go there.”

“My hope is the Andrews research lab will help show us the precise necessary sequence to achieve this. The Andrews sports motion sensing lab is one of the premiere facilities in the world. They have tools that are unique and cutting edge. At Tincher we will provide the baseline data for them to study and provide feedback for us to test,” added Hon.

Robbie Hebert with players before assessments.

Robbie Hebert, who has been working with Tincher as his strength and conditioning specialist for eight years says, “The most interesting thing with the Andrews study for me is, with the Tincher philosophy and the movement screenings involved, their technology will significantly improve the information we can provide our instructors, athletes, coaches and parents because it will show exactly how the mechanics and movement are affecting each individual student inside the circle.”

“Our goal is being able to develop the players and seeing their improvement while preventing injuries and maximizing their performance.”

“Andrews has the technology and are experts in biomechanics and they are going to make available the results of the research to the softball community. It’s a ground-breaking opportunity to be part of.” – Robbie Herbert

“We want to prepare their bodies for development naturally as well as to prepare them to have the movements to be strong and fast and accelerate and absorb the force. Hopefully we will prepare them for when their body matures, gets in sync and lined up. This will allow their body to prepare for their development as they grow, get stronger and be the best they can be. Who knows how fast they will eventually be able to pitch, but we want them to be prepared physically for it,” added Hebert.

Tincher says, “It’s really hard to describe how forward-leaning this study will be. We have been given an opportunity with no preconceived notions or determinations to gather all the data. We are going to measure, measure, and measure again until we find the absolute best way to do things with each part of the body working in unison to deliver the maximum result with the minimum impact on the body. We believe that our findings will be beneficial and applicable to pitchers of all ages.”

THE QUEST TO HELP OTHERS BEGAN WITH HIS DAUGHTER’S PAIN

They say necessity is the mother of invention. In this case, it was the father. Tincher began his journey simply trying to help his oldest daughter, Angela.

“We lived in an area that didn’t have pitching instructors…I didn’t even know there was such a thing a pitching instructor. Angela felt she was not a good player, but really wanted to pitch. We went about learning how to pitch by going to local college games, video-taping the pitchers and then trying to imitate them and find ways to get her where those pitchers were. We would also tape the college world series with the same goal in mind.”

Player assessments can help pinpoint-and correct-structural and performance weaknesses.

According to Tincher, Angela was having a problem when she was 13. She had an injury from repetitive hip contact with her forearm and no one could tell them how to avoid it. The pain was excruciating. He needed to find a way to help his daughter pitch free from pain.

“At that moment, I thought, if ever I could help someone else to not go through what Angela is going through, I want to do it. I made a pledge…I don’t want others to feel the frustration and hopelessness. I didn’t realize the quest to solve her problem would become my career,” said Tincher.

Tincher began traveling to clinics and camps with what he learned from working with Angela. The more kids he ran into, the more he found new problems. He says what he learned on those trips helped him deal with issues that he had never seen before.

After Angela went through college, Tincher decided to establish a group that would share ideas and research. He reached out to a number of high-profile travel coaches and instructors. He asked for their help in designing a group about sharing research, finding more resources…and helping the kids. That core group helped define the current protocols for selecting and training Tincher instructors.

Tincher described his ongoing desire to help any kid that comes to him in pain.

“My passion for injuries grew even more when our younger daughter, Abby, went on to pitch D1. She developed a hip problem that grew out of significant scoliosis. This reinforced the need to better understand issues that kids may bring to the mound, how to deal with them, and to identify the risks ahead of time.”

One of the first students he saw was hurting so bad and she was told by her doctors that she couldn’t pitch anymore. Tincher was able to identify the problems and corrected her mechanics — and she went on to pitch in college.

Tincher, seen here in August 2018 working at a camp, says: “The goal is to help every single student achieve her dreams, whatever they might be, regardless of age, as long as she will do the work at home.”

After that, the Tincher name became affiliated with continuous movement. He spent hundreds of hours with movement screening. He was able to see what was going on in the body and translate it to the pitchers. It helped that he has doctors, trainers and sports psychologists that are all part of the Tincher network.

“Now, as a rule, when a kid comes to see me in Roanoke, Robbie Hebert does an initial assessment. We are already a working study of 561 students coming in with pain. Only two have had to have surgeries — and that’s unheard of,” said Tincher.

Hebert uses his facility, Lab Sports Performance, to do his initial screening for Denny’s local students.  He previously worked in the Houston Astros organization as a minor league strength and conditioning coach.

Tincher said, “We also often ask those in pain to also go see a good sports medicine physician or physical therapist and ask if they would give those providers permission to speak to me. We learn so much from these exchanges. The injuries and pain can be a compensation injury quite a bit of the time – usually the result of poor mechanics.”

The thing everyone should know about Tincher is that he truly cares about helping any pitcher that comes his way. It doesn’t matter if their goal is to play for a Power Five school or to have fun with her local rec team.

“One of my students chose a major that did not allow her to play D1, but she could play D3,” Tincher recalls. “When she told me, she apologized for making that choice, thinking I would be disappointed in her.  It was a reality check for me because I was very proud of her for making a very mature choice.”

The same week, a parent from another state called Tincher because his daughter was injured and wanted his advice.  Tincher asked why they had not just come to see him previously.  The father was surprised, because he had heard that Tincher only worked with the very highest performers.

Tincher says, “These things got my attention and made me clarify our mission.  The goal is to help every single student achieve her dreams, whatever they might be, regardless of age, as long as she will do the work at home.  We will go out of our way to help kids who are in pain.  Last week we helped an 11-year-old with severe pain get back on the mound, pitching better than ever, and feeling wonderful.  That means more to me than any award one of my students could win.”

Lauren Hoffman was having elbow issues and Tincher identified the problem after only three pitches.

As an example, just one of the hundreds of students who came to Denny with injuries is Lauren Hoffman. Her dad, John, said, “She was having a major elbow issue related to form and dragging her back foot. We took her to an ortho, and the doctor said the pressure is pushing the elbow out of socket. We took her to another doctor who recommended seeing Denny.”

Lauren was 14 when she first saw Denny.

“We were really upset and thought maybe her pitching career was over,” Hoffman continues. “He immediately recognized the problem after literally three pitches. It was an incredible joy and relief after the first lesson to see her have the hope to continue pitching. If I could have gotten her to Denny at age 12 versus 14, it may have prevented the issue from even developing because her form would have been better sooner. It would have reduced the stress on the elbow earlier on.”

“It took some time, lessons and practice to get her form to where it is now. She had to undo four to five years of ingrained muscle memory, but since that very first lesson, she hasn’t had any elbow issues. I believe he saved her pitching career.”

Lauren is now 17 and a junior in high school. She is committed to D1 Presbyterian College, in Clinton, South Carolina, where she will be a freshman in 2020.

THE TINCHER NETWORK

Tincher Pitching’s network of instructors is spread far and wide. Extra Inning Softball talked to two instructors who have their own facilities and are full-time pitching instructors. Most Tincher instructors do lessons part-time.

Jonathan Hon, much like Tincher, began his foray into pitching instruction looking for a way to help his daughter who was a pitcher.

“I took my daughter to many top pitchers. We flew all over the country and I kept thinking, ‘I must be dumb, because the pitchers were all telling me something different than I was seeing.’ I mistakenly thought, ‘We’re going to a gold medalist. This has to be the best way.’ They kept telling me she just wasn’t going to get any more speed because of her size. As an engineer, I knew that couldn’t be true, and as her father, I wasn’t willing to accept that as the final answer.”

“I had been certified by a number of different pitching programs, but something was always missing.”

“Not satisfied with my knowledge of the science involved during the pitch, I developed a one-of-a-kind pressure-sensing pitching mat so I could gather data and determine exactly what was going on during the pitch. In doing research for my pitching mat, I came across Denny’s research. I called him and we had a two-hour phone call. Two days later I drove to Delaware to learn from him.”

Jonathan Hon and Florida commit Keagan Rothrock.

Now, Hon has 100 students at his Homer Glen, Illinois facility, where he has students that fly in from Oregon, Texas and other states.  Notably, he also is the instructor for Keagan Rothrock, the 2023 phenom who committed to Florida as a 7th grader.

In what is a common theme among many Tincher instructors, Hon says, “A majority of students who come to me have had pain. I’ve had many students who’ve had vertebrate and shoulder issues. Using Tincher’s fluid dynamics makes a night and day difference with pitching and improves their quality of life. I can’t recall a student who didn’t feel better after the first hour.”

Jenn Newman, another instructor in the Tincher network, was a college pitcher.

“When I was a freshman in college and I had a stress fracture in my back, no one could answer the question why. I pitched through the pain.”

“Eventually I became an instructor myself and went back to my old instructor to train me to teach. I noticed some of my students were having the same stress-related issues that I had, so I took a step back to figure out why.”

Jenn Newman was having back issues before she met Tincher. “I did not want my students to go through what I went through so I sought Denny out. He explained the reason why in five minutes.”

“My instructor couldn’t answer why it happened to me and was now happening to my students. I suspected it had to be something to do with the form I was teaching. I did not want my students to go through what I went through so I sought Denny out. He explained the reason why in five minutes.”

“From that first conversation, I was on board. I told my husband, I gotta do this. Denny answered so many questions. I believe so much in Denny, our instructor group, and this process that we’ve upended our entire family life to bring this to as many kids as possible. I homeschool my kids so I can work more on the weekends and my husband quit his job so we wouldn’t be working opposite schedules. We can be together as a family more now since most all lessons are given on nights and weekends.”

Newman’s facility, Rugged Softball, is in a barn (which her husband built for her pitching lessons) on their property in Monclova, Ohio, a small town outside of Toledo.  Most of her students see her every other week.

Newman says, “Very few pitchers in Northwest Ohio used to get into the 60’s (mph). It was rare. One of the things Tincher is known for is the rapid increase of speed. Now I’ve had a number of students in the mid-to-high 60’s and they are getting looks from college coaches.”

In what seems like a common thread with most Tincher instructors, Newman added, “A lot of my students over the age 12 come to me because they have some sort of nagging pain or injury. We usually get rid of the pain in the first lesson. The key is sustaining the movements, and for that a lot of them need specific strength and conditioning programs designed to match their weaknesses.”

“In addition, I’ve had a couple dozen come in with injuries. We were able to overcome the injuries and on average get them back on the field in six months.”

“The most exciting story was a young student come in with a shoulder injury. I’ve seen some bad shoulders, and hers was in horrible condition. She pitched a lot on her team, and that, along poor mechanics, contributed to the breakdown of her shoulder. She was told she’d never pitch again. However, she had an extremely competitive outlook. The good news is, she just hit 57 as a 12U player and is back on the field dominating a year later.”

Newman works on the form of one of her young pitchers in her Ohio facility.

Newman says that if you can start a pitcher with good mechanics at a young age, it’s easier to maintain those mechanics as they get older.

“Puberty is tough to go through and the changes to their bodies are drastic, so if they don’t have proper mechanics it is difficult for them to deal with it all. There is so much going on physically and as a result, it can cause frustration. So, it’s very important to start with proper mechanics, then when they hit puberty they don’t have learn new form and mechanics while that growth is happening. That equals less stress on their bodies and less stress on their minds.”

SPREADING THE KNOWLEDGE

If you follow Tincher on social media, you will notice he is always going out to train and bring his instructors up to date on the newest techniques.

He adds, “I always bring back a nugget from the road, something our instructor network can use and share. It is nice to bring these things back…because I can only come up with one nugget a week or even a month myself. That’s why it’s great to have a network of Tincher instructors – they all have new ideas and freely share them.”

Tincher has 90 instructors as part of his network, but remains very hands-on in helping pitchers.

Tincher says he has 90 instructors between those he’s certified and those currently in training. He’s started a college program, where his students who are now pitching in college can begin their certification process during the summer.

“One of the critical elements to Tincher certification is the instructors have to prove they have the proficiency to deal with parents and students. It is so much more than just how to pitch a ball with fluid mechanics.”

Tincher says his mantra is, “I want to be better tomorrow than I was yesterday. I wish I’d known five years ago what I know now, and I can’t wait to see what I’m going to know in six months.”

He says, “You should ask my instructors how many times they’ve heard me say that.”

Tincher’s work so far has made the game better by improving the mechanics of a lot of pitchers. The result has been a godsend for those who were pitching with pain and, for all, it has meant an increase in their performance with a resulting increase in miles per hour much of the time.

Tincher and Hon refused to take no for an answer and that has benefited their daughters and students. The Andrews Institute study should improve the ability of the entire Tincher network of instructors to help even more pitchers prevent injury and maximize performance.

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Kevin Long is a correspondent covering travel teams, high school ball and other assignments for Extra Inning Softball.  He can be reached at [email protected], www.twitter.com/KLEXINSB, and www.facebook.com/KLONG50extrainningsoftball 

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