The hop DOES hurt way more than it helps, so that's not unusual.
I find the most effective way to combat the crow hop is to mix in dry-run pitches where she doesn't throw the ball. 99% of the time pitchers can do it perfectly that way. You say she's doing it right about half the time, which is...
There is a lot going on, and a domino effect of things causing other things, so if she's not with an instructor already I'd get her some lessons. In the meantime, she's got a great net next to her wherever she's pitching. Turn her around so that the catcher is at the other end of the cage and...
This is an extremely common problem, and often it just takes waiting and letting her gain confidence. In the meantime, simulate games in practice as much as possible. Have her throw to a team catcher, as Amy suggested, and also have a batter stand in. If she struggles you can start with an...
In addition to what Ken and sluggers said, if Cheri Kempf was talking about learning pitching from scratch, lots of young pitchers who are learning end up doing weird things—stiff arm, bad posture, deceleration, etc.—when trying to throw strikes before they fully understand and are comfortable...
You "only need" to be able to get people out. Some people do it with 3 pitches, some do it with more or fewer. Some can do it with those three, some like others better.
An injury preventative, pitching specific fitness plan is the number one thing I insist on with all of my pitchers. It's as much a part of my teaching now as the actual pitching mechanics. I went through hell stupidly ignoring it when I was a player (and am still dealing with some of the...
If she's uncomfortable she can do arm isolation drills with a smaller ball to get a feel for the fingertip grip, it might make her more comfortable with it in general. Looks good though!
Some speed and agility workouts are good, but definitely supplement with leg strength workouts. Think about what running is: it's pushing off the ground over and over again to propel yourself forward. Increase your capacity to push off the ground harder and you will run faster, so think about...
The power push is a great training tool, but if you haven't already bought it you can save yourself some money: just put a brick next to her foot. Does the same thing. If one doesn't work, sandwich her foot between two.
The reason the foot turns during the load is because when the legs are...
Dry pitches are a good choice. You can also do arm circle isolation drills focused on speed. With the full motion, I tell my girls with this problem to count "1, 2, 3" out loud, where 1 is the rock back, 2 is the load, and 3 is the whole pitch. They have to pitch in the rhythm they're calling...
They simply haven't had enough reps to know how to pick up what's a strike and what isn't. They need a ton of practice, with someone intentionally throwing them pitches both in and out of the strike zone.
You can even start by having them just stand in the batters box while a pitcher tosses...
Have you tried asking for a 1 on 1 session, simply saying your daughter feels more comfortable that way? Depending on the reason the coach is doing this, he/she may be able to accommodate you. Maybe you can do a 1 on 1 less often as opposed to a group lesson every week? I imagine the coach might...
What Goingdeep said is great. College coaches will recruit from her summer team so they might not even notice the missed HS year if no one tells them, but skipping will put her in a BAD spot if she's thinking she wants to play for the high school team her junior and senior years. Skipping for...
The trainer I work with actually just made a video about this. He talks about how to schedule workouts around in-season commitments and also what exercises will still build strength but will be less likely to leave you sore: Exercises for Softball - In Season Workouts - YouTube
Yes, she shouldn't be so scrunched up at release. Her drive leg is a bit collapsed as she's dragging her foot, which is probably why she ends up so bent at the end.
Thanks! And yes, I am quite settled in Pittsburgh. The high school season was rough; we didn't have a JV team, so we had two inexperienced freshman pitchers battling through some really tough AAAA varsity competition. But hopefully they'll understand what they need to work on for next year!
Definitely get her with a coach. It won't be easy, especially because she'll likely be behind her competition in development, but as a 14 year old she'll be able to grasp and execute concepts more quickly and easily than a 10 year old. Hillhouse's technique is great, but you seem to be short on...
Honestly, I think you just have to plug away and wait. The problem is the mid-high 30s, which is where you said your daughter's fastball is sitting, is, I think, kind of a natural range for a young girl's change up. Slowing it down MORE than that is going to be really tough. So rather than...
I am!
Sorry I've been MIA. My high school season ended Tuesday. When you've only got the morning every day to do other work, extracurricular internet activities kind of fall by the wayside.
My favorites are a net in a batting cage or a padded wall. I've never had a pitcher come close to catching her hand on a fence though. Obviously use your judgement; if it's jagged and rusty, avoid it. Many newer fences have sort of a smooth, bulbous coating that I think would be pretty safe. The...