Throwing High

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Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
Only one safe from DD throwing was 1st, was not going to be close to her.

People in stands and next field needed to play attention.

We worked in her footwork, worked out OK.
 
May 12, 2016
4,338
113
One of the best shortstops ever to play college softball is Madison Shipman. SEC player of the year, finalist for national player of the year. Defensively she was on point, all day every day. Her arm is a missile. She throws three quarters side arm because...drum roll please...it works for her and she makes plays and gets outs that your average player would not. Imagine if some yahoo tried to change her when she was 12, 13, 14, whatever? You will be hard pressed to find an infielder that throws harder and as accurate as she does. But when you look at her mechanics it's not "text book" and most of the experts in the softball world would shun her and try to convince everyone that she needs to change.

I will never understand why coaches/parents/instructors think every player should have the same form/mechanics, whether fielding, throwing, hitting or pitching. Everyone is built differently. Jimi Hendrix was left handed, but his dad almost caused us to never know his name as he tried to get him to play right handed. Maybe your DD's coaches are related to Jimi's dad? :)

Don't even go there RBD, I am so frustrated with the coach, it wasn't the head coach either, the assistant coach. We live in Canada where the 12u is actually a year younger than the US 12u, don't ask me why, lol. We went to Buffalo this summer (beginning of our season) and played in a 12u tournament. The bases were all 5 feet back and a 12 inch ball is used (12u uses a 11 inch in Canada). My daughter played the entire tournament at 3rd and didn't make an error. Lot's batters dropped bunts and she fired the ball across the field and made some incredible plays. It wasn't until later in the year that the assistant coach started asking her to throw more over the top, even though she had one of the best arms on the team, she has been screwed up since.... and the biggest problem is I can't get her back to where she was, so now I am forced to help her do something that isn't natural for her... so frustrated!

I hate when coaches feel one mold fits all and apply it in their teaching.
 
May 12, 2016
4,338
113
Only one safe from DD throwing was 1st, was not going to be close to her.

People in stands and next field needed to play attention.

We worked in her footwork, worked out OK.

Thx Quincy, I am thinking foot work as well. I think she is not balanced when throwing and may be actually throwing off her back foot a little as well. She seemed to have developed this bad habit when asked to change her arm angle
 
Feb 16, 2015
933
43
South East
One of the best shortstops ever to play college softball is Madison Shipman. SEC player of the year, finalist for national player of the year. Defensively she was on point, all day every day. Her arm is a missile. She throws three quarters side arm because...drum roll please...it works for her and she makes plays and gets outs that your average player would not. Imagine if some yahoo tried to change her when she was 12, 13, 14, whatever? You will be hard pressed to find an infielder that throws harder and as accurate as she does. But when you look at her mechanics it's not "text book" and most of the experts in the softball world would shun her and try to convince everyone that she needs to change.

I will never understand why coaches/parents/instructors think every player should have the same form/mechanics, whether fielding, throwing, hitting or pitching. Everyone is built differently. Jimi Hendrix was left handed, but his dad almost caused us to never know his name as he tried to get him to play right handed. Maybe your DD's coaches are related to Jimi's dad? :)


I totally agree with you on this. That's why I said her mechanics are probably sound in my earlier post. If someone is good at what they do why change them? I believe the problem is that most people see it as, look at what she/he can do and they aren't even doing it right so they try and "FIX" them and sometimes the results you get are not what you want.
 
Jan 4, 2012
3,852
38
OH-IO
Thx Quincy, I am thinking foot work as well. I think she is not balanced when throwing and may be actually throwing off her back foot a little as well. She seemed to have developed this bad habit when asked to change her arm angle

Arch of back foot to target... that's why she isn't throwing as hard.. just like a pitcher slowing down to control it. :cool: JMHO
 
May 12, 2016
4,338
113
Arch of back foot to target... that's why she isn't throwing as hard.. just like a pitcher slowing down to control it. :cool: JMHO

Well there's the other thing, she may be slowing down to to control it because she is worried about accuracy. Confidence is so underrated.
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
Without video we are all guessing but I would look at her footwork first. Almost all errant throws can be traced back to footwork (and then hips and then release).

I love Wassermann but I don't think that is going to help you. Start with Kobata.
 
Jan 4, 2012
3,852
38
OH-IO
Without video we are all guessing but I would look at her footwork first. Almost all errant throws can be traced back to footwork (and then hips and then release).

I love Wassermann but I don't think that is going to help you. Start with Kobata.

Agree about needing video... would have had this fixed up by now...

Might be guessing, but I'd bet she is not pointing the arch of back foot towards target... seen very few, and even the one's I watch on TV... :cool:

My DD got real good @ throwing around 12 (I thought).... But I learned this High~Level Technique last winter....when she was 13+
 
Last edited:
Aug 24, 2011
161
0
My guess is footwork as well. Throwing balls higher than intended target is often because the thrower is over striding. Also, make sure her landing foot isn't drifting left or right as the ball often follows the path of that landing foot, as well as what's been said about the plant foot.
 

SB45

Dad, Coach, Chauffeur
Sep 2, 2016
150
28
Western NY
2 cents...don't completely discard the sidearm..3/4 delivery. If she stays at 3B, someone will be trying to teach her that in a few years...don't get rid of it. As the game gets faster and faster, if you have a 3B charging in on a slow roller...you want them to get rid of the ball without wasting time standing up...your DD's current delivery is a valuable tool. On sailing throws...I often see girls who drop the hands down and start their positive throwing motion too low...the finish looks fine but the start is too low...and then they end up launching the ball high as they get older and stronger. I would look at the ball position throughout the throw...we like to say they are reaching back like they are taking the ball off a shelf...then the ball has to maintain at least that height through the throw.
 

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