Wasserman's eBook and teaching it

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Aug 21, 2011
1,345
38
38°41'44"N 121°9'47.5"W
First off, I, like most other coaches, have taught wrist and elbow flicks. I have a new team this year and the club still believes in the W&E flicks. I purchased the eBook some time ago and it's full of great information. My DD has one of the harder throws I have seen in softball at her level. I asked her to throw for me and I filmed it. I also had her go through the throwing motion slowly for me. Despite all my teaching with her on W&E flicks, she throws just like Wasserman's eBook shows and not the push style. When she did the water bottle drill, she told me, "This feels normal to me, dad."

Question for those out there that have made the switch. Do you hand out the water-bottles and have them use these for warmups as a team? Also, has anyone ran the radar on the girls to watch their speed and you continue through the progression of the drills in the eBook? If so, what were your results?

Thanks
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Some kids naturally find the correct throwing pattern, despite being subjected to flick drills. You can usually identify those kids easily. They're the hardest throwers on the team.
 
May 13, 2015
13
1
NorCal
I have had good success using the water bottle drill with new players. It is one of the first things I have players do when I start working with them, along with throwing into the fence or net so they focus on the mechanics rather than trying to aim the ball. Most of the kids pick up the motion within the first or second session, but their parents can be another issue. The biggest problem I have had is trying to convince other coaches (and their DD's) that the approach is better than what the coach learned as a child in Little League.

Wrist flips and L-drills are a complete waste of time and an indication of a lazy coach who is unwilling to learn.
 

rdbass

It wasn't me.
Jun 5, 2010
9,131
83
Not here.
If the players don't work on throwing at home....not good. Players that don't throw 'correctly' are usually not good hitters.
 
Oct 10, 2011
3,117
0
For DD the ball behind the head drill was the biggest help. We did the bottle drill also but not as much. She did several drills in front of a mirror and did them almost every day. She was a big push thrower and made huge gains quickly. About 4mph in a few months and then the progress slowed down significantly after that.
 
Last edited:
Jul 10, 2014
1,283
0
C-bus Ohio
I use the water bottle drill for my entire rec team, some of whom are pretty good throwers already. Everyone benefits. We do work on it in practice, and I encourage the parents to work with the girls at home.

Last season at this time, DD could barely throw 2B to 1B, and it was a rainbow. I discovered DFP and then Wasserman, and now DD throws frozen ropes from home to 2B.
 
Apr 1, 2013
42
0
If the players don't work on throwing at home....not good. Players that don't throw 'correctly' are usually not good hitters.

I am glad you said usually because I have a couple athletes that have bad throwing mechanics but are beasts at the plate.
 

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