Thread: Leaning when pitching

My 14u DD is leaning forward when she is pitching... she just came off a wrist injury (6 weeks in cast) and has started this new bad habit.

I know she is suppose to stay athletic and bend in her knees but she keeps doing it in games. When she goes to PC she wasn't doing it!!

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Does she do any crane/ stork drills?

She's probably trying to guide the ball too much in a game after time off from the injury. Maybe she's afraid of walks right now? Rememeber games aren't the same as practice. My DD has a pretty nice swing right now in practice, in the cage or at her hitting coach but she's delevoping a bad habit of steping in the bucket against live pitching that we are trying to work on breaking before it gets too ingrained. Probably best to talk to her and her pitching coach. Maybe come up with a trigger word like "stay tall" when you see her doing it in games.

My DD used to lean over and try to "guide" pitches when she was having a hard time throwing strikes. Sounds like your DD is doing the same thing coming off an injury.

If she only does it in games she's aiming, as mentioned above. The solution here is to convince her to throw as fast as possible and stop caring about where the ball goes. Accuracy is the product of consistency in practice, pitchers can't make it up on the spot.

-W

Shes probably compensating for a weak wrist

Busted! Record her and show the video to her PC. Ask DD about it and show her the video. Ask her if she was aware she was stooping and what she thinks about it. Something she'll either need to self correct, or work it out with her PC.

Thanks everyone...I wrote down all your suggestions and will discuss it with her and her PC...

I'm sure it has alot to do with the injury but you know how easy it is to develop a new bad habit....

Thanks Again

I always use the cue. "Finish with your nose behind your belly button" and this fixes my DD.