After posting the first video of my very novice 10U DD pitcher, here are 4 more from

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Feb 28, 2013
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four different angles. I took you guys advice and tips, @KenB you wanted me to shoot from the side, so I did doing drills work, one from the back drill work, and she wanted to go full motion, and she looks like a completley different pitcher to me, maybe its just me. Would love for yall to check them out with yalls vast knowledge, I have limited, very limited knowldge about it, but I'm learning, I feel like I'm studying for finals for college. After watching herself pitch and then showing her some of the top pitchers n the world, I think she is ready to make the jump i.e., putting the time and work. Took her to the Doctor yesterday and she is 5 3/4 feet tall and 86 lbs. Would appreciate all the feed back you can give. There are four under a minute videos. I'm going to post the links now, Thanks in advance!10U Makenzie working mechanics pt 1 - YouTube

10U Makenzie working mechanics pt 2 - YouTube

10U Makenzie going full motion side 1 - YouTube She looks more explosive to me now, not pushing like she could but better than last weeks video

10U Makenzie full motion back shot - YouTube look at the pitch at 28 sec mark she threw some kind of drop or curve on accident
 
Jul 14, 2008
1,800
63
"HELLO" (pun intended). From this position, with the ball in front of the hand, the ONLY thing she can do is PUSH the ball down the circle........

s2eefc.jpg


Proper mechanics require that the ball be pulled down the circle.........

IMO, you would benefit from reading and gaining a FULL understanding of the "Internal Rotation" thread, and the "I/R in the classroom" thread......Before proceeding any further in her development.........

IMO, she is very athletic with a good fast-twitch response. Teach her the correct way to "throw the ball" underhand and she has the potential to be very very good............

Look a the position of the ball in my Avatar...........
 
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Feb 3, 2010
5,752
113
Pac NW
She is pushing the ball down the backside, forcing her upper body to close at release and pulling the palm straight up to her throwing shoulder in the follow through. Continuing to practice these motions will make it very difficult to unlearn and make her road to maximizing her potential longer and very frustrating.

Start at BoardMember's I/R in the Classroom thread and learn how the whipping motion works. Learn it and begin practicing it before throwing another pitch.

While learning and practicing the whip, keep the body open (Facing more towards 3B than home) and do not try to use the upper body to throw the ball. The fastpitch can be likened to a bullwhip. At no point along the 8 feet of the whip are any muscles or mechanical devices that impart force to it, yet with proper technique, the operator can transfer energy down its length resulting in the tip moving faster than the speed of sound. The windmill pitch is similar in that the arm becomes the whip and the body helps build energy that is transferred to the fingertips. Using proper technique and a strong drive, the pitcher can loosely swing the arm around and time the release against the foot plant, resulting in a very efficient delivery of the ball. If we allow the body to absorb some of that energy by swinging the upper body around at release, we're trying to push the ball rather than allowing good form to whip it.

I'd suggest learning the basic whip into a net, blanket, tarp etc. Trying to hit a glove at 40 feet while making major form changes makes focus tough. With a net the focus is only on form; not playing fetch.

The last issue was the forced follow through of the palm to the right shoulder. Encourage a loose and natural follow through. The palm will generally face the belly or ground. Follow through should not be forced in any way.

Stride is a whole other issue. I like to teach the stride without a ball to get rid of the distraction. Once both the whip and stride are solid, add a ball and gradually move back from the net to about 3/4 distance. Then if she's hitting the middle consistently, add a catcher.

Once the form is dialed, the result is amazing. She (you) will be very pleased and will be able to progress into tactics and spins much sooner. One thing to keep in mind is that form comes first. Speed is a natural byproduct of good form. Control comes from practicing good form. The process can take a while and I'd suggest not facing a batter until she has this down. Since control comes from practicing good form, it can take a while to develop the accuracy to have some success in a game situation

Ideally, this process should be facilitated by a knowledgable pitching coach, but sometimes one isn't available. DVD's, youtube and books are generally ridden with misinfo and one should avoid buying any pitching resource without some research. Bill Hillhouse seems to have the best instructional videos on both youtube and in DVD's.

Hope that helps,
Ken
 
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May 7, 2008
8,506
48
Tucson
Lead with the elbow. The elbow needs to be ahead of the hand coming down the backside of the circle.

Take some advice from this old coach and spend $100 on 2 softball fielders face masks. She almost gets it in the face, on one of your throws. If you wear one, she will. And it will save you some busted lips.

One easy thing for her to do is take time, in between her pitches. She is working her tale off at this point. I want her to take 10 seconds and get set, breath, and visualize the pitch. I think, right now she has no idea where the ball is going to go. Speed is only 50% of the equation. She also needs control.

I still would not have her close her hips. She is slamming them and that is causing her to be tight. And the elbow is still tight. I want her breathing and loose.

Good luck. How cold was it that day? Are you warming up overhand? (I would.)
 
Feb 28, 2013
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@Board MemberYea I noticed while watching back frame by frame on my HTC ONE X + phone, thats what I record her with, It has the option to record slow mo, I tell her to keep her arm loose and relaxed, but just like Amy says, she works entirely to fast. I'm a baseball pitching coach and so irratating to be able to see instantly what baseball pitchers are doing wrong and I really cant tell her anything but what you guys say,and I listen to what yall say, but translated to her when I dont really undersland yet myself, sucks. She LOVES to pitch, and I think she will put in the work to do so. She can play anywhere on the field, (not bragging) but literally anywhere you put her, except pitcher right now because of poor mechanics. Thanks for the feedback and compliments
 
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Feb 28, 2013
77
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Works way to fast, you are correct!!

@Amy I cannot get her to slow down, she works waaay to fast. Last year when she 9 I put a bucket about 7-10 feet away from the circle, and made her catch it in front of the circle and walk all the way around and then breath, similiar to baseball pitchers, although some baseball pitchers pitch better when they work fast, but when she took her time and even know her mechanics where terrible she was throwing strikes, but when she rushed it was all over the place. She misses low and in a lot, and way left a lot. Did her setup look any better besides the ball coming through the circle. She looked to me she was pushing and striding more, alot longer stride than the first video, but I may be seeing it different because I dont know either. Yes we start out on one knee to focus on getting her arm to the "L" postion and follow through. then we stand and back up and a little more than shoulder width apart we rotate glove side first and then rptate arm side to get back square wit the target, shoulder, elbow,glove, hip, knee, then we back up again and we step and throw, making sure we "online with our target. then we get a littler farther and take a hop step and and throw, Then we work on spinning the ball, trying to get her to feel the ball to come off her fingertips like the ball does in basketball, same rotation, except the underhand throw is spinning the oppisite direction, but the drills are boring to her, she just want to pitch, but she is starting to understand, that it is gonna take all the little thing to paint the big picture. and yes it was cold that day. She is just so inexperienced, and it frustrates her, because when she plays in the field at ss, 3rd, or 1st, it comes natural to her, She has a cannon overhanded, I have to watch who I let her warm up with lol, I think she will get there, just gonna take some time. thanks again, have a blessed day
 
Feb 28, 2013
77
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Hey Ken, I appreciate all the info, I really do. There isnt a "true pitching coach here" I live in South Arkansas, and UAM just graduated Kayla Jackson, she was the real deal, she spotted up, parachute change, drop, curve, and threw 68mph. She came to Warren, where I live, and worked with about 8 girls at once, which in my opinion, is impossible to do if she is truly reaching every kid. When I give pitching lessons its one kid at a time. I need to by Hillhouse's DVD's and learn myself, I understand what yall are saying but, for some reason I cant make her, but she is really trying now to learn to pitch, instead of just going out there and just throwing it. Yes, I agree with you 1,000% on form/mechanics is everything, same in basebal, you would be suprised at the kids I coached at the high school level that doesnt know how to push off the rubber. Thats why I'm trying to get info, because she WANTS to be good. She is a natural athlete, basketball, softball, throw and catch a football like a boy, but she is very mental when it come to pitching a softball. If they hit one to short or third wherever she is playing she fields like it aint nothing a throws a frozen rope over there. What drills exercises can you do to increase whip, I'm taking that how fast the arm comes throuogh the plane of the circle? Whould whiffle ball help with that? Oor Softballl program sucks, becasue there isnt anyone that really knows how to teach it. I''ll get her to try the things you said do, but she gets bored, but like I told Amy I think she is understanding thats what is gonna take to get there. I'm gonna film her hitting today off a tee, you know hitting as well, I can teach it but how much difference is the swings between the two sports. She want to "cast her hands out instead of staying short to the ball with tight back elbow (power v) baseball terms. Thanks again man
 
Oct 2, 2012
242
18
on the Field
I am not an expert like many of the people offering suggestions, but I am about 1 year ahead of you in my 9 year old's pitching development. We practice about 30 minutes 4X per week. Out of 30 minutes she probably only throws about 20 pitches from the mound. The rest of the 20 minutes is T drills from half the distance and then we back up to about 3/4 distance and do a sort-of step t drill. We only do 30 minutes at this age so she will give me 100% the whole time. I notice right away when she starts getting tired, she can't hit her spots. It's all fun at first, but after about 6 months, practice becomes practice. There again the shorter more effective practice periods have worked for us. When she masters the drills at 1/2 and 3/4 distance, the pitches from the mound will be much more consistent. I am never concerned with how fast she throws, but I can tell immediately when she is not throwing hard. Work on the drills while throwing hard every pitch. Tell her she can't pitch to you until your glove is up. That will slow her down and make her focus. Good Luck.
 
Feb 3, 2010
5,752
113
Pac NW
Yes we start out on one knee to focus on getting her arm to the "L" postion and follow through. then we stand and back up and a little more than shoulder width apart we rotate glove side first and then rptate arm side to get back square wit the target, shoulder, elbow,glove, hip, knee, then we back up again and we step and throw, making sure we "online with our target. then we get a littler farther and take a hop step and and throw,
Can you explain this a little more? What is the L position and what do you mean when you say rotating the glove and arm side, then getting sqaure to the target?



What drills exercises can you do to increase whip, I'm taking that how fast the arm comes throuogh the plane of the circle?
Check out this thread: http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-pitching/10321-i-r-classroom.html It should cover everything related to the whip.
 
Feb 28, 2013
77
0
@KenB

In baseball we do it to reinforce getting their arm back, with the ball facing 2nd base if pitching, if not pitching then just get your arm back and we call it "knocking on the door" The L is just getting their arm at the 90' angle or a little 3/4, and I feel defensivly in softball its the same but different. The bases are shorter, some of the girls can fly down the line, bunts galore, so you have to get rid of the ball quickly, meaning sometimes they dont have time to get it back all the way they might have to short arm SOMETIMES, but with great footwork and proper throwing (overhand) machanics, they just need to learn to get there arm back and up, if they throw it to first with a dropped arm slot then it turns into a two seam fastball and its gonna not gonna go straight, gonna tail, or sail. The rotation drill, if you are a RH you will rotate hips the opposite side of your throwing arm, then you rotate back to your throwing arm side and not square up with the target with chest, but with should, elbow, glove, hip, knee, and plus your stepping that way, Then after I've stressed getting there shoulder and elbow and glove on their target while warming up everybody seems to be dialed in with their throwing motion a little bit better, Also for the pitcher I heard Hillhouse say tlhrowing overhaned for pitchers works on their wrist snap, except its going down instead of up. Sorry for the coonfusion
 

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