football drill
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halskinner
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- May 7, 2008
- 2,649
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Go to Toys-R-Us. Buy a half regulation size football, the one that looks and feels like a real one, not a foam or plastic one.
Can you teach her to throw a football for a spiral? I know you can. Now have her pitch you a spiral with the football.
Grip the back half of the football, not in the middle.
To pitch a football in a spiral requires you to bring the fingers to the inside of the ball. A perfect spiral like this will come in to the catcher in a fairly level line but the spiral spin will be angled slightly upwards.
See who can throw the best spiral.
You must bring the fingers to the inside of the softball for a good riseball. This alone will not get them 100% there, but it will get them most of the way there VERY qquickly.
Lets see how long it takes some of the other instructors on this board to claim. Should be a good race.
Anybody got a stopwatch???
Can you teach her to throw a football for a spiral? I know you can. Now have her pitch you a spiral with the football.
Grip the back half of the football, not in the middle.
To pitch a football in a spiral requires you to bring the fingers to the inside of the ball. A perfect spiral like this will come in to the catcher in a fairly level line but the spiral spin will be angled slightly upwards.
See who can throw the best spiral.
You must bring the fingers to the inside of the softball for a good riseball. This alone will not get them 100% there, but it will get them most of the way there VERY qquickly.
Lets see how long it takes some of the other instructors on this board to claim. Should be a good race.
Anybody got a stopwatch???
- Jul 17, 2012
- 1,091
- 38
DD's pitching coach used a football to teach her to keep her hand on the side of the ball (ball facing 3rd base for a righty) when teaching the basic motion and essentially, the concept of IR. If she tried to bowl the ball...it would travel sideways. The release was taught to let the seams of the ball roll off the thumb side of the index finger, placing a clockwise spiral on the ball. Throwing the ball with the nose of the football up taught her to keep her weight back with a negative lean. Obviously, when throwing a softball, the ball is still in their hand as they rotate to release. Using the football and teaching them to spin the ball as it rolls off the side of the index finger is to teach them the timing of when the rotation should occur. Too late... no spiral. Too early.... no spiral. It really helped my DD with her timing. Not too sure how that translates to the release required to throw a rise ball..... she's not there yet!!!
- Jul 17, 2012
- 1,091
- 38
Hal..... it took about 3 weeks for DD to learn to throw a spiral underhand.... about 6 weeks to do it nose up consistantly. I added a drill of my own. Had her hold her hand out with a bucket just off to the side of her and taught her to let the ball roll off the thumb side of her index finger with a sideways spin. I imagine if I used that same drill and had the goal be to put a backspin on the ball....it would help her get the feel of spinning the ball for the rise ball spin. Not sure.
Thanks. Did your DD do this drill during full windmill or just start at 9 o'clock and get the feeling of her hand on the side of the ball pointed toward 1B (DD is a LHP)?
- Jul 17, 2012
- 1,091
- 38
This drill was done from the 9:00 position as you assume. And yes...for LHP, the side of the ball facing 1B and her spiral would be counter-clockwise. In my experience.... this is a great drill. We still do it once in a while to reinforce the elbow leading, hand on the side of the ball until the whip at release. I was just digging, but can't find it. I have some very good slow motion video of the drill to see how it forces the hand to stay on the side of the ball, just up to the point of release, where it rotates and falls off the side of the index finger. You can imagine a softball in the hand and you can see how they can put a perfect 12-6 spin on a ball while rotating the lower arm at release.
That's great info, I really appreciate the feedback. I'm hoping that video turns up, I'd love to see it!
- Jul 17, 2012
- 1,091
- 38
If I can't find it....I'll record her doing it again. I can hear it now... "Awwwwe Dad.... I hate the football drill.... why can't I just pitch"
If the rise doesn't work out, she might still make it as a long snapper. ;-)
