Frustrated DD - Dumb Parents

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
I thought it was the new coach who wanted her to finish hello elbow style causing her back pain?

That's how I understood it.


FWIW - When working with a new group of players, I ALWAYS ask if any of them are working with a private hitting instructor before I start offering direction. Even if I don't agree with the mechanics that the player is being taught, I know that throwing conflicting cues or instructions at them is likely to put a speed bump in their progress, and waste their parents' money. Then again, I'm not a coach with MANY years of experience, just a dad working hard to educate himself in order to provide good direction to his own DDs.
 

JJsqueeze

Dad, Husband....legend
Jul 5, 2013
5,436
38
safe in an undisclosed location
Without being able to view the link it is possible to tell what her coach is trying to improve upon.

BUT- the fact that he is saying that her fastball and drop are the same and that is a problem is a yellow flag at least. I would ask two questions.

1). What spin does he think each should have?
2). What speed difference should there be between the two?

The drop and "fastball" are often very close to the same pitch when using good mechanics. The drop just has cleaner 12-6 spin without being off axis. Speed wise they SHOULD be the same. The drop is not generally an off speed pitch.

But other things are off here...if he felt she was ready to showcase, why does he want such drastic changes?
If she has not solidified as a pitcher yet why is she on an exposure team? It seems to me that by the time you want to start showcasing that a pitcher has pretty much dialed in 3-4 good pitches and knows enough about what she is doing to be able to explain to a coach why she does it her way.

The video will prove beyond all doubt whether the coach is performing a visual inspection of his own colon.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
The video will prove beyond all doubt whether the coach is performing a visual inspection of his own colon.

Your eloquence with the written word is admirable.

:golfclap:

If I'm not mistaken, I believe the medical term is "cranial-rectal inversion syndrome".
 
Jun 18, 2012
3,183
48
Utah
She can only serve one master. Decide who that is going to be and move ahead.

And, given she's a pitcher, in finding a "master," that master should be someone who understands and generally agrees with the pitching style you believe to be right.

P.S. smddad, that damned bug that is crawling around on my screen when I read your posts is driving me nuts. I've flicked that darned thing more than a few times. LOL! You'd think I'd eventually realize it isn't a bug on my screen.
 

Me_and_my_big_mouth

witty softball quote
Sep 11, 2014
437
18
Pacific NW
Thanks, All!

I think I figured out how to make the video public - so sorry, I thought it was already. You guys are FAST! Wow, thanks for all the responses! Update: Had a phone call with the original Coach #1 (from the 12U program who moved up with the 14u) who asked her to join the team initially (there are 3 coaches) and he advised that she needs to keep doing what she's doing with Pitching coach (if it ain't broke mentality). He likes how she pitches, and had positive encouragement for her. He said sometimes coaches disagree - and as much as Coach #2 knows about the game, it's ok to just disagree on this one. The goal was to make her faster - and H/E would do that in the short-term, but wouldn't do much for her progress or her health in the long term. That gave me tremendous confidence in Coach #1 and Pitching Coach. He said she definitely needs to work on looser arm and increasing speed - but keep up the work on the I/R and stop worrying about hello elbow. Ironically, she worked on a curve-drop this evening with Pitching Coach, and it came on pretty well - the drop is her favorite pitch. I'm also including a video that coach sent me of her dropball v fastball - and I agree with him, not much difference, although I can see from her face on her "fastball" that she wasn't pleased with the result on that particular pitch. :) She practiced with her spinner this evening, and Pitching Coach helped her work on her release and finish on her fastball. She throws between 49-52 mph, and I personally believe that she started loving the dropball and turning over on release because it's faster than her "fastball" and it naturally feels good to her. She loves to throw it. Now that she's learning to make it curve, she loves it more. Number one worry for me as a parent is injury. :( Pitching coach had her do 5 - 5 - 5, 5 fastballs, 5 change-ups, 5 curve/drops. Repeat. Thanks again for all of the really well-spoken advice and comments. I love this forum, and I'm learning as I go. [video=youtube_share;5LhfO-Z-AK4]http://youtu.be/5LhfO-Z-AK4[/video]
 
Last edited:

Forum statistics

Threads
42,831
Messages
679,492
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top