Pushback Drill - focus on stride foot push off

STRIKE3 · Sep 26, 2016

I am hoping this post may help or at least create some conversation regarding push off and drive mechanics.

First, I think Java's pushback drill is AWESOME! Below is the link to KnightsB's post of his daughter doing this drill. ( I really miss him not coming around as much!!)

http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-pitching/26685-hawkins-magic-carpet-ride.html

It is post #4.

Now, with that stated, I would encourage you to look at her stridefoot "push" as she starts. It is crystal clear that she starts her drive with a "push" from the stride foot. IMO, this push with the stride foot gets everything going. Without it, you are driving 100% or close to it with your Drive Foot, you will not get hip thrust, and will not get plate separation that you are looking for no matter how hard you push.

I know there is talk about this here and there but I don't think there is enough focus on this IMO. There is talk about having 100% of the weight on the stride foot before we shift it to the drive foot but little talk about how we should shift it to the drive foot. We should shift the weight with a push to the drive foot not just a lean and all weight is on the drive foot to now push (if that makes sense).

There are other posts about the pushback drill on DFP and if you look at the videos or stills you will see the stride foot "pushing" to get everything going and I think this drill helps with that immensely. However, I don't think there is as much conversation about the stride foot push and that is a missing link for many girls. Check out all the recruiting video on Youtube and you will see a simple step with the stride foot versus a push with it. It is all over the place in my opinion.

Now look at Finch, Abbott, Uneo, Osterman, and you can see the stride foot getting the party started.

For some of you, this will likely be a no duh dude response. But I really do believe for many others this may create cause to take another look at the stride foot.

As always, please share your thoughts on this.

S3

shaker1 · Sep 26, 2016

I hear ya brother! Bring on the info!!! By the way, have you ever tried this, the initial push with the stride foot? I just can't get a feel for it. Was out this evening trying to figure out some of this stuff. It's tough. They make it look so fluid and smooth.

STRIKE3 · Sep 26, 2016

Hey Shaker, Yes, I have mastered it

Well maybe not master but it has clicked and when it did it was definitely a light bulb moment. Changed everything to be honest!!

Here is what I did that made it work and encourage you to give it a try. Check out the video of Jennie Finch below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9d2evfGPcc

Then watch her in action:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoYUsDK4zTw

Pay attention to both feet and her hip thrust. It is amazing and I could not do it for the longest time and I am sure I looked like a goof ball but I believe in the Hanson principle!

I finally broke it down by standing with both feet side by side and I take a small hop UP and shift my left foot (stride foot) backward and my right foot (drive foot) slightly forward and then land (land on balls of both feet). This gives me the feel that I am looking for and when I push with the stride foot and my hips definitely thrust. The big thing for me was too get that feel and hundreds of these jumps helped me do it. Again, look at Finch in the first video (put it in slo mo) and watch her feet, wash, and repeat.

Once we got the feel then we took away the little hop, staggered the feet to a normal stance and focused on repeating the FEEL that we had before.

I can tell you that in my experience (and DD) it changed everything. Her drive is solid and her timing is finally in line. Without the stride foot push, it would have never happened.

Again, just my experience but I wanted to share as it may help someone else.

javasource · Sep 26, 2016

Baby steps... perhaps it would help to think less of the stride foot "pushing"... that is, as a means of instruction. Instead, start with the idea of resisting... IOW, prevent the a$$ from getting over the foot. More precisely... break it into a sequence of steps:

1) Take the plate and take starting position. Start with your nose in front of your toes. Keep it there... don't move it back.
2) All weight should start on the drive foot...
3) Transfer ALL weight to the stride foot while keeping the nose in front of the drive toes.
4) When you transfer weight to the stride foot, resist the feeling of getting over the stride foot. Keep the body in front of it WHILE transferring all weight to it. This is resistance (i.e. baby push).

DOing all four of those correctly will create urgency to go forward.... meaning, when you resist, it will propel you very lightly forward... forcing you to push with the drive foot quickly (because your discipline to keeping the nose over the drive toes creates a great lean). If you started wide (like I prefer)... you will notice that the centering of the drive foot becomes simply part of the push from the plate. When you get caught over your stride leg without resistance, the centering of the drive foot becomes an extra step that happens before the push with the drive foot.

A kid needs to practice this over and over again correctly most of the time... it needs to become learned coordination. Once they get decent with this version.... you can focus on maintaining a rhythm between the two feet that is not rushed. Once she has that... you can start to build on the resistance the stride foot applies. It eventually takes the appearance of a push. Rome is not built in a day.

The pushback is the context drill... that's all. It works really well for those who already have a sense of lower body coordination... because it is two steps rearwards... therefore, the first step has to resist (push).

STRIKE3 · Sep 26, 2016

javasource said:
Baby steps... perhaps it would help to think less of the stride foot "pushing"... that is, as a means of instruction. Instead, start with the idea of resisting... IOW, prevent the a$$ from getting over the foot. More precisely... break it into a sequence of steps:

1) Take the plate and take starting position. Start with your nose in front of your toes. Keep it there... don't move it back.
2) All weight should start on the drive foot...
3) Transfer ALL weight to the stride foot while keeping the nose in front of the drive toes.
4) When you transfer weight to the stride foot, resist the feeling of getting over the stride foot. Keep the body in front of it WHILE transferring all weight to it. This is resistance (i.e. baby push).

DOing all four of those correctly will create urgency to go forward.... meaning, when you resist, it will propel you very lightly forward... forcing you to push with the drive foot quickly (because your discipline to keeping the nose over the drive toes creates a great lean). If you started wide (like I prefer)... you will notice that the centering of the drive foot becomes simply part of the push from the plate. When you get caught over your stride leg without resistance, the centering of the drive foot becomes an extra step that happens before the push with the drive foot.

A kid needs to practice this over and over again correctly most of the time... it needs to become learned coordination. Once they get decent with this version.... you can focus on maintaining a rhythm between the two feet that is not rushed. Once she has that... you can start to build on the resistance the stride foot applies. It eventually takes the appearance of a push. Rome is not built in a day.

The pushback is the context drill... that's all. It works really well for those who already have a sense of lower body coordination... because it is two steps rearwards... therefore, the first step has to resist (push).

Java,

Thank you for chiming in and I was really hoping you would. Yes, I like the word resistance (push). In red above was the life we lived for a very long time. A VERY long time! I tried everything to get her to push out harder but until we focused on the stride foot (resistance (push)) did everything change. EVERYTHING!

I just hope others can learn faster than I did. I see girls living in the red (red highlight above) all the time and now I look at this completely different. I am slow but I do feel fortunate to finally get it and go to the next level.

Thanks Java!

S3

STRIKE3 · Apr 3, 2017

javasource said:
Baby steps... perhaps it would help to think less of the stride foot "pushing"... that is, as a means of instruction. Instead, start with the idea of resisting... IOW, prevent the a$$ from getting over the foot. More precisely... break it into a sequence of steps:

1) Take the plate and take starting position. Start with your nose in front of your toes. Keep it there... don't move it back.
2) All weight should start on the drive foot...
3) Transfer ALL weight to the stride foot while keeping the nose in front of the drive toes.
4) When you transfer weight to the stride foot, resist the feeling of getting over the stride foot. Keep the body in front of it WHILE transferring all weight to it. This is resistance (i.e. baby push).

DOing all four of those correctly will create urgency to go forward.... meaning, when you resist, it will propel you very lightly forward... forcing you to push with the drive foot quickly (because your discipline to keeping the nose over the drive toes creates a great lean). If you started wide (like I prefer)... you will notice that the centering of the drive foot becomes simply part of the push from the plate. When you get caught over your stride leg without resistance, the centering of the drive foot becomes an extra step that happens before the push with the drive foot.

A kid needs to practice this over and over again correctly most of the time... it needs to become learned coordination. Once they get decent with this version.... you can focus on maintaining a rhythm between the two feet that is not rushed. Once she has that... you can start to build on the resistance the stride foot applies. It eventually takes the appearance of a push. Rome is not built in a day.

The pushback is the context drill... that's all. It works really well for those who already have a sense of lower body coordination... because it is two steps rearwards... therefore, the first step has to resist (push).

This was such a great post by Java I thought it deserved a bump.

Ken B · Apr 3, 2017

One of my favorite threads! Thanks for the bump!

BTW, Waldrop is another who uses both feet well.

Pushback Drill - focus on stride foot push off

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