10Y Leaning while pitching

[CRAZYFPDAD]

Hello all, I'm looking for some advice on how to fix my 10 year old DD's leaning while pitching. Not always but 50% of the time she has a decent lean towards the catcher when she is releasing the ball. Her control is decent and velocity is strong but at time that lean just gets the best of her in my opinion. Any advice for this bucket dad would really be appreciated.

 

[Ken B]

Show her using a phone or camera with video capture and use verbal feedback to stay tall. Praise her when she does it right. Occasionally ask her if she knows what she just did wrong. Ask her to tell you how it affected her pitch.

 

[quincy]

There is a few versions of the stork drill in the below post. If you haven't yet you might want to try 1 of these.

http://www.discussfastpitch.com/sof...ll-stop-bowling-pitchers.html?highlight=stork

 

[dadof3girls]

Be careful and reasonable with these drills. I have use all with my DD with success but each can create other problems.
Pony tail very very very very very very light tug as she starts to lean over in her pitching motion (not stretch). Assuming she is a righty hold ponytail lightly in left hand behind her on glove side. You will have to move with her as she drives, but as she starts to go lean over very very very very very very very lightly provide some resistance on her pony tail. Got this drill from a female D-1 coach so dont give me a hard time.

Pitching in through a pitching net that is close to where she lands stride foot. She will have to be careful with her follow through not to hit the net. But most folks dont what to hit the net with face and will transfer weight back.

shorter stride. too long a stride can create issues in younger girls that are not yet strong enough to re-collect themselves.

 

[halskinner]

Hello all, I'm looking for some advice on how to fix my 10 year old DD's leaning while pitching. Not always but 50% of the time she has a decent lean towards the catcher when she is releasing the ball. Her control is decent and velocity is strong but at time that lean just gets the best of her in my opinion. Any advice for this bucket dad would really be appreciated.

How tall is she?

What is her stride length? (From the front edge of the rubber to the front tip of her stride leg shoe when she touches down)

 

[starsnuffer]

I really don't like the stork drill for fixing a lean.

Usually, the lean is caused by a pitcher putting too much weight on their rear leg and dragging it like a boat anchor. Foot is the anchor, so the head is going to be forward, causing the whole body to lean, usually chicken-winging the arm and the release point is somewhere in front of the body, instead of where it should be.

The stork drill teaches pitchers to have all their weight on their back leg and the front foot flopping around in the air. At no point in a pitch does this actually happen, so I'm rather befuddled as to why so many instructors seem to think it's a good idea. The only thing it could possibly teach is where the release point should be if they were actually pitching properly. . . but honestly, release point is a non-teach. IF they start pitching properly and the ball sails 12 feet over the batters head, the pitcher will adjust their release point on their own.

But, I'm just speculating on what I USUALLY see as the cause for this, your daughter may have very different issues. Have any video?

-W

 

[coachdan]

I believe the lean comes from trying to guide the ball into the strike zone. When I have a leaner, I use a pool noodle and stand in front of them and hold the pool noodle directly in front of her face so that if she leans forward during the pitch her face will hit the pool noodle. You have to judge the distance base on there stride length.

PS... Realize that they will struggle with accuracy when doing this drill so don't worry about throwing strikes.

 

[halskinner]

The Stork drill is to teach balance in the pitching motion. That is all it does.

Many times a forward lean at release is caused by the pitcher's forward momentum carrying them forward of the stride foot. This is usually caused by a stride length that is a little too short and is many times accompanied by no or not enough of that slight bend in the stride knee at landing foot touchdown.

She should start off at a slight forward lean but should be on a slight backwards lean at LFT.

If someone taught her to 'Stand tall., she is doing it wat too soon.

 

[Mike]

Foot is the anchor, so the head is going to be forward, causing the whole body to lean,

interesting, kind of like a breaking wave in the ocean.

Question for the OP, is she leaning throughout the pitch? or does her form look pretty good but when her stride foot lands her body keeps going forward out over her front foot and ends up in a lean?

To me there is difference in the two. If the second one then she is not creating a solid wall to pitch against, which results in no whip. If the first, its hard to say with out video. Actually without video were all just speculating.

 

[Mike]

This is usually caused by a stride length that is a little too short and is many times accompanied by no or not enough of that slight bend in the stride knee at landing foot touchdown.

Good advice by Hal.