Sorry it wasn't clear. I wasn't talking about my DD, shes a 7 YO 1st grader. I was talking about other pitchers on her team.
3 videos of Makenzie pitching under the porch during the rain, one in slo-motion,
- Thread starter Makenzie's 10U dad
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- Oct 1, 2012
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Try not to be a "speed freak". She can only throw as hard as her mechanics will allow right now.... it'll come. As far as the ball sailing when she stays back it is simply release point....see Bill Hillhouse "the pitches" video. Currently it sounds as though your dd is doing fine and is succeeding within her age bracket and may get by for a few more years but IMO she will plateau and or will not gain anymore speed if she doesn't make that adjustment. My dd was much the same. In the end...it all takes time. Keep plugging away and don't get too caught up in the speed thing. With the correct mechanics speed is inevitable and she will reach her potential much quicker. First things first tho....LEG DRIVE. All just MHO!
- Jul 26, 2010
- 3,553
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When someone says "needs more lean", what they really mean is that the hips need to be forward the balls of the feet before the push off happens. When you tell a kid "more lean", they bend at the waist, stick their butt out over their heels, and accomplish absolutely nothing besides getting a sore back.
Teach them to fall forward and catch themselves with their stride leg. 75% of the energy needed for a proper strong stride is accomplished through gravity alone. After this is learned, teach a standing long jump. This will show the pitcher how to properly use body mechanics and leg strength to gain more momentum and power.
The point of the stride is twofold:
One, it is to get as close to the batter as possible. This means the pitch is in the air less time and the batter has less time to react. This however is a product of pitcher height and flexibility. Mechanics cannot be compromised to create an artificially long stride nor rules violated to use a crowhop or replant to get closer to the batter.
The second and more important purpose is to establish as much forward momentum as quickly as possible and then stop that momentum as quickly as possible in order to transfer it into the arm circle. Fast stride, fast stop. Stepping long accomplishes nothing here other then purpose 1 above. Speed is everything when it comes to the stride. From here the pitch is a matter of timing and sequence (just like hitting).
-W
Teach them to fall forward and catch themselves with their stride leg. 75% of the energy needed for a proper strong stride is accomplished through gravity alone. After this is learned, teach a standing long jump. This will show the pitcher how to properly use body mechanics and leg strength to gain more momentum and power.
The point of the stride is twofold:
One, it is to get as close to the batter as possible. This means the pitch is in the air less time and the batter has less time to react. This however is a product of pitcher height and flexibility. Mechanics cannot be compromised to create an artificially long stride nor rules violated to use a crowhop or replant to get closer to the batter.
The second and more important purpose is to establish as much forward momentum as quickly as possible and then stop that momentum as quickly as possible in order to transfer it into the arm circle. Fast stride, fast stop. Stepping long accomplishes nothing here other then purpose 1 above. Speed is everything when it comes to the stride. From here the pitch is a matter of timing and sequence (just like hitting).
-W
- Feb 28, 2013
- 77
- 0
That's ok, I was really just messing with you. My four year old DD is already "learning to pitch", via the Worth Club K Power Line. She watched Kemph or whatever her name is go through the bottom half of the pitching motion, and get on that mat all the time without a ball and strides out and lands at 45 degrees just about every time. She'll end up better than Makenzie probably because she LOVES it and wants to do it on her own, without me telling her, lets go outside and pitch/hit. I'll be working with my older DD and Adalyn will say get my bat, tee, and balls and let me go hit. She'll hit a couple of buckets and be done.
- Feb 28, 2013
- 77
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