Anchor for a Drive Leg

[Watershed]

Still working out some kinks in DDs drive mechanics. Looking for a cue or advice to help my DD reinforce taking that anchor of a drive leg through with her on a pitch. Looking at the videos in slo-mo, her bend at waist towards third coincidences with the drive foot digging in hard right around 10 o'clock. Up until that point I think it's a fairly upright posture.

[video]https://youtu.be/Z_caCUXZwDU[/video]

[video=youtube_share;lx6bp6E7CW4]http://youtu.be/lx6bp6E7CW4[/video]

 

[Rick Pauly]

Watershed
It appears to me that the #1 issue is her out of sequence rotation. She appears to be using her upper torso/shoulders to initiate rotation and thus the leg just drags behind.....note how straight her leg is......if she was using her lower body/hips to initiate rotation it would look like the video clip below. I would suggest doing lots of "K" position drills emulating this video below.......the rotation begins in the lower half and then moves up to the shoulders.
A related issue is the forward lean.....from "K" position have her attempt to not let her upper torso lean forward of vertical.

 

[Buttermaker]

Rick - is the re positioning move of the rear foot a teach? Almost like a subtle two step move to shift weight from back to front to back to front again

 

[BoardMember]

I find about 1/2 the young students I work with create and maintain a straight rear leg during the drive to plant sequence, making proper posture during the drive and plant phase virtually impossible. This is usually a case of the student needing work on DRIVING THEN RELAXING the rear leg.

DRIVE AND RELAX THAT REAR LEG......

.

 

[Sparky Guy]

One of the verbal cues that I use with kids who are locking their drive leg is to tell them to think once they leap their drive leg is now a rope and their foot is a brick. The rope is attached to their hip and the other end is attached to the brick. I tell them to let the rope/leg relax and pull the brick/foot to them with the rope.

Another thing I do with them is to have them lean against a wall. (RHP) In the open position, right hand against the wall supporting her weight while leaning towards the wall. Left foot about 3' from the wall depending on the size of the girl. This simulates landing with front side resistance. Now have them relax the right leg and pull the foot up to the left ankle. They can't keep the leg straight and bring the foot forward.

 

[goosesdad1]

Hey Watershed,

The major problem that I see, is that she lands too vertically on her left leg. What I mean by this is that her whole body is stacked on top of her left leg at landing and then her head and left shoulder are actually in front of her left foot in a direction towards the catcher. To further illustrate what I am saying, pause the video just after she releases the ball. Get the straight edge of a piece of paper and hold it in a line from the front edge of her head down to her toes. You will see that her head and left shoulder are closer to home plate than her left foot is. When she lands, she must land with her center of gravity behind her left foot.

A drill to help accomplish a landing with the center of gravity behind the foot is a K-drill. However, to really help the feeling of keeping the center of gravity behind the left foot is to start the K-drill in a slight semi-squat position like a very straight backed batting stance. Like her back is against a wall. This will create an angle between her hips and kneecaps instead of having her hips in a straight line on top of her knees. In this position, her hips end up behind her knees from a side-on view.

!. When she does the k-drill, she should stride out but maintain the semi-squat batting stance position when she lands. Her back should be still be against the imagined wall.

2. When she lands, she should firm up her left leg with the leg in the strong squat position. She should feel the bent front leg firm up first to keep the hips and head and shoulders behind her left foot. Try to maintain the squat position (forces generated will pull her out of it).

3. When the left leg starts to firm, her weight will transfer to it.

4. When her weight begins to transfer to her tightly firmed up left leg, she will be able to relax her rear leg and let that leg rotate inwards, and her knee and shoelaces will turn towards home plate.

5. When the right leg turns toward home it will be just ahead of her fast, loose, brush-assisted arm whipping past it.

6. The front leg continues to firm up. The back leg continues to move forward toward the catcher. The loose, whippy, brush assisted throwing arm follows through.

All of this happens with her center of gravity behind her left foot. She will really need to use her left leg big muscles to do this, hamstring, glute and quad.

The whole point of this drill is to get her to land with center of gravity (head, hips and shoulders) behind left foot instead of on top of it. Remember, it's just a drill-not a whole complete answer on the way to pitch. That takes years of practice. And it looks like your daughter is well on her way. Keep at it!

Here is a video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5X86nD_WS4

Here is a squat image ( not so wide apart with the legs and not quite as deep, but back straight )

 

[Watershed]

Thank you all for the thoughtful feedback. Some good stuff here to introduce during the upcoming weeks practice.

 

[Rick Pauly]

Rick - is the re positioning move of the rear foot a teach? Almost like a subtle two step move to shift weight from back to front to back to front again

Not sure I know exactly what your question is but here is an answer I hope helps.
The video is of a specific move/drill I call "Turn the laces/lift the heel/knee to knee". The "naturals" do this automatically......it can be a teach for those whose bodies don't get it naturally.
A key is to understand that rotation happens because of core torque not from pushing your hips into rotation with the push leg. Core rotation drags the push leg/foot/toe....it is what creates toe drag. Some instructors have students focus on forcing some type of beautiful looking flamingo type toe drag....I believe this is incorrect. Toe drag is a follow through motion that should be dictated by core torque.
Board Member just put up a great post that is so true. The core torquing in pitching is the same as in hitting......same issue in hitting when you see the back leg straighten.

 

[BoardMember]

Rick, wouldn't you agree that core torque with a stiff/straight rear leg will still put a student "over the front foot"? Pitching with a "stilt" on the back leg makes it impossible to stay back over the center of mass thus eliminating any benefit of front side resistance.

In other words, until you can sit over the COM core torque is wasted.

 

[Rick Pauly]

Rick, wouldn't you agree that core torque with a stiff/straight rear leg will still put a student "over the front foot"? Pitching with a "stilt" on the back leg makes it impossible to stay back over the center of mass thus eliminating any benefit of front side resistance.

In other words, until you can sit over the COM core torque is wasted.

Agree 100%.
Like you, I inherit a lot of pitchers with this straight back leg problem.....and it is difficult to correct. Most started doing it the first time they tossed a ball underhand as they aimed the ball while leaning forward.