Closing to soon!

[KDD]

Hello,
I have been reading and trying to learn on the forum for quite some, but this is my first post. My dd is 13 and has been a fairly successful pitcher at the level her travel ball team plays(not elite, but not c loop either). She has been taught the hello elbow and slam your hips shut style. After lurking here for awhile and then actually going to take a lesson from Mr. Hillhouse, we are trying very hard to break some bad habits. And to be honest things are pretty messed up at this point. The main problem is she has worked so hard to slam the hips shut, that she began swimming her glove hand really bad and is way to closed at the release.(both hips and shoulders). My question to you guys is, are there any drills that I can use to help keep her open until after the release and to help stop throwing around her hips? We have Bills video Building the House and are trying to use that. But I need something else to relate to her. Thanks for your help in advance. I will try to get some videos up as soon as possible.


KDD

 

[Perfect Circle]

...What I did ....being in exactly the same situation, was to have her point her finger at the umps head with the glove hand, and hold it there until it the ump says strike..If the ball is hit at her....the hand is up to protect...Holding the point takes care of that side....

 

[Steve Huff]

Hello,
I have been reading and trying to learn on the forum for quite some, but this is my first post. My dd is 13 and has been a fairly successful pitcher at the level her travel ball team plays(not elite, but not c loop either). She has been taught the hello elbow and slam your hips shut style. After lurking here for awhile and then actually going to take a lesson from Mr. Hillhouse, we are trying very hard to break some bad habits. And to be honest things are pretty messed up at this point. The main problem is she has worked so hard to slam the hips shut, that she began swimming her glove hand really bad and is way to closed at the release.(both hips and shoulders). My question to you guys is, are there any drills that I can use to help keep her open until after the release and to help stop throwing around her hips? We have Bills video Building the House and are trying to use that. But I need something else to relate to her. Thanks for your help in advance. I will try to get some videos up as soon as possible. KDD[/QUOUTE]

There are three drills I would suggest.

First is a proximity to the wall drill. If she stands with her glove side close to a wall, and the catcher is normal distance away, but a few feet further from the wall, she can pitch to the catcher, sensing the wall on her left. That can help the swimming. As her arm comes down, the wall will intimidate her from swinging her arm out.

Second, she can hold another soft object in her hand, even an old glove, but not on the hand, or something with similar weight to a glove. Put a frisbee on the ground just in front of her stride length, and try to get her to slap the OLD glove down at the frisbee as she brings the glove arm down. She won't be able to swim or close effectively.

Third, for the closing issue you can also create a long sock filled with old socks or rags so it has some "substance" or mass. Sew it shut. Place it about 1 foot behind her stride length and just slightly toward the left of the power-line. Tell her to drag the sock or other object to the back of her front foot. Actually it will probably be pulled up behind the front foot toward the 1st base line, but that is just as good.

These are drills I use. There are others here who will have good ideas. I teach the pitchers to close, but only by natural FORCES, not as a part of technique. I guess you can say they just "trip" open almost after the legs come together. I would be interested in what Hillhouse says?

I didn't know what Hillhouse taught until I went to Denmark. **** The students told me what he teaches, and it is 95% the same as what I teach. He is definitely a better pitcher than I ever was. And I think he is generally right on the money! We only have two philosophical differences, and I can't say he is wrong and I am right. First, I like curve balls and especially against lefties and slappers. Also, I tend to adjust weight according to the pitch. Everything else is identical including follow-through. The left-ear follow-through keeps kids from "short-arming" their pitching arm follow-through, and keeps the follow-through long. It also releases tensions better (I don't know if he mentioned these things or not but I know he teaches it).

 

[joemcq51]

My DD had an issue closing her hips. We fixed it by focusing on her top half. What we found was she was not opening her shoulders enough. We have her practice by trying to get her front shoulder in line with the target. By making her think about opening her top half, it really becomes almost impossible to close her hips early. How I made her understand was, if you stand and turn your shoulders to an open position and try to close your hips. It is very difficult. See if that helps.

 

[Steve Huff]

The other easy one without going up against the wall (girls think it is mean not that it stopped my coaches). In a indoor place: line up on the far right of the rubber (rightie) and line the catcher up there, too. This would be within maybe 1-2 feet of the wall, fence or net.
Pitch to the target. Immediate feedback when the ball goes into the wall that your hip is there.

Yeah this is really good! This is the opposite of my swimming glove drill, and just as viable for the hip closure. Great point and addition!

 

[KDD]

Thank you very much for all the responses, we are working on some of them right now!

KDD

 

[Jojo]

KDD, one thing you should check is, is she OPENING? Sometimes when the slam the door hippers are trying so hard to to close, they stop opening up as much, so the normal timing of closing is thrown off.

Make sure she is opening up then add the other drills posted above.
I get a lot of hip slammers and I also like using the stride board for this, have her open up on a stride board and release.