Completely lost when it comes to pitching

[Rocketech1]

my .02

Currently, she is walking into the pitch (almost step style) which is not optimum. I like pitchers to get some load, backswing, weight shift, before they stride forward. Hillhouse talks about having the hands going back together and forward together. Think about other athletic movement, baseball pitching (they use a wind-up), batting (they load, then unload / coil and uncoil), throwing a punch, throwing a football, chopping wood, etc.

In her old video, she had a backswing which is better than her current no back swing movement. However, her front leg collapses at plant which is not ideal.

Currently, I think her leap and drag is pretty good (it's whatever is comfortable for her right now), but as mentioned she is leaning forward at plant and release but needs to stay back and more open to better transfer that energy and is too square to home plate.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

OK Your PC is doing fine. I have found a way to make the girls stand erect. It is called The Firm's Wave. They have to balance on it and they think it is fun. I bought it at Good Will. So, maybe it is available on Ebay.

 

[Jojo]

I do have a video taken before going to a pc. [video]https://fbcdn-video-p-a.akamaihd.net/hvideo-ak-xfp1/v/t43.1792-2/10262296_582099305245371_850118083_n.mp4?oh=6841a4 22ebce0556bdf029105f305261&oe=5436E65E&__gda__=1412883454_17952b059ebd0ed4f2fd78c610336bc c[/video]

Definitely improvement going on.

 

[Jojo]

OK Your PC is doing fine. I have found a way to make the girls stand erect. It is called The Firm's Wave. They have to balance on it and they think it is fun. I bought it at Good Will. So, maybe it is available on Ebay.

Hey I like that. Do you have exercises you've designed that are pitching related?

 

[Crystal Brown]

OK Your PC is doing fine. I have found a way to make the girls stand erect. It is called The Firm's Wave. They have to balance on it and they think it is fun. I bought it at Good Will. So, maybe it is available on Ebay.

Amazon.com : The Firm Wave Kit : Exercise And Fitness Video Recordings : Sports & Outdoors this it?

 

[Crystal Brown]

What are some ways to teach her to keep her weight back? She has been told about it but I don't think she knows exactly what is meant and how to break the forward lean. She ends up getting frustrated.

 

[Indiana]

From general observational experience with young pitchers, it seems that the forward lean is a byproduct of "trying to throw strikes". Your DD is a strong, athletic girl so I'm guessing that she has been very successful throwing strikes past batters. It will be very hard to break her of this habit, but it absolutely needs to be broken. Your husband's idea of shortening the stride wasn't completely bonkers - shortening the stride probably gave a quick fix as I'll bet her shoulders stayed up as she was focusing on shortening the stride. It isn't a long-term solution; however. She'll need the classic, beautiful, poetic motion of a long stride and shoulders back if she wants to continue to improve. This is where you need to really put your trust in your pitching coach and accept a few months of VERY wild pitching before it all comes together again. The key, as well, will be for your daughter to accept a few months of wild pitching and not get frustrated. If the off season is coming up for you, now is a great time to fix the mechanics. She needs to stop pitching in games while she works on her form. It looks like your DD has the potential to be a great pitcher - spend the time to take a few steps backwards now and she'll ultimately leap forward.

* I like Jojo's drills, below. One drill that I remember DD doing was pitching off of one foot. She would hold her stride foot up in the air (just a little) and pitch off of her drag foot (her left foot, as she is a leftie). Give it a try yourself: if you lean your shoulders forward you'll fall.

* I just remembered an old video of Monica Abbott pitching off of an excercise ball : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amtj3q6dt-0

 

[Jojo]

What are some ways to teach her to keep her weight back? She has been told about it but I don't think she knows exactly what is meant and how to break the forward lean. She ends up getting frustrated.

Crystal one of the methods I use is a small bucket turned upside down. I have them do light K drills where they stride up onto the bucket and release, and light 1/2 steps where they do the same. Focus is not collapsing the weight onto the bucket and tipping it. Tread lightly on the bucket.

Another one that is pretty successful as well is just doing release drills with the feet together. Stand tall during releases, the feet together allows them to feel that forward movement with their upper body more easily and helps them become more aware of what they are doing. So after some feet together release, do some K's and 1/2 steps onto a small bucket and then work it in with out the bucket and see if she can feel herself stay back more.
Your DD has just thrown with her upper body so long she just has to learn to trust her legs and her whip now.

 

[Rocketech1]

IMO, shortening the stride will cause her to be more over the toes and weight forward. This is what some pitchers are taught to do to throw a drop ball where they shorten the stride "to get on top of the ball more" for a slightly sharper/downward release angle.

 

[Crystol Owens Brown]

I took some video of her pitching to her dad today from a different angle. I did find the drill where you pitch and take a step back. My hubby says since pitching requires her to go forward, it makes no sense to step back. He says it is not in pitching sequence, therefor she should not do it.
[video=youtube_share;tCFSfgUw17w]http://youtu.be/tCFSfgUw17w[/video]