Gimmicks, Gadgets, Magic

[98Fastpitch30]

I also use the "Punching Bag" they work on their mechanics to contact,never follow through! Luv it! We also use deflated soccer balls on a tee,(don't use a plunger though...we use a small oil funnel) got the idea from a local college team a few years back. (they do this at every practice and before every game) With every drill injuries could happen...I haven't had any problems with either.

 

[ArmWhip]

I have another aid that I use with some of my younger girls, I call it a whistle bat. I took the whistles out of the Nerf football that has the tail on one end. I took a bat and put a piece of pool noodle on it, then mounted the whistle in the foam. I have the girls hold the bat in a position which places the whistle in the same plane as the back of the bottom hand. If they swing correctly with flat hands you can clearly hear the whistle, if they roll their hands at all the sound will be raspy or muted. The faster they swing the louder the whistle.

 

[tom.guerry]

nothing wrong with axe swings into a tree with a slight uppercut. may need some safety training.
in this swing you are not trying to push at contact like a deflated ball.

Mickey Mantle benefitted from loading hay bales onto truck. they should love that.

then go home and twirl the hands in the ricebucket while watching educational TV

 

[SBFAMILY]

Got a friend with an Axe bat so he would like that drill!

 

[Justanotherdad]

I like that whistle bat idea. I can't find those stinking nerf footballs locally anymore though. I was trying to find one last year to work on throwing with my daughter. Hodge speaks about using a finned nerf football to help with correct throwing. Finally found one but I am not trashing it after so much trouble finding it.

 

[Wellphyt]

One other gadget I just started using is the half full bottle of water that Howard and others who follow him use. I have adapted his idea to fit what I teach on weight shift and it seems to be helping the girls grasp the concept.

I have them hold the bottle in one hand perfectly level to the ground. Then I have them tilt it back causing the bottle to become unbalanced. Then I have them tilt it in the opposite direction which causes an inbalance in the other direction.

Then I have them hold the bottle level to the ground and simply turn it back and forth, while keeping the bottle level. The water inside sloshes around some, but it never gets out of balance.

I came up with this idea to help explain Ted's comment that a linear weight shift upsets balance. As well as Ted's belief that the weight shift is done with the hips as in a move and countermove, or a spinning action with the head as the axis.

 

[Wellphyt]

I like that whistle bat idea. I can't find those stinking nerf footballs locally anymore though. I was trying to find one last year to work on throwing with my daughter. Hodge speaks about using a finned nerf football to help with correct throwing. Finally found one but I am not trashing it after so much trouble finding it.

I got the idea from Hodge also. The fin makes for a great visual as to whether or not the players are throwing correctly. Most of the girls use the dart throwing motion that Hodge mentions. IMO that motion is a by-product of some of us male coaches teaching the "L" throwing position; thinking that's how we throw overhand. I was guilty of this for years.

I did some top hand drills with our group Tuesday and the girls were having trouble getting into a good throwing position as described by Slaught. We had to put the bats down for a few minutes and use the footballs to get the correct motion.

 

[baseballance]

BASEBALLANCE has new video on the use of that product for weight transfer and dynamic balance. Google search BASEBALLANCE YouTube Channel and gain access. Also footage of Cincinnati Reds using it with catchers and bunters.