Legs before arms

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May 26, 2013
371
18
Ramstein Germany
A while back I put together a clip emphasizing overlap, the hips going forward while the arm is in the back swing. Sometimes you'll notice the arm will back swing and then the hips go forward. What's important is getting to the attack position. I end each clip with the girl in the attack position. That is where you need to be, most do it by having the back swing triggering the hips going forward. Make no mistake Mothgirl, you've got to get to the attack position.

 
May 26, 2013
371
18
Ramstein Germany
Also Mothgirl, Do you have an iPad? Right View Pro has an app that has all the great pitchers in it shot from three angles, 1B, 2B and catcher. It also has a comparison tool so you can link a video of yourself or student to one of the greats for comparison. Great tool.
 
Jan 4, 2012
3,790
38
OH-IO
http://youtu.be/OLetPir_n3E

i got scared to post it after I had time to think but here it is☺️ You'll have to fast forward thru my son looking at his shoes. But that's what happens when I try to delay the backswing. It looks worse each time I watch it geez

2.gif
 
May 9, 2014
465
0
Umatilla, Florida
That step happens even more when I'm trying to delay my backswing

Just got done with a tourney going home to practice I'll post some video when I'm not over thinking it, see if that's better


I hate tacos- said no Juan anywhere
 
May 26, 2013
371
18
Ramstein Germany
Mothgirl, you have a double back swing. You need to stop that. Also, you'e added a step forward to the two-step drill. There is no three-step drill that I know of. Think about it, you've added an extra arm swing and step into your routine, no wonder you're having trouble with sequence.

Next thing. You step back with your left foot (stride foot) and then pick up your right foot (drive foot) and start to put it down by your stride foot but then at the last second...plant it way out in front. This will prevent you from getting to the attack position. You need to learn to step back and then put your drive foot down just a bit in front of the stride foot...this will help get you to the attack position. This is the intent of this drill, to teach momentum. When you reach the attack position the butt needs to be in front of the rubber leaning forward with a straight body (not bent at the waist).

What to do with the arm? When the arm passes the hips it is at this point the body starts to lean forward into the attack position. Takes a bit of time but you'll get it.
 
Last edited:
May 9, 2014
465
0
Umatilla, Florida
Thank u willy, and everyone else for your feedback! I took some new video and it looked a tad better so I'm gonna keep working on it for a couple weeks before I post another video, I didn't realize how bad I was bending at the waist until you pointed it out! that started cuz I was trying to lean forward, but I forgot I can't leave my hips behind! The stepping forward I don't do when I have a rubber but I do it bad on the concrete, I just ordered a rubber for in front of the tarp shoulda done that a long time ago!


I hate tacos- said no Juan anywhere
 

Edy

May 24, 2010
93
8
Hi Mothgirl,

Here goes my humble suggestion for you:

Try to break the whole pitching motion into two more basic phases:

1 - drive, foot contact, ball at 11:00
In this phase you just focus on acchieving the position described. Don't pay attention to your arm speed. Just focus on having it at 11 when you touch down.
If you drive fast, arm will be also fast to follow the body. If you have a slower drive, the arm will also move slower... this should not be forced but instead a natural reaction from your body to put you in position. In other words, the arm will naturally follow your body. You just have to fine adjust it


2 - From the #1 position, assuming that you have landed with the proper posture, you should feel the gravity and ground forces reaction pulling your pitching arm down.
Now the focus is the delivery. As you feel the "shock wave" from the ground you should focus on adducting your arm hard. If everything goes right, you should feel your lower arm move from 9:00 to the hips (6:00) with little to no muscle control
And by that I mean it feels accelerating more than you could by just muscling it.

Start practing with a short step and keep increasing the drive as long as you don't lose the control of the timing.

Finally, get rid of the double back swing... you should either use ONE back swing or none. But the current fashion is hurting more than helping


Hope this works to you as it has worked to me ;)
 
May 9, 2014
465
0
Umatilla, Florida
Thank you, I will try these things, I don't do the double backswing when I'm just pitching. When I'm trying to delay my backswing that's when I start to do it, because my arms want to lead everything so when I'm drilling I start doing all kinds of weird stuff to try to delay the arms


I hate tacos- said no Juan anywhere
 
Feb 3, 2010
5,752
113
Pac NW
Apologies if this only makes things confusing... I'd suggest not worrying about doing (or not doing something) with the arms that doesn't feel natural. Instead, give the hands a task in the sequence that helps everything flow. Watch the below gif from JS's DM thread:

ConsciousFastAlligator.gif


Here's the sequence I've been using:
A) Hands apart/heels down
B) Hands come together at the chest/stride heel comes up/weight over drive toe (brief pause)
C.1) Hands push straight out as back heel drops and drive heel lifts (unweighting) with COM still over the front toe (creates the lean)
C.2) Hands drop out of the forward push and swing back as the body leans even further forward (in an tall posture/no bending at the waist)
D) At the moment where you feel the urgency to protect your face from hitting the ground: jam the foot into the front edge of the rubber and explode!

C.1/2 needs to be fluid/continuous

Hope I didn't just drop any mud into the water...
 
Last edited:
May 9, 2014
465
0
Umatilla, Florida
Apologies if this only makes things confusing... I'd suggest not worrying about doing (or not doing something) with the arms that doesn't feel natural. Instead, give the hands a task in the sequence that helps everything flow. Watch the below gif from JS's DM thread:

ConsciousFastAlligator.gif


Here's the sequence I've been using:
A) Hands apart/heels down
B) Hands come together at the chest/stride heel comes up/weight over drive toe (brief pause)
C.1) Hands push straight out as back heel drops and drive heel lifts (unweighting) with COM still over the front toe (creates the lean)
C.2) Hands drop out of the forward push and swing back as the body leans even further forward (in an tall posture/no bending at the waist)
D) At the moment where you feel the urgency to protect your face from hitting the ground: jam the foot into the front edge of the rubber and explode!

C.1/2 needs to be fluid/continuous

Hope I didn't just drop any mud into the water...

I'm very open to trying anything, I'm in no danger of messing anything up


I hate tacos- said no Juan anywhere
 

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