Pitching Instruction

[Perfect Circle]

Nice "Bucket"!!!

Got me...just a "Crazy Dad", Not the "Bucket Head" I claim to be... LOL . This is our back yard. The chair is lower like my 3.5 gal. bucket that I use when we leave home. It is from her kindergarden play set. This video was a test shoot to try to get DD a Fisher Price endorsement ...JK=just kidding...My bucket if full of camera stuff, hair brushes, swiss army knife, fencing tools, ect>>>. l am still just trying in to show you, that what I do is 10yr. old tested tuff. Setting the backdrop to how DD knocked out some of my teeth... lol. So far I'm the only one that keeps getting hurt with my inventions and new ideas. Got a knot on my wrist from the video last night...time to change the string, ...or... the using of the shrink wrap to establish the vertical boundaries, is inhibiting the ball from passing through, like it always used too... ?

The string is an old Chinese jump rope, it has been left out, and is kinda dangerous. As you can see the ball is starting to deflect some. We just ran out last night without much set up, just some old stuff left up.It is part of a set. I use another set back close to her, or about where the chalk of the circle would be. to give an awareness where the ball is after the first few feet traveled.....It was a "you gotta go in now drill, can you be ready in 7 seconds" Just wanted to show all of our (drills) and warm ups, without getting wardrobe involved that was it, didn't do the walk-up, because we only got 3:00 min. It take 1 1/2 hrs to upload on Y-Tube... I stage them like the fire drills she started learning in kindergarden. We had the camera set up because I'm trying to prove to DD that our squirrels are not trying to eat the apples, but only get the seeds out of the apples they steal from the neighbors tree (another project), but yesterday the question changed to...why, when they grab the apples, added weight, they still run back across that the top of that fence with the take. Her goal is to film (smoothly) the squirrel running back with apple. But we noticed that when one particular squirrel jumps up to the fence, the others drop their apple, and run....New goal ...film that one. I told her that is the pitcher. Balance is your answer. The Squirrel showed me why to stick to my OP.

I guess I should have, in my OP after seeing video said that she is "practically perfect", best I've ever seen on here. I was just trying to keep it short and to the point... I have been accused of rambling.... My answer was to "protect perfection"...The one area I would work on today is she is alittle forawrd at release.... what I would do is to

She has to keep that glove up and index finger pointed straight at the ump until he makes the call, and the hand has to come across the body and into the arm pit. If she can't get the hand into the armpit, it is because she has dropped the glove to slap or swim for balance. So the power will leak to glove.The follow thru is ending with a block, Glove up to protect the face. Once she can keep the glove up, then she can move her wrist, like waving to distract the batter.The drag foot with tongue towards the target should be getting ready to strike the next kick...Hope that helps :{)

I posted this before you posted the video.. I was really surprised not seeing swim or slap...Slap is to resonate rhythm, and swimming is a compensation to help balance. Since she isn't doing either thank goodness, she is a tad off on the beat, and alittle too foward. I'm not crazy about the double or two handed pump...She's pulling both hands back past her waist, but not locking the elbow...but changing that at this point would take to long, if she still has games, or is preparing for tryouts... Keeping the glove out front, will help protect her, but will hold her back further, from being too forward at release. I got a awesome training warm up for that ...If you will watch theses three videos,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8WQ92mNns0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mimCddw0q80
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-75UDOlXlmA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHAM61Rk1AE



and then end up agreeing , I guess I should say "If you can see the common link in theses three skills" if not You won't be interested...if you can see it let me know. I can shot (FastBack) anytime, because it doesn't show her full motion, She owes me three more traning clips LOL :{)) I'm in negotiations now to get DD to record a video out on a diamond, to show you our stuff. So far its the Rita Gilman tee shirt, that says "123, now go set down!" & she wants the new Bumbah cleats, but I'm trying to tell her we got to wait to see what color her team will be in 2013... I'll quite Dading her, and start coaching her, and try and get something in the next couple days :{)))

I'm glad to see some others starting to comment too... Was thinking I might have ran them off. But it came to me, don't need any bodywork, no rust, its down to what wax to use....I can't wait to see further answers too.

 

[FrozenRope]

Not trying to nit pick the pitcher or the instructor, but noticed a couple things about this video and wanted to ask for general input on what I see. I noticed she does not start the forward stride/drive until the arms are passing the body on the forward swing. Ideally, would the forward lean begin when the arms start the backswing? Later, would there be a little more knee bend/compression to load as the arms begin rearward swing? I also wondered about the upward hop in the middle of the drive. I liked the forward lean (vs waist bend,) the plant foot angle and upright finish with weight behind the plant foot. Also, it appears there was more push than whip at release (elbow not leading and palm forward in downswing through release.) Am I on the right track?

One suggestion for FrozenRope: stop by your local farm store and ask for horse stall mat. See if they will cut you a 6 inch strip of 3/8" mat. It comes in 4 foot width, so you should get two 6x24 inch pitching rubbers. Then look for some no residue duct tape to tape it to your surface. You might also pick up a strip of 3/4 inch material for outdoor use.

Thanks,
Ken

By all means there are issues with this video. I agree she isn't using her drive leg to it's full capacity, but for a start I don't think it's terrible. That hop is when she fully extends the drive leg. I really don't know if it's supposed to look like that, or if it should be more fluid from the beginning of the drive. The instructor showed her the up and out. When I first started with her in the beginning of the summer, it was more of a straight out and stride motion. I assume I was wrong and the instructor is right. I hope anyway. She needs to get the weight back a little bit more at the plant of her stride foot, she's falling slightly forward, which looks like it might be taking away from the whip. And yes, she does a good job of not locking out the elbow all the way through to 12:00, but then she loses the flexion in the back half of the circle. She's not leading with the elbow, or I don't believe she is. I cant see if she's staying onder the ball or getting behind it in the videos. Only a 60FPS camera and it get blurry right there.

Bottom line is I'm VERY happy with where she is at this point. And funny you mention the whole pitching rubber thing. My wife was none too happy about me digging the grass out of a big circle in the yard to stake down the pitching rubber that showed up on the Fed Ex truck a couple weeks ago. I'll post a few pics when I get the whole practice area set up. And I need to find one of those chairs that Perfect Circle uses. That beats a bucket!!! Going garage sale hunting this weekend!!!

 

[FrozenRope]

I guess I should have, in my OP after seeing video said that she is "practically perfect", best I've ever seen on here. I was just trying to keep it short and to the point... I have been accused of rambling.... My answer was to "protect perfection"...The one area I would work on today is she is alittle forawrd at release.... what I would do is to



Keeping the glove out front, will help protect her, but will hold her back further, from being too foward at release. :{))

I'm glad to see some other's starting to comment too... Was thinking I might have ran them off. But I came to me, don't need any bodywork, no rust, its down to what wax to use....

So she shold keep her glove hand extended parallel to the ground even during release? I thought the counter action of the glove hand coming down helped accellerate the forward whip of the throwing arm... no?

 

[BoardMember]

I haven't read this thread, so I'm not even sure what it's about.........BUT...........

The very nice young lady in the clip below has NO IDEA how to "throw a softball underhand"........So why are she bothering with any of that "other" motion like stance, posture, windup, leg drive (or lift in her case), full circle, etc.........

Teach this kid how to throw the ball and the rest will come pretty easily..........

Well, of course my DD can't follow instructions very well, and I guess I'm the guilty party for allowing her to throw with the footwork. I was actually pretty shocked at how it looked. I'm SURE the experts will find a million and one things wrong with this (Assuming this video link works), but I thought it was pretty good after 1 lesson. I showed her some stuff from reading this site over the past month, but she didn't really practice, or really get what I was telling her. I didn't drill her too hard as I didn't want her to get bad habits from my know little instruction.

After First Lesson

 

[Screwball]

FYI: I disagree with Board member on this. Not a fan of dissecting to just wrist flips or 1/4 throws. Seen too many kids having overuse to the wrist and elbow for one thing. And you have to have the gravity there.

 

[Perfect Circle]

Teach this kid how to throw the ball and the rest will come pretty easily..........

Overhand or underhand ? Which one first ? Majic Man

 

[Perfect Circle]

So she shold keep her glove hand extended parallel to the ground even during release? I thought the counter action of the glove hand coming down helped accelerate the forward whip of the throwing arm... no?

Staying within the context of our conversation, *(which looks like that will come into play for the rest of this thread) "a 10 yr old, taking 1st lesson, and a video of the results, with concern about being relegated to the student teacher for Basic's" I can deduce from the video, that she has pitched for a team, and was successful. I'm guessing that she is at least #2 or even one. That going for the info, then the lesson is but to put icing on the cake. So as a Dad in the same situation with a 10yr. old, it is my opinion that she can throw the softball underhand. Now if she can throw it backwards with the catcher standing on second, I hope not.

FrozenRope, you have yet to say if she, throws it over the plate, or is too slow, or throws it too hard and hits the other girls, or that the league she is playing in requires lessons to be able to pitch ??? What ever the reason for purchasing lessons, your video demonstrates to me that she would be successful @ my DD's level of play.

I teach my DD...Spot, Spin, Speed, Scholarship. Acceleration is at the third level. No I don't believe it is enhanced by a braking motion.

 

[chinamigarden]

Frozen rope, for a father whose dd has had 1 lesson, you are over thinking this way too much. Stop posting every single idea, thought or observation. For your own sanity, give it a month, then post a video and see whats what. then give it another month...There is too much to digest all at once and to put it into action. You are going to either drive yourself nuts, with over analysis, or drive your dd from pitching.

 

[FrozenRope]

Staying within the context of our conversation, *(which looks like that will come into play for the rest of this thread) "a 10 yr old, taking 1st lesson, and a video of the results, with concern about being relegated to the student teacher for Basic's" I can deduce from the video, that she has pitched for a team, and was successful. I'm guessing that she is at least #2 or even one. That going for the info, then the lesson is but to put icing on the cake. So as a Dad in the same situation with a 10yr. old, it is my opinion that she can throw the softball underhand. Now if she can throw it backwards with the catcher standing on second, I hope not.

FrozenRope, you have yet to say if she, throws it over the plate, or is too slow, or throws it too hard and hits the other girls, or that the league she is playing in requires lessons to be able to pitch ??? What ever the reason for purchasing lessons, your video demonstrates to me that she would be successful @ my DD's level of play.

I teach my DD...Spot, Spin, Speed, Scholarship. Acceleration is at the third level. No I don't believe it is enhanced by a braking motion.

I have no reason to lie. The first interest she EVER showed in pitching was about 4-5 games into our Rec Ball season this year. To be honest, last year at league age 8, she was a strike out every other at bat, play 3 inning kid. I was thrilled with it because she was interested in something. She had more fun with the cheers in the dugout than she did playing, but oh well. This year I got asked to help coach, as the head coach knew me personally from high school and knew I was a decent ball player. I agreed. Well, me on the field for some reason motivated DD to WANT TO BE GOOD. We started in the garage 3-4 nights a week on non practice days working off the tee to improve hitting. She went from 20+ strikouts last year in a 16 game season to a total of 4 this year in a 14 game season, she got asked to play in all stars, which they won their district championship where she played all 6 innings in almost every game as a 9 year old in a 9-10 league.

Backtrack - After game 4 of the season when our 2 experienced pitchers walked a total of 24 batters in a 6 inning game, she said she thought she could pitch. The seed was planted. I went online and found a bunch of info from multiple sites and so the journey began. I was flippin' clueless for about a month, changing what I showed her every other day based on a new website until I found this sight. A couple weeks in I found a post about "The best introductory pitching DVD" and it was a unanimous "Building the house" by Bill Hillhouse vote. I bought the DVD in June (I just checked my Amazon account to confirm, 14th to be exact). On June 16th, we played our final game of the year. We were playing a team we previously beat by 10 runs during the season. The head coach knew she was trying to learn to pitch, so he started her in that game. She walked 6 batters and had one strikeout. Inning ended due to a 3 run limit per inning rule. We switched pitchers next inning to one of the more experienced girls. Since that day it's been her obsession to pitch. During the all star and sectional tournament we took a 2 week break to focus on hitting and fielding for the tournaments, but as soon as it was over she said "Can we go back to pitching?" So that's when I knew it was more than a whim, so we started looking for a PC. That's how this post started. Believe it or not.... So said Ripley!!!

 

[FrozenRope]

Frozen rope, for a father whose dd has had 1 lesson, you are over thinking this way too much. Stop posting every single idea, thought or observation. For your own sanity, give it a month, then post a video and see whats what. then give it another month...There is too much to digest all at once and to put it into action. You are going to either drive yourself nuts, with over analysis, or drive your dd from pitching.

I don't share everything I read on here with my little one. I am trying to educate myself to be able to help her. Sharing information with other parents of pitchers is priceless in my book. I have gotten some pretty good info on this site. I'm not a pitching coach by ANY MEANS, however, I'm sure you can tell by the video that she didn't walk into the lesson this past weekend knowing NOTHING. She does look better than she ever looked in the past 8 weeks or so as a result of the lesson. Also, she's pretty much bullet proof emotionally. She's like a brick wall. She strikes out, or boots a ball, or has an off throw, there's no frown or tears, or moping. She comes off smiling and I can see that... "Wait til next time" attitude in her. I'm sure it will translate to the circle. I just want to make sure I help her as much as possible. It may be by staying out of the teachings all together if I learn to trust the "junior" pitching coach. So far I have no reason not to. She relates incredibly well to my DD, and based on most of your feedback, she's not teaching anything detrimental to her success.