Pitching Style Change After 5 years of lessons

[sluggers]

(The regulars hate my stories but, "too bad, too bad"...)

My DD learned to pitch many years ago and she was taught the HE style. When she was around 15YOA, I noticed that she had better control and threw harder if rolled her wrist over rather than brought up the elbow. Everyone (and I mean everyone) said this was wrong. In one of my more lucid moments, I stopped trying to correct her, and she "on her own" adopted the IR style. She did great, and did very well pitching in college.

And, yes, the HE style was holding my DD back.

SO: Yes, your DD can change her style. It isn't that hard...your DD is a pretty good athlete, so she can do it. It will be work, but anything worth doing involves some amount of work.

If you can't get in this time, sign up for it in December. In the meantime, check out the thread "IR In the Classroom". There are some drills she can do now.

 

[Redzone71]

That video was helpful. I think you'll get some good input from Hilhouse.

When you do the side video, be sure to get as much light on the subject as you can. Hopefully, whatever camera your using will automatically record at a little high quality and take some of the blur out with better lighting.

Short video was taken with an Iphone. I will take the new video with a better camera

 

[Redzone71]

(The regulars hate my stories but, "too bad, too bad"...)

My DD learned to pitch many years ago and she was taught the HE style. When she was around 15YOA, I noticed that she had better control and threw harder if rolled her wrist over rather than brought up the elbow. Everyone (and I mean everyone) said this was wrong. In one of my more lucid moments, I stopped trying to correct her, and she "on her own" adopted the IR style. She did great, and did very well pitching in college.

And, yes, the HE style was holding my DD back.

SO: Yes, your DD can change her style. It isn't that hard...your DD is a pretty good athlete, so she can do it. It will be work, but anything worth doing involves some amount of work.

If you can't get in this time, sign up for it in December. In the meantime, check out the thread "IR In the Classroom". There are some drills she can do now.

I think to an extent my DD as developed her own style as your daughter does. If you watched the long video you can see she doesn't bring her elbow up on any of her pitches but rather rolls her hand a little bit as you described. As for the work she is going to do that anyway...Just as well do it the correct way for a change

 

[Rocketech1]

I'm posting video I had made for DD 2013 softball year. It's long but has quite a bit of DD pitching from 8th grade through Oklahoma State Tournament.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/BHQS6YwJScA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Redzone - I have reviewed the game footage and I don't think you have anything to worry about. She actually pitches with pretty good IR mechanics in game situations vs. what she is doing in practice. If she was my DD, I would work on some "minor tweaking" to get a little more speed and spin but IMO she is doing a lot of things right. Complete overhaul, NO; some minor adjustments and better drills, YES.

 

[Redzone71]

Redzone - I have reviewed the game footage and I don't think you have anything to worry about. She actually pitches with pretty good IR mechanics in game situations vs. what she is doing in practice. If she was my DD, I would work on some "minor tweaking" to get a little more speed and spin but IMO she is doing a lot of things right. Complete overhaul, NO; some minor adjustments and better drills, YES.

Funny thing about that elbow is the only time she does it is at practice. When she is in game situation she does it her way, but I'm not taking anything away from her instructor. She would not be where she is at without his guidance, but at least she knows when something will not work and does what she has to when it matters. She has told me many times over the past year that she can't do what he wants her to do and I didn't take it serious enough until now. Just hope I didn't wait to long...

 

[Jojo]

She's pitching what I called closed mechanics, there was a PC here teaching a similar style. No turning of the hips, drive foot stays down laces pointed at catcher throughout pitch, knee stays facing catcher throughout pitch, finish HE.

He was one of the most popular PC's when my DD was learning, so a lot of her friends saw him. His better students did get decent speed at younger levels, but they fell behind at 16u, and none could ever really move the ball. I don't know any of them that pitched higher than JUCO.

 

[Redzone71]

She's pitching what I called closed mechanics, there was a PC here teaching a similar style. No turning of the hips, drive foot stays down laces pointed at catcher throughout pitch, knee stays facing catcher throughout pitch, finish HE.

He was one of the most popular PC's when my DD was learning, so a lot of her friends saw him. His better students did get decent speed at younger levels, but they fell behind at 16u, and none could ever really move the ball. I don't know any of them that pitched higher than JUCO.

DD instructor is the only one close to our area and every pitcher that is any good goes to him. What you described is exactly how he teaches.

 

[Doug Romrell]

I slowed that first clip way down and decided that she does use a little arm whip and that it doesn't appear to be strictly the HE approach.

 

[Redzone71]

I slowed that first clip way down and decided that she does use a little arm whip and that it doesn't appear to be strictly the HE approach.

I've been a bucket dad for a long time but I just didn't know until here recently that we have paid a fortune to learn pitching the wrong way, but I'm glad to hear from you guys that she might have already been doing a few things right which will help with the style change.

 

[Redzone71]

I don't see the HE, except when that instructor is yakking at her. Is there a catcher? That is why you get hyper focus on HE. Please tell me this is not how the PC wants to run things. You need the catcher involved at this age, and focus on situations, rhythm, poise, and location. Not rapid fire into a net with a pc yakking from a foot away. Forgive me if I am wrong.

Any skill can be changed, especially hitting yourself with the glove.

PC will usually have her work on mechanics into a screen from short distance for the first half of lesson and then I would catch her the last portion, but not always...sometimes the entire practice would be just the net. I've always been very concerned about the swimming issue but was told its not a big deal.