Release Point and Spin

[CasshendyB]

So, my pitcher has great inconsistency with pitching strikes. She misses high and low frequently. The inside and outside is not much of a problem. I can see where this is a release point issue. Are there any drills to get release point more consistent other than repetition? And if shes pitching 2-4 times a week, usually how long would it take to see progress?

For new pitchers, how long is the progress period?

On spin, is IR, finger strength and arm speed the main contrubutors to fast and tight spin? What drills are recommended to tighten spin?

Thanks for your help!

 

[riseball]

So, my pitcher has great inconsistency with pitching strikes. She misses high and low frequently. The inside and outside is not much of a problem. I can see where this is a release point issue. Are there any drills to get release point more consistent other than repetition? And if shes pitching 2-4 times a week, usually how long would it take to see progress?

For new pitchers, how long is the progress period?

On spin, is IR, finger strength and arm speed the main contrubutors to fast and tight spin? What drills are recommended to tighten spin?

Thanks for your help!

With proper mechanics all you seek is possible. The issues you mention are just symptoms of mechanical issues. There are no magic drills. Quit pitching and learn to throw underhand. Then and only then do you learn to pitch and the Padawan can begin to learn the skills of the Jedi.

 

[DNeeld]

With proper mechanics all you seek is possible.

I agree and want to emphasize this! I know of a girl that played with my DD until recently. She always struggled with accuracy. Once my DD surpassed her in the pitching rotation, her dad was always asking me what the secret was. I'd tell him make her throw 100 pitches a day properly. Throw into a net so the focus is on mechanics and nothing else. Do that everyday for six months.

He never believed me, left our team, and is still searching for the "secret".

I guess too many people think the secret is boring.....repetition, repetition, then more repetition.

 

[CasshendyB]

Amen!! Ok, Ill keep doing what we're doing. I wanted to make sure I was not missing anything. I do all my research and I want to make sure I'm not holding anything back from her because of my negligence to do proper research. I always want to be learning. Good repetition has always been tried and true, and it will continue to be. Thank you for your reply.

 

[grcsftbll]

I agree and want to emphasize this! I know of a girl that played with my DD until recently. She always struggled with accuracy. Once my DD surpassed her in the pitching rotation, her dad was always asking me what the secret was. I'd tell him make her throw 100 pitches a day properly. Throw into a net so the focus is on mechanics and nothing else. Do that everyday for six months.

He never believed me, left our team, and is still searching for the "secret".

I guess too many people think the secret is boring.....repetition, repetition, then more repetition.

It's because your way just sounds like work. Nobody likes that.

 

[Snotbubbles]

I agree and want to emphasize this! I know of a girl that played with my DD until recently. She always struggled with accuracy. Once my DD surpassed her in the pitching rotation, her dad was always asking me what the secret was. I'd tell him make her throw 100 pitches a day properly. Throw into a net so the focus is on mechanics and nothing else. Do that everyday for six months.

He never believed me, left our team, and is still searching for the "secret".

I guess too many people think the secret is boring.....repetition, repetition, then more repetition.

I've begun doing this with my DD. Her accuracy has improved and it gives me an opportunity to watch her from different angles and video her motion so we can both look to see what she's doing right and what she needs to work on.

 

[Perfect Circle]

You release w/Spin, after you land the frontfoot, between landing on heal & lifting up to toe

 

[sluggers]

Are there any drills to get release point more consistent other than repetition?

Let's be real clear here: You are trying to teach a pitcher how to "move the ball around the plate", not "develop a consistent release point".

Good pitchers change the location of each pitch, which means changing the release point from pitch to pitch. Therefore, the focus is on the pitcher learning how to change the height and horizontal position of each pitch.

The drill you do is really pretty simple:

Have the pitcher throw one pitch high followed by one pitch low. In the beginning, the high pitch should be really high and the low pitch should bounce on th ground.

When the pitcher can successfully throw a low pitch followed by a high pitch followed by a low pitch...etc., then start decreasing the tolerance.

E.g., for the first round, the pitcher an acceptable high pitch might be 8 feet off the ground and a low pitch could be rolling on the ground.
For the second round, only pitches less than 5 feet off the ground are acceptable, and a low pitch that bounces once is acceptable.

It takes a while for the pitcher to be able to do this 99% of the time, but she will get it.

 

[Phathead]

I think it was suggested on but me and DD did sluggers drill except we working on in and out. I would set up way out and then way in for her to feel difference in an extreme fashion. When she got concept we moved to the corners

 

[CasshendyB]

Let's be real clear here: You are trying to teach a pitcher how to "move the ball around the plate", not "develop a consistent release point".

This is great. We do around the world every practice. I like the idea of emphasizing the high and low so she can really feel how to execute. Thank you for your help. We will keep working!!