Too busy to work on mechanics?

[ArkFastpitch]

Need some input from the pitching gurus. DD is a 10u pitcher playing rec league 2 nights a week and TB on the weekends. She goes to pitching lessons one day a week and manages to squeeze in a practice here and there. With a schedule like that would it be wise to even attempt to push any extra work to fix some mechanical problems she's having?
I thought about just waiting til offseason since she will be moving up to 12u in the fall but some of her breakdowns are causing some problems.

 

[chinamigarden]

Is it a mechanical issue that she has always had? Or is it something that just developed. Something new I would say get on it right now. Something she has always done might be a bit too much to change mid season

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I feel like mechanical problems are only going to get worse, if they aren't fixed. One of her coaches needs to let her get to her PC, for this. I think that 2 lessons in a row, would be a good idea.

 

[ArkFastpitch]

Sorry for the vaguenes. Yes, most of the issues have been with her from the beginning. She made the change from H/E to I/R a couple months ago and that has cured alot but still got some nagging issues. Her PC doesn't seen to concerned with them right now as long as she is throwing consistent. My concern is, as much as she is currently pitching, she is burning in bad habits that will be hard to break later. Several other people I have talked to said I shouldn't make mechanical adjustments mid season unless there is an injury risk but they are by no means pitching experts.

 

[RubberBiscuit]

My 2 cents -

IF she is pitching effectively I believe it's an insane helicopter parent move to inject "you're doing something wrong Sally" into her midseason.

 

[RetiredCoach]

My 2 cents -

The more poor mechanics are used the more they become ingrained. Thereby, I would work the mechanical issues now, even during a season. I believe that you wait for the off season to learn a new pitch, but mechanical issues should be addressed immediately.

As a proviso, fixing mechanics is a step-by-step issue. Maybe you work on getting open. Then you work on proper "wrist snap". You may find this step-by-step approach will actually improve her pitching during the season.

 

[sluggers]

With a schedule like that would it be wise to even attempt to push any extra work to fix some mechanical problems she's having?

You reinforce good mechanics when she warms up to pitch.

You find drills that help fix the mechanical problems, and then you do those drills when she warms up for the game.

 

[ArkFastpitch]

You reinforce good mechanics when she warms up to pitch.

You find drills that help fix the mechanical problems, and then you do those drills when she warms up for the game.

I just started back doing that. I kind of got complacent with her warm up time because we were spending so much time trying to correct every little detail. We are trying to be more direct with what drills we do in warm up versus doing " blanket" drills.

 

[sluggers]

Each pitcher has a problem with some specific part of the pitching motion. It could be leg drive or circle or leaning forward or leaning back...something. It is good for the pitcher to know, "You struggle with X. You do these drills to improve at X."

 

[Ken Krause]

If a pitcher is struggling to pitch, it's never the wrong time to fix mechanics. You also want to be sure you're thinking long-term. The longer you let mechanics go bad the tougher it gets to fix them.

If you don't have other times to practice you may need to do it before or after a team practice. A lot of people forget that's an option.