What should the glove hand do when pitching?

[elizabeth]

My daughter is in 12U select ball. She has been pitching for about 2 years. When she pitches, her glove hand is straight pointing to first base and then does a little windmill motion, backwards. Her speed is really good (it is between 47-50mph), and she pitches very accurately. She feels that it gives her leverage. She has had a coach tell her that her glove hand is "swimming", and when she pitches the glove hand should point toward the target (which is the catcher) and then slap down on your leg. Well, old habits are hard to break and she is not comfortable doing that. So where should the glove hand go when pitching??? Thanks

Elizabeth

 

[sluggers]

If your DD doesn't change her form, this will be pretty much her last year of pitching.

If your description is accurate, your DD has a horrendous pitching motion. The easiest way for a 12U girl to throw 50 mph is to use a poor pitching motion. Probably, your DD vigorously closes her upper-body and hips, and "drags" her arm around her body. Almost any girl can throw 50MPH using that motion. The problem is she won't be able to throw any faster.

Why? On a girl, the hips and shoulder are the same width. But, a woman's hips are wider than her shoulders. When your DD starts physically changing into a woman, the hips spread. If she doesn't change her style, she will have to pivot her arm out and around the hips every time she throws the ball. She will lose speed and accuracy. She ends up slowing down her arm in order to get anywhere near the plate. 50 MPH at 12U is great. 50 MPH at 14U is batting practice.

As to your specific question, the glove points toward home plate. Attached is a picture of Osterman at 12. You can see that she is clearly pointing to home plate. This is "pitching 101". I've never seen any good pitcher at any age level who doesn't point the glove at the catcher.

While I don't like the terminology "slap", definitely a pitcher should lower the glove and touch the inside of her leg. Attached is a frontal view of Osterman. You can clearly see the glove position.

 

[redhawkridge]

The pics of Cat that Sluggers posted clearly show that she is following one very basic and critical rule -- all parts of the delivery move along the "power line" -- an imaginery line from the pivot foot to the catcher's mitt. That includes the glove hand. But it's important to understand the dynamics of the glove hand's movement, which can contribute to the drive and power of the pitch.
When the pitcher begins her delivery with the stride forward, both the ball hand and the glove hand should swing forward in parallel arcs.
As the ball arm rises to 12:00, the glove arm stops at around 2:00.
Then both arms swing downward in unison, like making snow angels.
As the ball hand reaches the release point, the glove hand brings the glove down to her hip -- it can be a soft landing or frequently it hits the leg violently.
Don't allow the glove arm to swing to the rear past the hip, because this will result in the body swinging to the closed position prematurely.
Find videos on this website that show Cat and Jenny in full delivery and you will observe the above mechanics.
jim

 

[ifubuildit]

Try to get her to softly touch the leg on the way down. The slapping of the leg can become a timing trigger for the hitter and it can in some cases make the leg feel numb.

 

[Izzy's Dad]

What Sluggers said. My daughter pitched her first 2 years opening/closing her hips and bringing the arm around. We changed pitching instructors and she broke my daughter down, and rebuilt her pitching with everything going in a forward motion on the power line. Now, instead of "muscleing" the ball to throw faster, she is getting faster with what looks to be much less effort. It may not be less effort, but it sure looks that way.

 

[redhawkridge]

As a pitcher I would love to have batters try to "time" my pitch by some signal like a thigh slap. I can't think of a better way to have them committ to a swing, giving me the chance to change up or alter my delivery. I've seen several references in posts about the batters picking up various clues like the leg slap, and I think they're mostly overblown. Generally, the discussions here are rarely addressing the "major-league" level, which is where maybe the batters are so good they benefit from subtle signs of what's coming.
As for a thigh slap giving the pitcher an owie? Jeez, give me a break. I have the same disregard for another advice I've seen -- don't drop your glove because you won't be able to protect yourself from hard liners.
jim

 

[ifubuildit]

Jim

That would work at the higher levels but in lower level softball very seldom does the pitcher have the lead way to throw what they want when they want to like your suggesting. Most coaches are calling their pitches for them.

I stand by my statement. It can be used for timing and it can cause the leg to go numb while pitching. I dont see the advantage in either.