It's the end of the season and I'm going to start working with a few girls on form. Do you find working on form is best accomplished without pitching full distance? I want to take the "throwing strikes" mentality out of the pitch. I have noticed as the season progressed and the pressure of "throwing strikes" that the young girls start losing form. Coaches want strikes and I want form.
Working on form?
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- Jan 25, 2011
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what age girls are you working with?
halskinner
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- May 7, 2008
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What exaclty are you referring to when you say "Form"? Are you talking about proper mechanics? If that is the case, you should have been working on that all along.
Proper mechanics and strikes normally go hand - in - hand.
Young girls, 6-9. During the season I left them alone because of their age. I also found trying to correct something at or during a game would just confuse them. I believe in proper mechanics and had them working on form prior to the season. All of them first year pitchers. Once the season started there wasn't much individual work with the pitchers because of lack of time to practice everything. During the season the coaches would encourage strikes at the detriment of speed and form. Not my call. I'm going to have a lot longer to work with them prior to the start of next year. These are all beginning players so most of the practice was spent on proper over hand throwing mechanics and catching/fielding.
#1 problem that developed during the season was leaning. Trying to aim the strikes. I want to work on speed and form with these girls. There are some very talented little athletes.
With my DD I have little tweaks to do. Her arm circle was getting a little off at times and she would have an occasional swim with the glove hand. Other than that her form is pretty good.
#1 problem that developed during the season was leaning. Trying to aim the strikes. I want to work on speed and form with these girls. There are some very talented little athletes.
With my DD I have little tweaks to do. Her arm circle was getting a little off at times and she would have an occasional swim with the glove hand. Other than that her form is pretty good.
halskinner
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- May 7, 2008
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I assume the answer to my questiob is yes.
Wgen one part of the pitching mechanics breaks down, another part or two will break down also to try and compensate for that.
If the mechanics were allowed to be bad all season, they now have a season of pitching with bad mechanics Fixing a season of re-enforcing bad pitching mechanics is going to take more than just a few tweaks to correct. It will take longer than that.
Wgen one part of the pitching mechanics breaks down, another part or two will break down also to try and compensate for that.
If the mechanics were allowed to be bad all season, they now have a season of pitching with bad mechanics Fixing a season of re-enforcing bad pitching mechanics is going to take more than just a few tweaks to correct. It will take longer than that.
- Jun 27, 2011
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Screwball can you explain a little more about how long leaps fix arm circles?
- Mar 21, 2011
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To address your "leaning" issue you mentioned, I like to use two drills in particular. One is to put them on two knees with their body at 45 degree angle. They throw pitches from ~20-25 feet to catcher. If they bend, they'll fall over. Helps to reinforce good posture. I also like the use of a swimmers noodle in front of their face at stride foot set. I have them throw a few pitches at 100% effort and establish where their stride foot is landing. I mark that spot. I then hold the noodle up at face height one foot back from the mark I made. This will force them to keep their weight back. Do not let them shorten their stride, it defeats the purpose of the drill.
halskinner
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- May 7, 2008
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Tell them to quickly push their body backwards a foot with their stride foot when it touches down. Got to have your weight behind the stride foot to do that.
I love the tips on this site and I would like to thank everyone on here for them! Starting soon. This was the first weekend off in awhile. Going to start next weekend.
Any tips on getting a girl to finish with their drive leg? They seem to leave it behind along with momentum. Most of these girls have very little time pitching. Games were held to 1 hour which seemed to work out to 2 innings, sometimes 3. Most of these girls are great athletes and I think will be fairly easy to teach.
There's only one girl I'm concerned I will have a hard time working with but I think everyone is teachable with a lot of practice and patience.
Any tips on getting a girl to finish with their drive leg? They seem to leave it behind along with momentum. Most of these girls have very little time pitching. Games were held to 1 hour which seemed to work out to 2 innings, sometimes 3. Most of these girls are great athletes and I think will be fairly easy to teach.
There's only one girl I'm concerned I will have a hard time working with but I think everyone is teachable with a lot of practice and patience.
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