Throwing Mechanics......Help

1st post.....Yah for me.....

Got a question and looking for opinions. I coach a 12uB team and have been coaching for several years. This is a first year start up team that was formed after tryouts with higest rated girls after all the other teams had their choice of players. When I coached the younger girls this was easy.....started at square one as most had never played...but some of these girls have been using these poor mechanics for years.....

We had a fall mini season with a few round robins and held several practices. Currently we are going twice a week in-doors at a gym.. First impression inf the fall was alsmost every girl has issues when throwing issues..... slot, sidearm, high elbows, low elbows, no hips, no follow through and so on. My thought was to break it down this winter and rebuild.....well we did break them down to square one and even broke out a big old stuffed anmimal for them to throw at like I did in 10u. I still have several girls that will go through drills on throwing and look great.....get them into a fielding position and live balls coming at them, they go right back to bad habbits.

Here is my question....Is it worth investing in a Throw Max. I had been searching-on line for additional drills and ran across this product and was looking for some feedback. I was thinking of throwing on on every girl, but did not know if this would work....anyone used this???

Or any additional ideas I can adapt to a practice setting????

Thanks for the help......

first post myself, rooster. i picked up a throw max for my kids (8u baseball and 10u fastpitch) and we use it fairly often. it definitely helps, but the kids really need to "remember" the correct form. i typically find they'll do real good for a few days after using it for a few practices, then go right back to their old ways. so, does it help? yes. is it THE fix? not usually b/c the younger kids tend to not remember to apply what they've learned.

We always start every season with the basic fundamentals, by the time tournies roll around there warm ups include a throwing progression that (once warmed up properly) include one knee throws close, one knee throws distance maybe 30ft, standing sideways feet stationary, sideways with a stride, quick snaps, rock-n-fire throws, and full throws. When game time comes around this takes between 5 and 10 minutes, so they are going back to fundamentals all year long at least for a little bit.
One knee throws: kneeling on throwing side knee, glove side knee stretched out toward the target, bring glove and ball up at the same time glove pointed at target ball behind about head height. I don't really buy into having the ball facing away like your putting it on a shelf, I tell them whatever is comfortable, maybe toward third. throw and follow through across the body, the throwing arm elbow should be resting near the glove side knee.

Standing: Sideways to target, feet a little more than shouder width apart same upper body fundamentals as the one knees, but make sure the back foot releases and is allowed to come around. exaggerate the follow through.

Standing with step: same as above but start with the feet close together and the hands at the side. raise hands and arms up as you would make a snow angel, striding at the same time, when stride foot lands continue the throw as you did above.

You can't let them cheat and get lazy, this stuff can be boring to them so don't over do it. Keep on it each practice and they will get better. I see girls at the high school level that have never been taught to throw properly. Ask Hitter and other hitting instructors, it is the foundation for everything.
The quick snaps, rock-n-fires etc.... those are from Howard Kobata's videos. To much there to explain with written word.

My daughter had a problem with dropping the elbow. I stood beside her and held a glove at her armpit. If she dropped her elbow she hit my glove, instant feedback.
Hope this helps some.
Mike

First we teach balance.

Next take a ball and divide the ball in half using electric tape and do it so they grip the ball with a four seam grip.

Have them put their throwing arm in the elbow of the glove to minimize forearm movement and maximize wrist. Most girls use a three finger grip so point out to line up the social finger on the tape and also point out the thumb should be on a seam as well as the baby finger. We want the throw the ball so it flies with the black tape looking like the ball is coming at you half and half. If the ball is tumbling you will see the tape moving awkwardly. One of the fingers put more pressure on the ball than another. The more RPM the thrower can induce will make the ball fly more accurately.

Get that before you move on.

The huge reason girls get tagged for throwing like girls is they do not land on the ball of the stride foot and they do not flex the lead foot knee.

I stand in front of them, and they stride to throw and bring the ball out of their glove with the ball down and the back elbow up and then slowly come up with the ball in a circle and as they start to come over the shoulder I take the ball out of their hand. I then hold their index finger and social finger up close to the palm of the hand however I am holding the fingers. I explain to them if I do this correctly I will not pull their fingers out of the joints and point to the floor, there is rusty old stained anti freeze and I tell them that is the blood of other who did not listen and they try to pull away from me and then I laugh and tell them the truth! It is a great story and I get their attention. We start over and then when I hold their finger, I GENTLY pull them forward. IF they stepped on the ball of their foot on a flexed knee they will glide forward and the back foot releases. IF they stepped flat footed and no flex in the knee they feel resistance in their hand. I encourage them to think nose over the toe,s chest over their feet and they usually glide forward. Now have them throw slowly and they usually release and look like an athlete not a girl anymore!

Now we add on the momentum by using the glove side arm...I took martial arts many years ago and I remembered how much force we could generate in our punches by tucking the fists under our arm pit and then as we punched we tuck the elbow back under our arm pit using the elbow. We stand in front of each other and they stride and stop and I clasped/ interlock our fingers of our glove hand and as I reach the point of coming over with the ball I tuck my glove arm elbow and this action pulls them forward. They will them do it to me and they can fel the force in their throwing arm shoulder. When They do not do this I remind them to tuck me in/ pull me in!

Now we spread them out about a shoulders width, bend at the waist and soften the knees and the glove is in the gathered position about chest high with the ball in the glove. They slide the back foot against the lead foot and then step with the lead foot separate the hands break and throw. Before long they will put a little rhythm to it like a dance move.

Them I have the floor marked with foot positions. As right handed throwers they stand even belly button facing me. As I move my hand back they step with their right foot first and then their left foot further and put the glove inside of their left foot and field the ball and then bring the right foot at an angle in front of the left foot and bend the back knee or take a sit on it and load against and inside their back leg and stride and throw towards the net. Walk them threw it several times and then start to pick up the pace and they will begin to key off the movement of my hand and begin to move on their own. You will be amazed how much more ground they cover and how much more graceful they flow to the ball.

The final phase is I asked what have we been working on? They respond throwing and I say no hitting!!!! I then have them interlock their hand like it is a golf grip and put the ball in their top hand. I tell them the hands must remain inter locked and they throw the ball. They load and stride and separate their hands slightly and throw like they are swinging. I am standing next to them so my back foot is against the outside edge of their back foot and they have never squished the bug!

Now get a bat in their hand and do face the fire and you are light years ahead as to weight shift, balance and rhythm.....in my opinion.

Let me know how it works for you.

Thanks Howard

As I move my hand back they step with their right foot first and then their left foot further and put the glove inside of their left foot and field the ball and then bring the right foot at an angle in front of the left foot and bend the back knee or take a sit on it and load against and inside their back leg and stride and throw towards the net.

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We have them bring there left foot up behind there right foot, almost like a skip there right foot kicks there left foot forward and lands perpendicular to the target. I might be missing something I will try it the other way.

I did the exact sequence Howard explained the other night with a Kid who has been playing for 14 years, as well as our team who are 11 and 12 yo's. Its like they learn to hit without even knowing it. The only thing I haven't done is the face and fire drill because I have not been able to do it myself yet. To me that is the key to teaching is being able to demonstrate.

Mike

Mike said:

We have them bring there left foot up behind there right foot, almost like a skip there right foot kicks there left foot forward and lands perpendicular to the target. I might be missing something I will try it the other way.

I did the exact sequence Howard explained the other night with a Kid who has been playing for 14 years, as well as our team who are 11 and 12 yo's. Its like they learn to hit without even knowing it. The only thing I haven't done is the face and fire drill because I have not been able to do it myself yet. To me that is the key to teaching is being able to demonstrate.

Mike

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Howard K does not want the right foot to go behind the left foot which is why we do it this way as to fielding.

Face the fire....belly button facing the pitcher and hitter looks through the net and steps behind the them and plants the back leg and strides forward. They shift their eyes from through the net to the ball on the tee. It may take moving further up or back to get the stride correct however I like them being able to move their body under their head so they flow to the ball. After throwing this seems to even make more sense to the new hitters.

Thanks Howard

Howard,
my bad, I didn't mean behind the front foot, basically the rear foot lands right where the front foot was. I guess it depends on the length of the throw as to how much momentum you need to build. I agree behind the back foot is bad.

Mike

Mike. Gerry or Chris may read this and post a video of the drill with the dd. Drill works with the younger hitters, and after you see it once, you can demo it pretty easy.

SBFAMILY said:

Mike. Gerry or Chris may read this and post a video of the drill with the dd. Drill works with the younger hitters, and after you see it once, you can demo it pretty easy.

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I think I have a series of photos at home that demonstrate the drill. If not, I'll video my DD performing it.

Thanks Chris. I can't even open videos on my work laptop.