Front foot...

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May 7, 2008
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Ya'll have great feedback.

Ken: My dd is a visual learner. Your tip of the tape measure is great, and we are going to try it.

Armwhip: A very intelligent analysis. Whether the truth is in the hand or foot, it is about precision and consistency.

We still believe it's in the foot. However, all of these theories caused my husband and I to start talking about bowling! Geometry and strategic use of the arrows. I am NOT comparing bowling to pitching, but it is interesting to consider pitching down a bowling alley...

Keep smiling,

Ang
 
May 15, 2008
1,913
113
Cape Cod Mass.
My daughter is above average in accuracy to the inside and outside of the plate, not so hot on high and low. I taught her right from the start that the key to hitting spots was to focus on them with her eyes, to lock on to the target visually. I believe that her plant foot location probably varies with an inside or outside target. I feel that if I draw her attention to her foot she will lose focus on her target and also lose accuracy. I suppose that I will have to ask a friend to watch her foot plant and see if it varies and also notice if there is any relationship with pitches that miss their mark. If I try to watch I will probably lost some teeth,
 

Ken Krause

Administrator
Admin
May 7, 2008
3,911
113
Mundelein, IL
This something that I examined once and decided that it didn't make sense. My rudimentary geometry skills showed that you would have to be extremely precise with your plant foot to make this idea work. With a 40 ft pitching rubber each degree would equal 8 inches, a plate is 17 inches wide, this means that you would have to be approximately 1 degree left to hit the outside corner or 1 degree right to hit the inside corner. If you have a 6 foot step or stride then this means that to hit the outside corner you would have to land 1.2 inches left of normal and visa versa for the inside corner. If you land 2 inches left or right you've missed the plate. I just don't think that it is possible to be that precise with the landing foot. Plus you have the mental side of it to consider. It seems almost impossible to me to focus on a target, one corner of the plate, and at the same time think about where you are going to place your foot. I believe it is best to focus on the target and if the foot plant moves a little left for outside or right for inside that is fine, to focus on the foot plant first and hope that this leads to hitting the appropriate corner..... I'm sceptical about this working.

Of course, you're assuming that the rest of the pitcher's motion is that locked in. Moving the foot a little left or right allows the rest of the motion to remain essentially the same, regardless of location. I say essentially because there will always be variations, otherwise everyone would always throw a strike when they intended to.

Moving the foot a little left or right allows the pitcher to "nudge" the pitch in the right direction rather than throwing it straight. The object of the tape measure display is to show the pitcher you don't have to make big changes to go inside or outside. The smaller the better, because it's a lot tougher for a hitter to pick up.
 

Ken Krause

Administrator
Admin
May 7, 2008
3,911
113
Mundelein, IL
My daughter is above average in accuracy to the inside and outside of the plate, not so hot on high and low. I taught her right from the start that the key to hitting spots was to focus on them with her eyes, to lock on to the target visually. I believe that her plant foot location probably varies with an inside or outside target. I feel that if I draw her attention to her foot she will lose focus on her target and also lose accuracy. I suppose that I will have to ask a friend to watch her foot plant and see if it varies and also notice if there is any relationship with pitches that miss their mark. If I try to watch I will probably lost some teeth,

I would also say if it works for her, keep doing it. If she can hit her spots whistling "Dixie" I see no reason to change it! :D
 
Vertical movement pitches (rise,drop, change) are easily and effectively thrown with the landing foot on or near the powerline. Horizontally moving pitches often benefit from a stride left of the powerline for a screwball and right of the powerline for a curveball (RH pitcher).
I am certain you will see many examples of this at the College World Series. The very top elite pitchers vary less in their foot landing position.
Remember that the ball gives the illusion of better movement when thrown in the direction of the desired movement.
Rick
 
May 26, 2008
3
0
But maybe more important for the newer pitcher is the location of the ball hand on the first upward motion. I would submit that the center knuckle should be pointing at the target thus getting the circle off to a proper start. After your first fifty thousand repetitions though muscle memory should be sufficiently in place so locking in visually on the target will get the job done. Then again, try throwing with your eyes closed, you can be surprisingly accurate. Muscle memory.

Brad
 
May 7, 2008
8,506
48
Tucson
I was just going to say "after your DD is good and warmed up, have her pitch with her eyes closed." She should still hit her spots.

Look at the target and then, close the eyes and pitch. She can open her eyes after release.
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,133
113
Dallas, Texas
It isn't a question of "thumb or foot" or whatever. It is a question of practicing correctly.

First, divide the plate into a left part and a right part. Then, have her practice throwing to the left and then the right. For example, if the ball is supposed to go to the left, anything to the left is good, anything to the right is bad. Rotate left to right, but she don't go to the "right" until she throws a pitch to the left, no matter how long it takes.

When she can throw to the left and right effortlessly, randomly select "left" or "right".

When she can do this successfully, use quadrants (left-up, left-down, right-up, right-down), and do the same thing.

When she can do this, divide the strike zone into quadrants, and do the same thing.

When she can do this, work on her putting the ball into the mitt, no matter where the mitt is placed.

Practice, practice, practice, practice...and when you get sick of practicing, practice some more.

JRW
 
May 26, 2008
6
0
My DD has had 2 different pithcing coaches in the last 3 years (she just turned 13) and adjusting the landing foot has been the direction from both, but the point about being precise is right on. It does not take much of an adjustment to hit the corners. As such, this creates a repetitive motion that is desired.
 

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