Overcoming the urge to aim in fastpitch pitching

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Ken Krause

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May 7, 2008
3,911
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Mundelein, IL
One of the most common problems I see when trying to teach fastpitch pitchers to learn to whip the arm through the release zone is overcoming the urge to aim. They’ll be doing a good job of bending at the elbow and letting the upper arm lead through the back of the circle (rather than […]

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Dec 10, 2015
845
63
Chautauqua County
DD and I have been working on this. Every time I see her squinch forward or turn the shoulder or bowl or any combination, we stop right there. Fortunately, the message is getting through. Thanks for the post!
 
Nov 29, 2009
2,975
83
THE biggest problem is usually not the pitchers. Often, it's the mom or dad who is catching for them or watching. The parents need to understand and I tell this to all my parents as I point to pitcher's plate. I will tell them when things at this end is working correctly, pointing to the plate, that end will take care of itself. Often you have to educate the parents on just how hard it is to chain everything together and release a ball perfectly at a high velocity within a few millisecond window. I will tell a young pitcher that I don't care where the ball goes when we're working on something. Then I'll ask them if anyone has ever said that to them. I've yet to have answer with a "Yes."
 

Ken Krause

Administrator
Admin
May 7, 2008
3,911
113
Mundelein, IL
THE biggest problem is usually not the pitchers. Often, it's the mom or dad who is catching for them or watching. The parents need to understand and I tell this to all my parents as I point to pitcher's plate. I will tell them when things at this end is working correctly, pointing to the plate, that end will take care of itself. Often you have to educate the parents on just how hard it is to chain everything together and release a ball perfectly at a high velocity within a few millisecond window. I will tell a young pitcher that I don't care where the ball goes when we're working on something. Then I'll ask them if anyone has ever said that to them. I've yet to have answer with a "Yes."

I read your post and it makes me wonder if I black out sometimes and post under the name Sparky Guy. I do and say all those same things! Especially the part about if you do the pitcher's end right the plate end will take care of itself.

You're right about parents catching. Often they are more focused on whether it's a strike rather than on whether the pitcher is learning how to pitch. Fortunately, a lot of the parent catchers for my students have bought into the idea that they don't need to worry about where the ball goes. That helps a lot.
 
Nov 29, 2009
2,975
83
You're right about parents catching. Often they are more focused on whether it's a strike rather than on whether the pitcher is learning how to pitch. Fortunately, a lot of the parent catchers for my students have bought into the idea that they don't need to worry about where the ball goes. That helps a lot.

That's the hardest part. Getting the parents to be processed oriented instead of results oriented. What I try to do with my parents is to have them watch the motion during the delivery so they know what correct mechanics look like, not where the ball goes. After a while some of them can catch mistakes when I do and know what the correction is.

Even an experienced eye can miss things and a different set of eyes need to observe a pitcher. My DD has a student she's been working with for a long time. The girl started struggling with her change after mastering it a long time ago. DD asked me to look at her. I caught 3 pitches from her and saw what she was doing wrong. Had her make the correction and within 5 pitches she was back to where she should be.
 
Jun 24, 2019
162
28
I know this is and old post but I am having the same issues with my DD when I catch or somebody else(her team catchers) she’s perfect now once a batter comes in is a different story, she barely started pitching. 3rd game total of 6 innings forgot to add first year of 10u DD is 9
 
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