Anyone know of any good drills to get a pitcher to stop doing this? A pitcher on my daughters team was called for an illegal pitch this past weekend. She didnt get called for it anymore throughout the weekend, but we did notice it a few more times throughout the weekend. There was a hole in front of the pitching rubber and she has never had this leaping problem before. She is a great little pitcher and would like to get it fixed before it becomes a real problem.
Leaping
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Can you explain what she was doing?
I hate to suggest anything without seeing the overall form first, but here's a couple things that may help her feel it better:
-Dry drives around the house. With socks on, ask her to practice drives and feel her toes dragging from push to plant.
-During regular practice have her do several dry drives during warm up with a focus on feeling the drag. If there's a decent edge exposed on the front edge of the rubber, you can also use a rag, piece of cardboard or paper and hang it over the rubber far enough so she can try to pull it along on the ground as she drags. If there isn't a decent edge exposed on the rubber, lay the rag in front of the toe and don't use cardboard.
Ken
-Dry drives around the house. With socks on, ask her to practice drives and feel her toes dragging from push to plant.
-During regular practice have her do several dry drives during warm up with a focus on feeling the drag. If there's a decent edge exposed on the front edge of the rubber, you can also use a rag, piece of cardboard or paper and hang it over the rubber far enough so she can try to pull it along on the ground as she drags. If there isn't a decent edge exposed on the rubber, lay the rag in front of the toe and don't use cardboard.
Ken
Are you a coach or a parent of another child? If you are not one of the coaches, I would not worry about it. Especially if it only has been called once.
Bat,
I was asking to see if she was leaping with a drag (legal) or with her foot in the air (illegal). Some posters, parents, and even coaches may not realize that leap and drag is legal. There are a hodge podge of terms out there in softball world to confuse people. Just trying to make sure you weren't one of the confused!
Since she wasn't dragging a part of the foot, I will leave the drills to help fix to much more qualified people on this list than me to teach.
I was asking to see if she was leaping with a drag (legal) or with her foot in the air (illegal). Some posters, parents, and even coaches may not realize that leap and drag is legal. There are a hodge podge of terms out there in softball world to confuse people. Just trying to make sure you weren't one of the confused!
Since she wasn't dragging a part of the foot, I will leave the drills to help fix to much more qualified people on this list than me to teach.
javasource
6-4-3 = 2
Like Ken said, the paper drill works really well... but like he also said... it's tough without seeing her form.
From your description, it sounds like she is pretty young - and as such, I'll guess that she does the following... if not, disregard:
She literally leaps upward. Film her from the side with a tripod and watch her head. If she is going up, show her the video. Tell her that the distance she travels upward is distance she is not travelling outward. Her energy off the plate should only be outward. This is often the case with younger pitchers interpreting the words leap and drag, literally. Sounds trivial, but use the words stride and drive instead.
If standing on dirt, it is also helpful to measure the length of the drag mark that is left by the drag foot. Rather than measure the stride foot distance, make it a contest to see if she can beat her own record for the longest drag.
I'd be curious if her posture is forward on release... she should be vertical and not bending forward. Some young leapers are also leaners. When filmed from the side, she should appear to have a slight rearward or reversed posture.
Anyway, hope you have success! Post a vid of her if you get a chance.
From your description, it sounds like she is pretty young - and as such, I'll guess that she does the following... if not, disregard:
She literally leaps upward. Film her from the side with a tripod and watch her head. If she is going up, show her the video. Tell her that the distance she travels upward is distance she is not travelling outward. Her energy off the plate should only be outward. This is often the case with younger pitchers interpreting the words leap and drag, literally. Sounds trivial, but use the words stride and drive instead.
If standing on dirt, it is also helpful to measure the length of the drag mark that is left by the drag foot. Rather than measure the stride foot distance, make it a contest to see if she can beat her own record for the longest drag.
I'd be curious if her posture is forward on release... she should be vertical and not bending forward. Some young leapers are also leaners. When filmed from the side, she should appear to have a slight rearward or reversed posture.
Anyway, hope you have success! Post a vid of her if you get a chance.
