Drive Mechanics

Jojo said:

Thank you for this. I have a high school pitcher that does what I call a "Hoedown". Where the back leg is turned back and the back foot is on the heel with the toe in the air.
I've been trying to correct this forEVER! Every week she has homework to correct it, she will stop doing it now but only when her focus is on it, once she stops the focus it comes back.

Her high school team recently had a college coach come to talk to them and since he was also a pitching instructor he felt the need to show the pitchers things he'd like them to do like, "gas pedal, front foot", his change-up, etc.
She asked him about her hoedown since she told him I always make a big deal about it and his answer was it wasn't a problem. Lots of pitchers do it he says. So now this leaves me in a position where she doesn't feel like she needs to change it.

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Hi Jojo,

The next flaws and fixes post (coming this week) will deal specifically with the sequence of the drive... and if I had to guess... the pitcher you're working with (lucky girl) has a sequencing issue. Difficult to tell without video, but I think if you really break the early sequence down, you'll see where the flaw is... most likely a late-push.

Take a look at this... the late push causes many issues... including excessive turnout and hyper-extension of the rear leg:



Hope that helps!!! Check back later this week... I'll post something more complete... ~ JS

OK... here's a video of Monica... for comparison.



Notice how her 'angles' lessen... she loads in her back motion and quickly drives. There is no loading of the drive leg once the stride leg passes it. This is an important piece... because her ability to extend her leg earlier... allows her to weightlessly flex the knee over the top... preventing the drive foot from turning towards 2nd base. Notice that once she gets over top... the flexion angle of the drive knee is increasing... because her 'push' is completely done... EARLY. Make sense?

Again... the 2-step teaches immediate transfer of weight and this forceful/quick push... as opposed to the slow building push that often creates this hoedown position you refer to. So... if this is what you are seeing... get her to transfer weight immediately between the stride and drive feet. Get her to learn and utilize the principles of the 2-Step in her games.

Best ~JS

Java, you never cease to amaze me! I was well fed by those last two posts!

I'm guessing this is why the Java Two-step is such an important drill. It gets the pitcher to "toe-in" and also get the front knee bent such that when she goes, the push leg pushes rather than loads more then goes.

Thanks java, with this particular pitcher it's more of a turning early issue. She aggressively turns her upper body and hips at push-off.
This makes it more difficult to change because she feels she needs the turning to initiate arm speed.
Getting her to focus on her legs has been an ongoing challenge.

I am going to have her start doing a lot more leg drills, I have a good one I use with all my beginners. I call it the "Zombie Bucket Kick".
In this drill I have the students line up in front a bucket then they get in their racer start position(forward lean), and from there they push that leg and drive the rear knee up and kick up till the stride leg lands on the bucket. The push leg should be fully straightened by the time the stride leg reaches the bucket. I use this drill as a push and sequencing drill. The reason I call it a zombie drill is that the arms sequence up with the legs and extend forward toward the target, which looks like a zombie reaching for BRAINS!!!!!! I always yell BRAINSSSS! when the girls don't use their arms.

I'll be having this freshman back on the bucket chasing brains!

JOJO,

You gotta post a video of that...doing it right and wrong...I wanna hear you yell "BRAINSSSS"

Drive Mechanics – Problems/Solutions & Flaws/Fixes

Problem: The ‘Pivot Foot’ and the ‘Twisty-Turn’

Problem(s)/Flaw(s): Sequencing, ‘Plowing’/’Anchoring’/’Pinning’ of drive leg, Weak Drive, Posture, Extreme Forward Lean, 'Sitting' into the pitch, Leaping, Crow-hop (newly established), Excessive Pivot, and on and on…

Here's a great example of an improperly sequenced drive:

This pitcher gets open.. COMPLETELY... without pushing off the plate.
At the end of this little gif... The ball is overhead at 12:00...


Now... she pushes... sending the body forward into a significant lean:



Solution(s): The 2-Step, Walk-throughs… then Run-Throughs. You don't need a link for that one... figure it out.

You must expend the drive leg energy in an immediate push, not gradual! Push… then open. Get OUT, then DOWN!

Background/Description: Many young pitchers spend countless hours in stationary ‘open’ drills… and get in the habit of pivoting on the rear (drive) foot to open them into ‘drill position’.

Furthermore, the drive foot is often mistakenly referred to as the ‘pivot foot’. In order for a pivot to occur in the drive foot, it must be anchored to the ground… to create the pivot point. This point is always the ball of the foot. Call it the Drive foot... not the pivot foot.

The body must open… but understanding and implementing the correct opening sequence… is where many young pitchers fail to connect the pieces. Do not confuse a slightly toe-out push with a pivot... they are NOT the same thing.

Here’s the correct drive sequence, IMO... an expended linear force... then rotation:

1. An unweighted drive foot receives 100% of the body weight as the stride leg knee shoots out.
2. The drive foot RESPONDS by digging INTO and forcefully pushing OFF OF the pitching plate. This is an immediate push, not gradual.
3. The resultant FORCEFUL push propels the body forward, UNWEIGHTING the drive foot.
4. The stride leg reaches maximum extension AFTER the drive leg is done pushing. The pelvic region is extended and mostly open.
5. On maximum extension, the stride leg should INTERNALLY ROTATE. This movement DOWNWARD and INWARD of the stride leg facilitates the rest of the body in OPENING.
6. Simply put, the STRIDE LEG opens the body, NOT the drive foot.
7. The drive foot will then open in response… NOT pivot…because an unweighted drive foot has no ‘point’ to pivot around.

Here are two pitchers... using the correct sequence:



As opposed to a fairly common incorrect sequence... purely rotation... and no linear energy exhausted. That sequence (like the girl above) is as such:

1. There is NO immediate transfer of weight. The drive leg is bearing weight, and she’s up on the balls of her feet. Her pivot point is set.
2. Instead of pushing, she pivots… swinging the stride leg out...
3. The rear leg STILL bears ALL the body weight.
4. Her pelvic region pivots open off the rear leg… and then the stride leg swings forward into extension.
5. Once her body is open... she pushes... far too late.

Sometimes... the sequence is harder to catch with 'the naked eye'... but a telltale sign that's much easier to notice is what I call, "Sitting into the pitch". Take a look at how much she 'sits' during the pivot:



The important thing that I want you all to walk away with is that whether it's an obvious twisty-turn or a less obvious delayed push... SO MANY of the issues we read about on DFP are the result of a retarded (pun NOT-intended) push off of the plate.

Anchoring, plowing, leaping, 'backwards pitching', leaning, timing issues, arm locking out in backside of circle, closing too early, etc... all exhibit this trait. So... fix it. Teach an EXPLOSIVE drive as a vital component of the pitching process.

Make the 2-step and Walk-throughs part of EVERY throwing routine.

Remember:

DON'T PITCH FROM THE PLATE, PUSH FROM IT!

Lastly... don't waste time making pitching blocks... or 'foot prisons' as I call them. Heel over toe is a NO TEACH. Teach them to run off the plate (walk-throughs)... They will throw harder/faster than they ever have. Radar them... and then CHALLENGE them to match that speed with a regular pitch. They'll wonder how... the secret is in the legs...

Best ~ JS

I finally made my way through the entire Drive Mechanics thread today. I'm sure I will be going back to it many many times. It is packed with so much great information. Other than thanks I have some questions mainly related to your post #70 where you talk about converting H/E to I/R pitchers and some of the issues. In relationship especially to the following quote from that post . . .

"I hope you all see how far removed H/E mechanics are from the goal – which is high hand/ball speeds at release… the result of properly chaining energy through the arm. So, although it’s human nature to fixate on the ball movement in the circle, I’m certain you’ll find it easier to convert an H/E pitcher to I/R mechanics… if you first work on preventing rotational trunk movement in your drill progressions. In other words: get them to throw while staying open, first… and then show them how to whip properly. Teaching them I/R correctly is absolutely critical… but in converting… should come after you teach them to throw underhand across their body (IMO)."

Can you please give a bit more detail on what exactly you suggest for helping with this? I was watching her intently last night as she is working on finding whip and brush interference in her motion. We have been fortunate enough to have help from Ken B. and he is a wonderful help to us in this transition. And he has referred me to your information and I know he'd be glad to have me glean from you. When I read this today it really hit the nail on the head with what I think I saw in her last night. Thanks for any ideas.

Out in Left Field said:

Ueno would be illegal in HS and college.

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And I believe a pitcher who is driving out like she should would be pushing the limits of legality. That is, she should be driving out so explosively that the drag foot has a hard time staying down--much better than dragging heavy IMO. It's the same with the drive leg/foot. Further, once my pitching students slide their drive foot over (and back a little) toward their stride foot, I want to occasionally see the foot lift off the pitching plate to initiate their "toe-in-n-go." Of course, lifting the foot is illegal, but I want them pushing the envelope. Why? Because it gets a more explosive drive out of them.

Out in Left Field said:

Ueno would be illegal in HS and college.

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I'm sure she could get the necessary papers... LOL

'Gym steps' and false load (which she still doesn't understand correctly) give OILF fits...

Doug Romrell said:

I want to occasionally see the foot lift off the pitching plate to initiate their "toeing-n-go." Of course, lifting the foot is illegal, but I want them pushing the envelope. Why? Because it gets a more explosive drive out of them.

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EXACTLY!!!! Winna, Winna! Chicken Dinna!

You rock, Doug!!! That's the whole point!!!

javasource said:

Winna, Winna! Chicken Dinna!

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Now that's funny!