Drive Mechanics

javasource said:

Cool thoughts, J. I would say that A leads to B and D... possibly C. What you see is a progression from stepping to pushing (an effort to get open) as the athlete matures. The emphasis was always static... when they were working on "the circle". Then... the need for a more dynamic movement arose... and the muscle memory of spinning to get open takes over.

I would partially disagree with your thoughts on A... Yes, that girl spins... but then pushes into ER ... and I think the people that try to work on fixing this... miss the more important concept. That concept is: the sequence of knee extension is being performed incorrectly.

A Crow-Hop is one of the harder fixes... no doubt...but if an athlete breaks apart their motion it can be fixed.

When I mention sequencing... I'm referring to the order in which the legs extend... and that extension is the straightening that takes place at the knee. Have a look:

and then have a look at Monica:

Many young pitchers make an association with striding... versus driving. If you're stuck in this little situation... ask them what stands out most in those two gifs? You might be surprised by their answer.

Then... consider these thoughts... comparing them to the gifs JRyan posted:

1) Which leg is doing more work?
2) WHICH LEG STRAIGHTENS FIRST?
3) Is either drive foot (Cat and Monica) twisting against the ground... or rotating as it pushes from the plate?
4) Does the heel of each drive foot travel OVER the big toe?
5) Did either pitcher 'open' in the gifs above?

Now... take those questions and compare them to what your daughter is doing... or the comparison gifs in JRyan's post.

Your goal is to convey the fact that in both Cat and Monica's examples... they STRAIGHTEN THE DRIVE LEG KNEE BEFORE THEY STRAIGHTEN THE STRIDE LEG KNEE. That's the sequence.

Now... take a look at that first girl... and tell me which leg straightens first? She's reaching out to a point... rather than driving out FROM ONE. That old saying: The plate is to push from NOT pitch from....

Both Cat and Monica PUSH WITH THE BIG TOE... and both have their heels TRAVELLING OVER THEIR BIG TOE, not around it.

Simply put: THE DRIVE NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE STRIDE IS COMPLETED.

Thanks for your input J... really cool to see B again!

Click to expand...

javasource said:

You got me thinking, Rocket... I was going back and looking at some of the responses in this thread.... and those got me thinking even more...

Over the years... I've found that I do not attract mediocrity. In fact, those that are looking for developing a good rec player are typically not that fond of me.

I don't want to speak for BM, Rick P, Rich B, or any other people out there... but I think one thing I have in common with them is that my expectations of an athlete are always higher than their own. It doesn't take long for those that work with me to realize that I'm not after average... and when they realize this limitation or immediate ceiling in themselves, we part ways. My theory is that if I'm going to give you 100% of my focus... then you better give me 120% of your effort. I don't want to work on being good... I want to work on being the best.

I think the majority of all sport participants out there (like +90%) are truly 'average' in their own mind and expectations. I'm ok with knowing they are out there... but our differences are so great that it's pointless to try and forge a working relationship. I dunno... perhaps that's why I upset a few people around here from time to time...

Sorry for the rant... you have me thinking out loud...

Click to expand...

javasource said:

drive mechanics – problems/solutions & flaws/fixes

the 2-step drill

problem(s)/flaw(s): Weak drive, timing, opening late, posture, stride resistance, leaping, crow-hop (newly established), anchoring/pinning of rear leg, excessive pivot, and on and on…

solution(s): the 2-step (further details below, please read the details!!!)

background/description: the 2-step is a drill i created… and i’m pretty passionate about it. For starters, we’ll refer to this drill to help overcome a weak drive – but – you will see that this drill will be referenced in subsequent posts for much more than a weak drive.

I used to lean exclusively on walkthroughs to assist those with weak/or limited drive off the plate – but it became evident that many pitchers could not duplicate this type of linear aggression off the plate in games. Why? Well, let’s face it…you can’t run up from behind the plate in a game… so we need to teach pitchers how to create what i call “stationary momentum”, teaching them immediate weight transfer, and establishing momentum through a rearward (or negative) move.

As my students advanced, i needed a drill that taught and enforced overlapping ballistic movements – as you can’t progress into advanced pitching (effectively) without them. We’ll cover that subject later… but realize that i’m really selling this drill, cause it has more value than any other drill i know of. Furthermore... It’s not just a drill. Imo, the movements it teaches are how high-level pitchers pitch… and as such, should become part of every pitch your dd/student throws from here on out.

example/how to:

​

details: Use the following points as an addendum to the video. Also, feel free to use any youtube downloader (keepvid is great), download it, and do it along with your daughter on a laptop or tablet. This may be the most effective way if you're struggling with some of the concepts.

• it’s imperative that you maximize the ‘staggered start’. A pitching plate is 6” x 24”. use all 6-inches, no exceptions!!! Neither foot should be on the plate… instead, start with the drive heel barely (less than an inch) in contact with the front of the plate, and the stride toe barely touching the back of the plate (less than an inch). Maximizing the distance she can travel rearward will maximize her momentum potential. Scroll to the bottom of this post for an illustration.
• yes, the lifting of the feet is ‘illegal’. Get over it. As i state in the video, if you can’t get over this, do not perform this drill. In over a decade as pc, none of my students have ever illegally pitched in a game because of this drill - and none of them practice a ‘legal version’ of this as a drill. Teach them the recommended “lethal” version, not the “legal” version.
• the drill is designed to teach a pitcher how to maximize weight transfer and linear momentum… and this is best taught by lifting the feet. As a drill, this should always be performed ‘illegally’. Making it legal is absurdly simple and any focus on keeping it or teaching it ‘legal’, will severely limit her potential.
• at no time in this drill… will both feet bare weight at the same time. You must teach this concept correctly. It’s either 100% of her weight or 0%. No exceptions.
• the rearward slide and center of the drive foot is absolutely critical. It shows you that she transferred all her weight backwards onto the stride foot and moved backwards. As they progress with this drill, most pitchers need to be reminded not to rush or skip this super important rearward move. This rearward move creates more distance to travel through prior to the drive foot ‘pushing’… which is what creates momentum (like a walkthrough). As these mechanics become her regular pitch, be sure this move happens.
• to start, it’s ok to step ‘backward’ and step ‘forward’… but, as they progress, the distance between the feet when the drive foot pushes should be minimized. Don’t encourage minimal distance at first… just take your time. When you do start making the adjustment, focus on the drive foot… it should not step outward, but instead gradually become an inward (dig) step. Minimizing the distance between the feet when the drive foot ‘digs in’ and pushes will significantly improve her timing.
• once you turn your focus to getting the stride knee out, make sure the ‘shin angle’ puts the foot behind the knee. Show her how to do the wall sprints so that she understands how to ‘shoot’ the knee out correctly.
• building your own tempo does not mean to simply do it faster. Each move must happen; don’t increase the tempo so much that the moves are eliminated, instead, focus on increasing the effort.
• at no time should we reach with the stride foot as we leap. Lead and reach with the knee… and then get the foot down quickly. Poor timing and extension of the drive and stride leg knees are the most common causes of leaping.
• the backswing is best performed after the slide rearward. This is an important timing mechanism, and i highly recommend that you separate it from the rearward transfer, slide and centering.

here is one of many students i am absolutely privileged to work with... Just turned 10 and learned basics of the 2-step in less than 15 minutes (this video is of her learning the drill at clinic). I find this graphic helpful… as it really highlights the incredible linear energy she establishes... She had zero established momentum prior to this drill. I also believe that seeing a student 'model pitcher' is quite motivating for all the other future stars out there. Many thanks to her parents for giving me permission to post this snippet of her!

this is a comparison of her full pitch at the start of the clinic versus her 'new' full pitch by the end of the clinic. As you can see, she incorporated the 2-step into her regular pitch. And in about an hour... The difference is awesome.

lastly, i’d like to thank my dd, chloé, for her willingness to do this video with me. She was always a catcher - but decided to give pitching a try last summer (to which i am still celebrating)… and we haven’t looked back since. I am incredibly proud of her and the progress she has made in such a short amount of time.

Here's the staggered start illustration i alluded to in the 'details' section:

Click to expand...

javasource said:

Stride Angle

When working with student–athletes, you’ll find (if you haven’t already) that no two are built the same… at least I HOPE you do. Therefore, devising a cookie-cutter system that works for everyone is an effort in futility… You have to be willing to ‘think’ about each athlete and take their differences into consideration – and then apply this knowledge to the individual… so that the movement THEY perform is the most efficient for THAT INDIVIDUAL. Stride angles and stride foot orientations are great examples of this… and you’ll encounter some stride specific variances in your travels… I’ll give you a ‘blueprint’… but understand that each instance of that blueprint WILL be unique.

What differences? That’s a subsequent post… but rest assured “Differences” will be covered… as they apply to individual structure as well as the ever-contested male vs. female subject… which (put your seat-belt on) does exist. More on that later…

Many associate the words “Stride Angle” with the orientation of the stride foot at touch down – like “45-degree” or “90-degree” foot plant. Although this will be covered next, stride angle is actually a reference to the angle created between the ankle of the rear foot and front foot at ‘touchdown’. Here’s a handy ‘Birdseye’ illustration that sums up the differences quite well…

One of the more common ‘tools’ in use is the powerline… either hand-crafted or purchased in the form of a pitching mat… and I’m not a huge fan of the predominant usage, as it is often utilized incorrectly. Here is an example, if you're unfamiliar...

Kids are often told to start on the line (drive foot) and land on the line (stride foot). Doing so often creates a ‘positive’ (IMO, not good) stride angle (see next illustration) Green = preferred, Red = not preferred… sorry for the low quality..

This results in a ‘crossing over’ action of the stride foot… which then leads to the drive foot being behind it… and in younger athletes, can result in the hips/shoulders opening too much. As discussed previously, this position often creates what starsnuffer marvelously labeled as a ‘backwards pitcher”.

From this 'crossed over' position… any subsequent move forward with the rear leg, is actually rearward… and the hips continue to open… while the shoulders close. Furthermore, this adds significantly to compressive forces in the shoulder… Sprinkle in high-frequency usage (lots of pitches), maybe a muscle deficiency or two, and some compensatory postural issues and you’ve an injured pitcher.

So… if you’ve a pitcher that steps onto or across to the pitching side of this line, I’d recommend that you ‘fix’ this. Get her to step with her stride foot forward… and the result will be like 90+% of the modeled pitchers out there… or slightly to the left of the line (RHP). See the green feet above... This is known as a negative angle… The benefits are ever-apparent:

• Less weight on the heels (try it before you contest it)

• Better stabilization of the core

• Better on-plane arm circle

• Better pitching lane (ball can see the target)

• Less shoulder compression forces

• Better hip adduction

• A connected torso

• This slightly wider ‘base’ promotes better balance… which also leads to better hip/scapular stability at the top of the circle and through the release zone

Such a small thing… with such significant returns…

So, if you use a powerline (which is perfectly fine) put the drive foot on the line, and encourage the stride foot land slightly to the left of the line (for RHP, opposite for LHP). If your drive foot isn't on the line... just make sure your stride foot lands slightly to the left of where your drive foot started. I am not suggesting that you step to the left… just step forward, not across. Don’t go crazy with attaining the perfect stride angle… just prevent it from ‘crossing over’. Later on, you can work with some minor stride manipulations, if desired… but when training someone – I find this is the best place to start… or a ‘blueprint’ – especially younger or beginning pitchers.

I’m sure some (maybe just one) will read this as a no-brain post… and say… “Why so many words…” My response: Heard it before… go away.

Next up… Stride Foot Orientation….

Click to expand...

Ball Game said:

so am i seeing...weight on drive leg....weight to back leg as we lean...backswing thenn ransfer weight back to drive leg and explode forward?

Click to expand...

txnick said:

Finally started my DD on the RedCord and I am doing it as well for fitness

I love this video of Basic Redcord Lunge Progression

[video=youtube_share;IaH1SbH_4NM]http://youtu.be/IaH1SbH_4NM[/video]

Click to expand...