Corlay, I believe it is during the 2-step drill that you want the stride foot heel to touch the ground.
Drive Mechanics
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Corlay, I believe it is during the 2-step drill that you want the stride foot heel to touch the ground.
javasource
6-4-3 = 2
Corlay,
Drc is correct. This drill is about teaching kids to establish the coordination to lean, similar to that which you see some of the best DM pitchers perform. H will get a heavy dose of this... as she's just about ready to start focusing on the drive... with all that hard work she has been doing to catch the whip. Addressing the overlap is an important piece that many struggle with because of the feel it creates... it's unnatural to those that have always been told to bring the stride leg/pitching arm out/up together.
In this drill you need not keep the heel down to the ground because of the intentional staggered start... but you do need to feel that stretch... so the heel should be kept back/down enough to create that feeling. Think more about the knee being straight... again, think about joint movements.
This drill is about the first step in a sprint. Subsequent steps have a quicker impulse... but the first is about creating power and forward momentum out of the blocks... which is done with an extended knee that results from a well-timed lean. The next post will make this focus quite evident.
Drc is correct. This drill is about teaching kids to establish the coordination to lean, similar to that which you see some of the best DM pitchers perform. H will get a heavy dose of this... as she's just about ready to start focusing on the drive... with all that hard work she has been doing to catch the whip. Addressing the overlap is an important piece that many struggle with because of the feel it creates... it's unnatural to those that have always been told to bring the stride leg/pitching arm out/up together.
In this drill you need not keep the heel down to the ground because of the intentional staggered start... but you do need to feel that stretch... so the heel should be kept back/down enough to create that feeling. Think more about the knee being straight... again, think about joint movements.
This drill is about the first step in a sprint. Subsequent steps have a quicker impulse... but the first is about creating power and forward momentum out of the blocks... which is done with an extended knee that results from a well-timed lean. The next post will make this focus quite evident.
Wow Java, thanks so much for the detailed response and break down of the motions! DD was so excited to look at it broken down like that. (She only got half way through it then had to get on the school bus 
Can't wait for the exercises to help with the hips. We're both anxious to see how all of this will transfer to her actual pitch. I love how you say NOT to get comfortable with it - to keep pushing the envelope. I'm positive she had settled into too comfortable and that is why she has hit a wall with her speed. Can't say thank you enough!
Can't wait for the exercises to help with the hips. We're both anxious to see how all of this will transfer to her actual pitch. I love how you say NOT to get comfortable with it - to keep pushing the envelope. I'm positive she had settled into too comfortable and that is why she has hit a wall with her speed. Can't say thank you enough!
javasource
6-4-3 = 2
The Hips (and my incessant nagging on Hip Flexion/Hip Extension)
This post is going to be about identifying deficiency in a pitcher's hip flexors/extensors. The next one will be the fixes... as I find it useful to identify what needs to be worked... before working on it...
A few people on here have made note that I'm always talking about hip flexion/extension. Can you pitch successfully without 'perfect' range of motion in the hips? Absolutely. There are lots and lots of D1 pitchers out there that have less than optimal mechanics. I've watched kids clip 70 mph... all the while being critical of what they could do better... as I find this as a good exercise to keep me on my game. Remember, much of the stuff I post on here is about maximizing motions... giving your DD the ability to get more out of her pitch. It's not just about being good... it's about being better. So if you're happy with good... move on... not all of my posts are for everyone.
The hips take a beating in pitching... receiving an absurd amount of force from the ground force collisions... and almost always (in younger and older pitchers alike) perform some level of compensation to allow for the movement to complete. They act as the gateway to the spine, the upper body/core, and have many of the largest muscles in the body attaching to and running through the area. Large muscles are movers. Around these large muscles are smaller muscles... that stabilize and seek proper alignment... for proper function and passage of energy. These little muscles allow the larger muscles to perform more efficiently. When our body compensates for a deficiency, these larger bully muscles take over and we will perform a less than optimal movement... exposing the system to inefficiencies in the kinetic chaining of energy... and opening the possibility of significant injury. These injuries can be immediate... or sleepers that make our life miserable in our later years.
Control issues that growing pitchers struggle with are often a result of the upper body winning out over the lower body. The lower body receives excessive force that it cannot deal with in a consistent fashion... and you've now a kid with a different posture (release trajectory) with each pitch... because the mass of the upper body wins out... rushing forward. It takes so little upperbody displacement to negatively impact our control. Sure, you can do a thousand crunches and call it a day... but you're not dealing with the link between the upper and lower body... the hips.
Spiel over...
One of the things I was definitely guilty of instructing early on... was to stride out to a point that is 120% of your height. I'd have girls lay down on the ground... measure their height and say, "beat that distance". Although this may have worked for your daughter, I can GUARANTEE you that it does NOT work as a general rule of thumb for all... and is therefore, IMO... poor instruction to disseminate to the masses. Why?
When a girls is sending her stride leg out... her range of motion will determine how far that leg can get out. If she can do forward splits and the like she will hyper extend her drive hip... creating a position she cannot recover from easily.
On the flip side... what happens when she isn't as flexible? How does she 'lengthen' her stride? Well, the answer is simple... her hips will do it for her. In order to accommodate a longer stride, the hips will rotate (open)... in relation to the torso... which in turn, causes the torso to open. This is a problem when it happens too early.
So... we want a pitcher to set their posture EARLY. Increased hip flexion/extension allows for this... erecting the spine and allowing the stabilizing muscles around it, to... well... stabilize. Lack of hip flexion/extension... when coupled with a stride, will create early opening of the hips. Seeing the movements makes it easier to understand:
Hip Flexion:
Hip Extension:
As you can see... the hip flexors/extensors work together in pitching... so it's important that we condition them together. Take a look at the compensations that occur in the hip region with this pitcher... who although gets to near hip extension... is severely limited in her hip flexion...
Here's her flexion range:
Here's the compensation the hips perform to make up for the deficiency:
Note how Cat's hips respond with opening MUCH later... because her range of motion allows for this.
This pitcher is quite talented... however I can hear people telling her to work on opening less... or stride out further... or change where you stride to, or keep your shoelaces pointed to the catcher, etc. None of these cues/instructions will work with her... because it is a ROM issue. Now that we can identify what is that's causing this girl to open too soon... we can work on helping her maximize her drive and pitching mechanics.
More later!
This post is going to be about identifying deficiency in a pitcher's hip flexors/extensors. The next one will be the fixes... as I find it useful to identify what needs to be worked... before working on it...
A few people on here have made note that I'm always talking about hip flexion/extension. Can you pitch successfully without 'perfect' range of motion in the hips? Absolutely. There are lots and lots of D1 pitchers out there that have less than optimal mechanics. I've watched kids clip 70 mph... all the while being critical of what they could do better... as I find this as a good exercise to keep me on my game. Remember, much of the stuff I post on here is about maximizing motions... giving your DD the ability to get more out of her pitch. It's not just about being good... it's about being better. So if you're happy with good... move on... not all of my posts are for everyone.
The hips take a beating in pitching... receiving an absurd amount of force from the ground force collisions... and almost always (in younger and older pitchers alike) perform some level of compensation to allow for the movement to complete. They act as the gateway to the spine, the upper body/core, and have many of the largest muscles in the body attaching to and running through the area. Large muscles are movers. Around these large muscles are smaller muscles... that stabilize and seek proper alignment... for proper function and passage of energy. These little muscles allow the larger muscles to perform more efficiently. When our body compensates for a deficiency, these larger bully muscles take over and we will perform a less than optimal movement... exposing the system to inefficiencies in the kinetic chaining of energy... and opening the possibility of significant injury. These injuries can be immediate... or sleepers that make our life miserable in our later years.
Control issues that growing pitchers struggle with are often a result of the upper body winning out over the lower body. The lower body receives excessive force that it cannot deal with in a consistent fashion... and you've now a kid with a different posture (release trajectory) with each pitch... because the mass of the upper body wins out... rushing forward. It takes so little upperbody displacement to negatively impact our control. Sure, you can do a thousand crunches and call it a day... but you're not dealing with the link between the upper and lower body... the hips.
Spiel over...
One of the things I was definitely guilty of instructing early on... was to stride out to a point that is 120% of your height. I'd have girls lay down on the ground... measure their height and say, "beat that distance". Although this may have worked for your daughter, I can GUARANTEE you that it does NOT work as a general rule of thumb for all... and is therefore, IMO... poor instruction to disseminate to the masses. Why?
When a girls is sending her stride leg out... her range of motion will determine how far that leg can get out. If she can do forward splits and the like she will hyper extend her drive hip... creating a position she cannot recover from easily.
On the flip side... what happens when she isn't as flexible? How does she 'lengthen' her stride? Well, the answer is simple... her hips will do it for her. In order to accommodate a longer stride, the hips will rotate (open)... in relation to the torso... which in turn, causes the torso to open. This is a problem when it happens too early.
So... we want a pitcher to set their posture EARLY. Increased hip flexion/extension allows for this... erecting the spine and allowing the stabilizing muscles around it, to... well... stabilize. Lack of hip flexion/extension... when coupled with a stride, will create early opening of the hips. Seeing the movements makes it easier to understand:
Hip Flexion:
Hip Extension:
As you can see... the hip flexors/extensors work together in pitching... so it's important that we condition them together. Take a look at the compensations that occur in the hip region with this pitcher... who although gets to near hip extension... is severely limited in her hip flexion...
Here's her flexion range:
Here's the compensation the hips perform to make up for the deficiency:
Note how Cat's hips respond with opening MUCH later... because her range of motion allows for this.
This pitcher is quite talented... however I can hear people telling her to work on opening less... or stride out further... or change where you stride to, or keep your shoelaces pointed to the catcher, etc. None of these cues/instructions will work with her... because it is a ROM issue. Now that we can identify what is that's causing this girl to open too soon... we can work on helping her maximize her drive and pitching mechanics.
More later!
Last edited:
JJsqueeze
Dad, Husband....legend
Java-
how do you know when the issue is actual range of motion and not a kid simply not extending/flexing as much as they could? is there a visual clue?
how do you know when the issue is actual range of motion and not a kid simply not extending/flexing as much as they could? is there a visual clue?
javasource
6-4-3 = 2
Short answer:
As far as a visual cue... in the clip above notice that the hip flexion angle stops... and when it does... in relationship to the stride and circle. From there, the lack of ROM pulls the hips into rotation and the rear leg forward. That's not a bad thing... the when is.
I guess there's always a case when you don't... especially in that scenario. The athlete always controls their own effort... something we old people can only observe & guess. And to me... not flexing/extending as much as you could... is USUALLY an effort issue.
That said, the drive & stride is truly an athletic movement. Imagine this:
You go to a track meet... and wander over to the 100m race. You see a whole line of runners down in the blocks... heck you even video tape it. The starting gun goes off... and all but one person flies out of the blocks. That one dude is short stepping his way in a casual manner behind the pack... His first step was slow as molasses... and he's upright by his second step... and on and on...
Either that cat was simply chilling... or there is lack of something on that first step or two. His reaction to the race USUALLY answers the question.
Point being, the drive is soooo similar to the explosive steps (2) out of the block that detecting an anomaly is usually very simple... as you know what it can look like... and you know what it does look like.
So with that kid, catchermom's kid, and Cat... I know that it wasn't a rotational twisty turn, because of their knee alignment. I also know that hip extension increased while hip flexion did not. I also know that the hip rotation that the two younger girls exhibit takes place too soon... and that their linear energy forward would allow for more range of motion if it was there... and that when a kid strides out with one leg while pushing with the other - detecting their range of motion is a little easier to see because of the nature of the movement.
But... then there are the kids that are told NOT to stride out... or taught to step-style. I suppose you simply qualify what it is you want them to do... and then see how they do it. If you can't do it yourself for them, find a model pitcher... and ask them to: do that.
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javasource
6-4-3 = 2
Drive Mechanics: Developing A Lean
***NOTE*** The following drill(s) are ones I use AFTER a pitcher knows how to catch the whip, has decent timing, and exhibits an understanding of front-side resistance, core control, and lower-extremity stability/strength. They will significantly increase ground force resistance. There... that's my liability waiver...
When it comes to Drive Mechanics, I'm always trying new ways to help a kid get off the plate, powerfully. At times, I have to remind myself to NOT be confined to softball... and broaden my learning. I've compared pitching to just about every athletic event/movement I can find... but I've not found anything that emulates the forward lean and momentum development you see in pitching better than sprinting... specifically the first step or two. Beyond that, sprinting takes a different form, unique to that sport.
First off... all of these following drills/exercises take time. You don't just do them for sh!+s and giggles... sprinkling a random effort from time to time in performing them. They are not a program... they are a routine that you practice weekly... for good... and you constantly work to improve your form in each drill. The rewards extend beyond pitching... you'll be an absolute stud running the bases and getting a powerful first step when fielding. Each of these drills has a unique focus... but ALL of them will improve hip flexion/extension/mobility... and all of them require that you work on your lean, 'pawing' backward with the feet, and explosion out of your drive.
Video yourself trying it the first time... and pick out the things you should and will do better on the next series of attempts. Make this a habit... and hitting the 8-foot radius will become surprisingly easy.
This is the kind of stuff that I started putting on video for sale... but what the hell:
The Lean
The lean is a movement you can develop relatively quickly by teaching your body to perform under load... with a lean. The greater the lean, the better. Many kids need to learn what it feels like to perform an athletic movement with a lean... and that they can trust that they're not going to face-plant. Once this comfort is in place... developing it while pitching becomes so much easier.
The old Lean, Fall, Go Drill is truly a decent one... but some kids just never apply it to pitching. I usually give them a few weeks trying this on for size... with the Wall Sprints. My theory is to give them a little time to try out their athleticism... before I spend too much time teaching them a move they may already possess. Whether successful on their own or not... they then go on to the following drills. The goal is to enhance the move your are isolating as MUCH AS POSSIBLE. I recommend you do all of these drills... as each kid will require an association to develop the lean... and it's not always the same for kids. In fact, revisit the Lean, Fall, Go drill once you have performed these drills successfully... I think you'll find much more success... and it makes a handy transition into the pitching motion (along with the Pushback & 2-Step Drills).
The Staggered Jumpback Drill
This is how I came up with the Pushback drill... and you'll see the similarities as soon as you watch the gif below:
Step-by-step instructions for a right-handed pitcher. Lefties... just switch it up...
Tips and Variations:
I'll leave this post alone for now. If ya'll want more... let me know... as there are a bunch of drills I use for developing this part of the pitch.
Best, ~JS
***NOTE*** The following drill(s) are ones I use AFTER a pitcher knows how to catch the whip, has decent timing, and exhibits an understanding of front-side resistance, core control, and lower-extremity stability/strength. They will significantly increase ground force resistance. There... that's my liability waiver...
When it comes to Drive Mechanics, I'm always trying new ways to help a kid get off the plate, powerfully. At times, I have to remind myself to NOT be confined to softball... and broaden my learning. I've compared pitching to just about every athletic event/movement I can find... but I've not found anything that emulates the forward lean and momentum development you see in pitching better than sprinting... specifically the first step or two. Beyond that, sprinting takes a different form, unique to that sport.
First off... all of these following drills/exercises take time. You don't just do them for sh!+s and giggles... sprinkling a random effort from time to time in performing them. They are not a program... they are a routine that you practice weekly... for good... and you constantly work to improve your form in each drill. The rewards extend beyond pitching... you'll be an absolute stud running the bases and getting a powerful first step when fielding. Each of these drills has a unique focus... but ALL of them will improve hip flexion/extension/mobility... and all of them require that you work on your lean, 'pawing' backward with the feet, and explosion out of your drive.
Video yourself trying it the first time... and pick out the things you should and will do better on the next series of attempts. Make this a habit... and hitting the 8-foot radius will become surprisingly easy.
This is the kind of stuff that I started putting on video for sale... but what the hell:
The Lean
The lean is a movement you can develop relatively quickly by teaching your body to perform under load... with a lean. The greater the lean, the better. Many kids need to learn what it feels like to perform an athletic movement with a lean... and that they can trust that they're not going to face-plant. Once this comfort is in place... developing it while pitching becomes so much easier.
The old Lean, Fall, Go Drill is truly a decent one... but some kids just never apply it to pitching. I usually give them a few weeks trying this on for size... with the Wall Sprints. My theory is to give them a little time to try out their athleticism... before I spend too much time teaching them a move they may already possess. Whether successful on their own or not... they then go on to the following drills. The goal is to enhance the move your are isolating as MUCH AS POSSIBLE. I recommend you do all of these drills... as each kid will require an association to develop the lean... and it's not always the same for kids. In fact, revisit the Lean, Fall, Go drill once you have performed these drills successfully... I think you'll find much more success... and it makes a handy transition into the pitching motion (along with the Pushback & 2-Step Drills).
The Staggered Jumpback Drill
This is how I came up with the Pushback drill... and you'll see the similarities as soon as you watch the gif below:
Step-by-step instructions for a right-handed pitcher. Lefties... just switch it up...
- Draw/tape a Starting Line AND and a Jumpback Line on the ground
- Make the Jumpback Line about two shoe-lengths behind the Starting Line.
- With feet LIGHTLY spaced, place your heels slightly in front of the starting line.
- by placing your right foot just behind the Starting Line and
- your left foot ON the jumpback line.
Tips and Variations:
- Head position is everything, keep it forward of the Starting Line... and work on increasing the distance forward.
- You can increase the jumpback distance of both feet... but don't increase the staggered distance.
- DECREASE the stagger spacing of the feet after jumping back to 6"... while maintaining the same degree of lean.
- Do not let your heels touch the ground.
- Variation: once comfortable, stagger your steps... so that the left foot contacts the ground before the right. Be sure to PUSHBACK as soon as each foot makes contact.
- FEEL the load... and powerfully explode out of it WITH BOTH LEGS... DO NOT sit or absorb into it. Like swimming... hit that wall and explode from it.
- Drive the knees out, powerfully... maintaining shin angles, like in the example below.
I'll leave this post alone for now. If ya'll want more... let me know... as there are a bunch of drills I use for developing this part of the pitch.
Best, ~JS
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I feel fairly confident is speaking for everyone when I say there will never be a time we don't want to hear more from you.
This is great info, thank you. My dd has always struggled with the lean. We have tried so many things to get her to feel it and get comfortable with it. She has said she feels like she going to face plant or now she says she feels like she is leaning, but video shows shes leans then stands back up to push. she sees it on video but doesn't know how to correct it. She has improved, the two-step and push back drills have helped. She also has always struggled with opening too soon. We have tried many things to fix it but nothing has worked. If She fixes her drive this should fix opening too soon? Thanks again Please post more im really interested!!
