Requesting Input...

https://youtu.be/tNqzzlPuXQM

Background: DD is 13, (5-4, 120?) learned HE last year, end of season requested we find a way to improve. Found new coach, worked on revising mechanics since August. Hiatus until after Xmas. looking for suggestions to focus on for next 3 months before season.

I would continue to work on mechanics from 12:00 to release, with a focus on 9:00 into release. She still has some elements of pushing the ball into release rather than pulling it. Her IR is incomplete and mostly forced after release. She is basically completely missing the whip. Focus on pulling the ball down the backside of the circle, leading with the elbow, keeping the arm loose with a slight bend, feeling the tension of resisting IR into the release, focus on achieving good brush, and finally whipping the ball out of the circle.

I would isolate on lock it drills, k drills, and stationary full circle drills.

While working on the above points, get that glove side into it. Watch this video for an example of using the glove side to help power the drive and the whip--up together/down together:




Later on, check out javasource's 2 step drive to get even more power. (Her drive is already above average, but the 2 step will help her maximize what she's already got going.)

What was mentioned above is pretty much what we did to convert to IR. We did mainly drills didn't pitch much for a few weeks to try and expedite the muscle memory. Once she went to full pitching most of the mechanics fell in line. Believe in the process and it wil work out.

I think she looks really good. The things I notice are 1) not enough split in her feet on the pitching rubber(I know there isn't one in the video.) Get a gap between her right heel and left toe, 2) Her glove arm is bent 90 degrees at the 12 o'clock position. Get more extension there. I like the glove to cycle up more in front of the throwing shoulder. 3)There is a little walk through after release, work on front side resistance so she is balanced or can even rock back on the left foot after release. I think she does a great job of isolating her upper arm at release. Timing and overlap look good. Really over all, nice.

Couple of quick observations.
1) I would suggesting getting a pitching mat or at least some rubber backed carpet. Concrete floors can be slippery and you do not want your DD to get into the habit of not driving hard with her push leg because she is worried about her plant foot slipping on the concrete.
2) Look for a little more bend in the elbow to maximize her whip. It does not look like her elbow is locked out, but it is close.
3) Have her finish with her arm extended in front of her body. She seems to pull it across her body in a hybrid HE finish.

She is pushing her hips out of the way. She cannot get brush contact by doing that. I use to have the same problem.

I think her brush is ok. I feel her 2 biggest issues are:
1. Not enough resistance. She allows her body to continue moving forward after the release. This is a massive loss of energy.
2. She hasn't fully grasped I/R just yet. Get her to relax her arm so that she can decelerate naturally, and allow the arm to rotate into a palm down position after release.

First, thank you all to take time to view, and think about how to improve DD.
I am going to address some of the above (in aggregate) to hopefully provide me more clarity in instructing DD. Front side resistance has always been a problem area. First, when learning HE, it was never addressed so a completely new concept for her to understand. I've tried to liken it to (a) Olympic gymnast "sticking" a landing as a cue for "feel", (b) analogized it to a catapault (punkin'-chuckin)' so that she understands WHY it is important. If anyone else has cues or tips that have been productive, let me know.
Glove hand--originally she had a traditional "power out and up" start, PC changed to what you see now. PC changed everything in the beginning and at last lesson is advocating to return to thrust to catcher on stride.
Confession, I watched java's pushback and two step videos after first learning of DFP (& IR) but was reluctant to incorporate for fear of developing a bad habit with the feet, (stepping back etc.) But having watched DD take new instruction and discarding her "old style", I am confident this will benefit her drive effort w/o drawback. Additionally, if anyone has cue words or suggestions for communicating "explosiveness", I am all ears. DD seems to not possess fast twitch muscles(although she is faster than her peers) or has excessively large synapses. I am thinking about putting on the dog's training collar to "help" her find some urgency in her movements (JK about shock collar).
Lastly, IR. We have only started doing IR drills since Halloween (video was nov 22). Started with Boardmembers IR threads and continue doing his drills in isolation. DD confides that she "feels the whip" doing the drills but has a hard time shaking the muscle memory during full motion pitching. Her PC has literally started from the ground up, foot placement, drive mechanics, hip movement. So when I ask about whipping the arm, DD will acknowledge she really is focused on those drive mechanics first. So I am inclined to continue doing the lock it in, 9 o'clock, liberty etc in isolation to break the old HE muscle memory and not try to fix everything in full speed at once. Am I impeding her progress by proceeding in this manner?
I realize this is a lot to ask others to dwell on, but I've learned so much in general by lurking the boards, I've come to a point where specific help for DD would be gratefully appreciated. Best to all and Happy and Safe Holidays!

Great progress for such a short amount of time...there is a lot of good going on here!!

As other have said the lack of front side resistance is evident with the walk though at the finish.

I would go back to a more natural glove hand push to catcher then around to complete the pitching motion

Finally work hard on Java's lock it in and K drills. The 9 to 6 position is where you can see the HEish technique creeping back in,it almost looks like she dips down a little especially on the right side a goes into a HE type movement but then realizes that's wrong and tries to finish with IR across her body...the muscle memory will not come overnight but the lock it in and reverse chain from java's video should help then just incorporate into the full motion so you get a good whip.

It's a marathon not a sprint...keep working on mechanics she is looking good