Drag foot

DD pitching coach is awesome. Coached in college for 20 plus years. Has a lot of girls he works with sign D1. He has his students pitch from the open position and stay open. They do not close at all. My DD is leaving her drive foot behind her, therefore it must come off the ground and is an illegal pitch. She throw really well for her athletic ability and being 10. He has her do dry runs and she is perfect. According to him one of his best ever. Put the ball in her hand and everything looks great except that dang leg. Any suggestions or cues to get her leg under her.

Thanks

Tango said:

He has his students pitch from the open position and stay open. They do not close at all.

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This is quite correct. If you look online, you will often hear advice relating to "slam the door" after release or some kind of ridiculous duck walk into a defensive position. Ignore this advice, stay open. To quote the great John Gay, sideways is skinnier.

Anyway, concerning your problem. From your description I suspect it is either a posture problem or a front side resistance problem. I would suggest the simple drill shown by Rick Pauly to begin to work on the proper drag leg action.

https://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-pitching/27761-pitching-lessons-rick-pauly.html#post385546

On a separate note, is there a particular reason you have not brought this up with her pitching coach?

He has been working on it. When we put a ball in her hand it changes. IMO form is awesome except the foot. I think her leg lags behind and that's the problem. Her drive off the mound is very good. When she doesn't drag her toe comes up instead of her heel.

Thanks for the video. He teaches knee to knee and shoe laces to the catcher. He also teaches no distance between the feet at the end of the pitch for a fastball. I'll ask him about the drill at our next lesson.

Tango said:

He teaches knee to knee and shoe laces to the catcher. He also teaches no distance between the feet at the end of the pitch for a fastball. I'll ask him about the drill at our next lesson.

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Can you post example of not distance between feet?

It's impossible it fully maximize front side resistance while staying completely open. The back foot loosing contact is a posture issue in the drive. She most likley opens her body too early. I'm certain Rick Pauly will not advocate the "stay completely open" theory.... she needs to resist the front side hard enough that her hips will naturally close approx 45°. This will assist her in getting brush contact. And without brush or much resistance, she won't peak very high.
I dont care what his resume and list of students says... if he's truly teaching what you've described here, there needs to be some serious fact checking! If he checks out as his resume describes, then you have grossly misunderstood some intructions he's given.

Tango said:

DD pitching coach is awesome. Coached in college for 20 plus years. Has a lot of girls he works with sign D1. He has his students pitch from the open position and stay open. They do not close at all. My DD is leaving her drive foot behind her, therefore it must come off the ground and is an illegal pitch. She throw really well for her athletic ability and being 10. He has her do dry runs and she is perfect. According to him one of his best ever. Put the ball in her hand and everything looks great except that dang leg. Any suggestions or cues to get her leg under her.

Thanks

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"Open" and "closed" might be two of the most damaging expressions in fastpitch pitching.

"Opening" for a right hander... that is... has her body going clockwise. Whereas the throwing motion has her body going counter-clockwise. Too often, this leads to "disconnection"... and as I read your description, what I visualize your daughter doing.

As such, when the opening is too strong... and becomes a literal motion the pitcher performs... it creates more problems than it solves.

"Opening" is also counter-intuitive to "out"... which should be the ONLY focus a pitcher has during the front-side of the circle.

I think you'll find that your DD is twisting her drive foot... and that it keeps rotating to the point where it may point behind her. That rotary move is so predominant... that when her stride leg is coming down, her push foot is heading up.

To all on DFP... I hope you all consider the consequence in the instructions "open" and "closed". There are two moments when these terms come into play:

1) When they are striding... many tell them to "open"
2) Ball release... many tell them to "close" (release being the backside of the circle)

In both scenarios, the instruction is counter-productive. "Opening" is physical effort AWAY from outward (or forward). Which is the goal of the stride/drive.
"Closing" is a movement that is counter-productive to whipping. Stability improves whip... this horse has been beaten to death on here... nuff said.

Anyway, let's recognize that the rule that requires us to "DRAG" our drive foot, compliments the motion... in that it forces the athletes body to "open" naturally. As the legs spread, the hips MUST "open" in order to accommodate the spacing between the legs. Not recommending over-striding... just drive out forcefully... land, and then look at your hips. Wherever they are at... is what your body requires. Period.

If we perform outside of what our body produces naturally... we then MUST compensate in order to overcome the difference. Compensatory movement is not movement that will make you a better pitcher.

So, to summarize... scrap the necessity to open or close from your vocabulary. Recognize that your DD has subsequently put herself in a compensatory position... and as such, correct that (or any move in the front-side of the circle that is directed anywhere but OUT).

Keep up the good fight DFP. You all rock!

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

What he said...

(Hey, who was that masked man?)

coach james said:

It's impossible it fully maximize front side resistance while staying completely open. The back foot loosing contact is a posture issue in the drive. She most likley opens her body too early. I'm certain Rick Pauly will not advocate the "stay completely open" theory.... she needs to resist the front side hard enough that her hips will naturally close approx 45°. This will assist her in getting brush contact. And without brush or much resistance, she won't peak very high.
I dont care what his resume and list of students says... if he's truly teaching what you've described here, there needs to be some serious fact checking! If he checks out as his resume describes, then you have grossly misunderstood some intructions he's given.

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Listen to Coach James!!!! He is right on point!!!

One daughter pitched at FSU and the other is very successful pitcher/college coach now. I know his resume very well. I could be wrong but I don't think I've grossly misunderstood his instruction.

You will finish sideways to the catcher with your feet toe to toe and heel to heel is what he is teaching.