Fixing sprinters posture using the foot hyperarch mechanic

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Mar 23, 2011
492
18
Noblseville, IN
I'm not trying to troll you or give you a hard time, I'm honestly having a very hard time identifying what it is you've isolated as the key factor (caused by the hyperarch theory).

It is difficult to see initially. Took me years to isolate it. Once you see it, it is quite clear. Again focus on what is generating the forward movement.

- Girl on left is moving due to mid section thrust, girl on right is moving forward using her rear leg.
- Girl on left's upper torso aligns with her rear leg quickly (thrust), girl on right's upper torso doesn't align with rear leg until much later (late push pattern).
- Girl on left passes through the sprinters "h" position, girl on right does not.

There is enough visibility of the girl on the right to see that her rear hip remains bent while she is moved forward with her rear leg, where as the girl on the left is moving forward because of her straightening rear hip.

This doesn't make it easier to see, but it explains the effects of lacking rear hip thrust.
analysis_2.png


We've been conditioned to "teach" that good "h" position when it is lacking. I am making the argument that the "h" position should be a no-teach as it is a naturally occurring characteristic of someone with a good functional posterior drive chain. If you teach it, you are faking it, and if you fake it, it will be even harder to find the underlying issue that was preventing it to begin with. I wager the elite pitchers (just like elite HS sprinters) never needed "h" position training. It just worked for them from the get go and got better with time (strength).
 
Mar 23, 2011
492
18
Noblseville, IN
In these gifs you've posted, I see a high caliber division one athlete compared with your daughter. I'm trying to see the difference in the two, obviously one will be more explosive of the two, but not seeing the relation between upper leg and upper torso (although the second gif you can't see the upper torso).

I advise against this mentality as it creates a barrier to constructive analysis. We should expect certain absolutes found in D1 pitchers to be present at early age level pitchers. In some ways, this is the same mentality that allows pitching coaches to get away with teaching HE to all their students. Their elite students naturally progressed to IR while the non-elite are stuck in HE mode until they washout. By not constructively comparing kids to the elite, we become reliant on "mystery effects" to kick in and make them elite.

FWIW I can show a clip of an elite 14u pitcher that has the same underlying drive mechanic of the D1 pitcher. That same pitcher is now pitching for a D1 program. She was elite early not because of a great PC (who taught HE BTW), not because she worked harder than the kids next to her, not because she was lucky and others weren't.

She was elite because of inherent underlying mechanics. This is what I am trying to expose.
 
Mar 8, 2017
78
8
There is enough visibility of the girl on the right to see that her rear hip remains bent while she is moved forward with her rear leg, where as the girl on the left is moving forward because of her straightening rear hip.

I'm honestly trying to understand, so I apologize for the questions, but can you explain this part just a bit further so I can understand what you mean by bent and straightening hips? When I think of hip issues in pitching, I think of clearing the hips, I don't see that in your daughter so it's difficult for me to see what you're describing (I hope I'm not frustrating you, it's not my intention).

**Edit - I do see a significant difference in what the stride foot is doing. Her toe is almost pointed upwards, am I wrong in thinking that her stride leg is doing more work (in getting to the landing spot), then the elite pitcher who has stronger push and doesn't need to reach to cover that distance?
 
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Mar 23, 2011
492
18
Noblseville, IN
Glutes vs legs... This is what we need to get better at recognizing.

lEAgNw.gif


This doesn't just start to happen, you either do it or you don't.
 
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shaker1

Softball Junkie
Dec 4, 2014
894
18
On a bucket
Glutes vs legs... This is what we need to get better at recognizing.



This doesn't just start to happen, you either do it or you don't.

Have you gave Java's push back drill a try? Take a video of her before, pitching off the rubber. Give the 2 step a shot, just like this kid, Reaching out, getting into a lean as the hand passes the leg on the backswing. Focus on the drive leg foot not sinking into the heel, stay on the ball. Work in it awhile, then work it into the slide step, and take another video. See if her drive leg looks any better. It's the best drill I've seen for feeling the lean and getting to that 2nd H.
 
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ez_softball

Life at the diamond...
Apr 14, 2017
158
28
LOL I do the same drill with our pitchers ... I've never noticed the "2-step" posted here. We call them "rockers" and it certainly improves the drive from the foot all the way up to the upper half body lean. The focus for us is trying to be drive dominant not stride dominant. It also, creates a nice template for your pitchers to create rhythm in their load and drive. My daughter's "rockers" are very close to what her actual, rule abiding, pitching mechanics look like. I used to coach walk-throughs and still use them some with younger pitchers but as time has gone on, I coach "rockers" to all my pitchers, as it's closer to the actual mechanics used to pitch.
 
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shaker1

Softball Junkie
Dec 4, 2014
894
18
On a bucket
LOL I do the same drill with our pitchers ... I've never noticed the "2-step" posted here. We call them "rockers" and it certainly improves the drive from the foot all the way up to the upper half body lean. The focus for us is trying to be drive dominant not stride dominant. It also, creates a nice template for your pitchers to create rhythm in their load and drive. My daughter's "rockers" are very close to what her actual, rule abiding, pitching mechanics look like. I used to coach walk-throughs and still use them some with younger pitchers but as time has gone on, I coach "rockers" to all my pitchers, as it's closer to the actual mechanics used to pitch.

Drive dominant! This drill takes the focus off the stride leg for sure. Here's the links
https://youtu.be/_gUkiavW-o4
https://youtu.be/QIocWuw5ZFw
 
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Mar 23, 2011
492
18
Noblseville, IN
Have you gave Java's push back drill a try? Take a video of her before, pitching off the rubber. Give the 2 step a shot, just like this kid, Reaching out, getting into a lean as the hand passes the leg on the backswing. Focus on the drive leg foot not sinking into the heel, stay on the ball. Work in it awhile, then work it into the slide step, and take another video. See if her drive leg looks any better. It's the best drill I've seen for feeling the lean and getting to that 2nd H.

We worked with java personally. Several of the drives that I show including the one above are from the two step or the push back drill. That's my point, if your drive is non glute driven, those drills will not help a lot.

They will make your quad drive a little better, but you will not convert to a glute drive. Without a glute drive, being off the rubber by 3 o'clock (which is practically an absolute checkpoint) is very difficult to achieve.
 
Last edited:

shaker1

Softball Junkie
Dec 4, 2014
894
18
On a bucket
We worked with java personally. Several of the drives that I show including the one above are from the two step or the push back drill. That's my point, if your drive is non glute driven, those drills will not help a lot.

They will make your quad drive a little better, but you will not convert to a glute drill. Without a glute drive, being off the rubber by 3 o'clock (which is practically an absolute checkpoint) is very difficult to achieve.

Why is 3 o'clock an absolute? I understand it's a good goal to shoot for, and keep shooting for as they get older, but I don't think it's a deal breaker.
 

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