Brush contact in full motion

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Aug 20, 2017
1,474
113
What's the easiest way to teach this? My dd uses brush well in IR drills but moves the butt out of the way in the full motion and gets no brush. Thanks in advance
 

shaker1

Softball Junkie
Dec 4, 2014
894
18
On a bucket
Gonna throw out a few videos. Hoping they are new to you. It took my dd a winter to get comfortable with brush. We just kept doing the drills in the IR sticky. Eventually I started hearing the swoosh of her brushing. Lots of things could be going on, but a good place to start looking is her drive. Arm maybe good, just the body working away from it. Post a video, you'll get good help. Edit. Make sure you video, take lots of video for you and her to look over.
https://youtu.be/ijHqW1ZpcV8
https://youtu.be/_gUkiavW-o4
https://youtu.be/ufRaP2LkbGs
 
Last edited:
Feb 3, 2010
5,752
113
Pac NW
In addition to the Balswick video above, I really like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T4Jd7GKg5Q

The key to these videos is the emphasis on posture and torso stability. These promote a condition that makes brush easier.

As homework, I ask the new kids to spend several minutes per day swinging their arm back and forth and feeling for whip and brush. I call it, "Get whippy at the hippy." If they have a mirror, they can stand in front at about a 45 degree angle and watch for any gap between the hand and thigh. They can take balled up socks and toss them into the mirror, feeling for and allowing brush to be the trigger for release. This is really important. Some kids struggle and try to throw/aim the ball. When they do, backchain or use a net, tarp, backstop, etc. until they can feel the whip and allow brush to be the trigger.

Play LOTS of underhand catch. I allow kids to use a full circle if they can and some seem to do better--just keep it long and loose. Some prefer, or do better with Unlock It or Liberty's. I like the feet to move and encourage a small step. (I hate seeing kids warm up with their feet rooted to the ground or kids standing completely sideways...) I also teach them to roll up on to the drive foot toe and squeeze the knees. Some people feel like it's too much, but kids can multi-task under supervision, with education and in sequence, I believe kids learn faster when the whole body is allowed to help. I also encourage adduction (up together/down together) with new kids if they can get it--it's not a must-do for me, but I try to get them into it as soon as they can.

Play lots of catch, starting with regular feedback that ranges from "yes," "no" and "what did you think/feel." Teach them to self-evaluate and correct. Teach the parents along with the kids. Ask the bucket person to look for good posture and release at the pocket. I say "bucket" but prefer catcher-people to stand, without emphasizing a target. Once they can consistently "rock it from the pocket," hold the glove up and move it around. As soon as you see them aiming: take away the target and backchain as needed.

Sorry! I really got carried away! So, in answer to the question, backchain to the point where she can consistently throw the ball with good posture, upper body stability and with good brush. Slowly amp up the effort while: providing feedback as needed, asking her what she thinks/feels, getting her to the point where she can feel when she starts to fudge and self-correct, then get tons of reps in to get it to stick. Pitching in games too soon makes this tough. Drive mechanics can help or hurt her, but that's another thread... https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kPDpB8W_mcb1aCQkRqsAY4gRLLWFulh6ndatlK6KjdA/edit
 
Last edited:
May 23, 2012
365
18
Eastlake, OH
What I'm learning with my daughter is to only let her move the body as quickly as she can perform the movement correctly and to apply some Alexander Technique. Remove the goal of pitching or the result of speed, distance or accuracy and focus on the feel of brush. I also learned that I need slow motion video to truly know if she's doing the drills correctly.
 
Feb 3, 2010
5,752
113
Pac NW
What I'm learning with my daughter is to only let her move the body as quickly as she can perform the movement correctly and to apply some Alexander Technique. Remove the goal of pitching or the result of speed, distance or accuracy and focus on the feel of brush. I also learned that I need slow motion video to truly know if she's doing the drills correctly.

The only thing I'd add is to teach her to self-assess and correct. This is really the goal of coaching anything. So many folks take the path of drilling mechanics into a kid. Many kids transcend the drilling and learn to pitch on their own, but usually without understanding their mechanics. What's fun is hearing a 9 year old kid dissect the mechanics of an older pitcher and be able to offer suggestions. In my opinion, there's not much better than that as a coach...
 

shaker1

Softball Junkie
Dec 4, 2014
894
18
On a bucket
Remove the goal of pitching or the result of speed, distance or accuracy and focus on the feel of brush. I also learned that I need slow motion video to truly know if she's doing the drills correctly.

Sounds like your on the right path. Too many are in a hurry to see strikes, speed, accuracy. Sometimes just whipping it into a net, without worrying where the ball is going, so the FOCUS is BRUSH. Video is a great tool, take from front and back to check out the amount of brush she is getting.
 
May 23, 2012
365
18
Eastlake, OH
The only thing I'd add is to teach her to self-assess and correct. This is really the goal of coaching anything. So many folks take the path of drilling mechanics into a kid. Many kids transcend the drilling and learn to pitch on their own, but usually without understanding their mechanics. What's fun is hearing a 9 year old kid dissect the mechanics of an older pitcher and be able to offer suggestions. In my opinion, there's not much better than that as a coach...
Yes. Agreed. Her pitching coach does this with her and I've learned to ask at intervals, what she felt, if she knows what was correct, or incorrect, etc
 
May 23, 2012
365
18
Eastlake, OH
Sounds like your on the right path. Too many are in a hurry to see strikes, speed, accuracy. Sometimes just whipping it into a net, without worrying where the ball is going, so the FOCUS is BRUSH. Video is a great tool, take from front and back to check out the amount of brush she is getting.

This with the net is what we have been doing lately. I can stand beside her, like her coach and encourage or correct, etc. I learned without video she can be deceptive. For example, she can look correct to the eye at 9:00 but on video I can see when she stops the upper arm short of connection and turn the palm and push. As for brush, we talk about if she feels it, if we hear it and we look for the arm wiggle/wobble at these slower speeds.
 
Aug 20, 2017
1,474
113
This with the net is what we have been doing lately. I can stand beside her, like her coach and encourage or correct, etc. I learned without video she can be deceptive. For example, she can look correct to the eye at 9:00 but on video I can see when she stops the upper arm short of connection and turn the palm and push. As for brush, we talk about if she feels it, if we hear it and we look for the arm wiggle/wobble at these slower speeds.

I’m using the Hillhouse teach of coming across the body in the full motion to help get that forearm into the side. It seems to be helping. I’ve also got a 17 year old that doesn’t have brush and I’m debating on whether to incorporate it or not. She does miss to pitching arm side with fastball and I know it’s due to no brush. On film she does get internal rotation without brush
 

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