Is it Too Late to Fix the Drag??

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Jun 19, 2013
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Question for some of you with older daughters who have been around for a while. Do you think it's possible to change a drag foot after 5 years of having it drag on the side of the big toe. I think it is her biggest issue in her mechanics. We have never SERIOUSLY worked on it. After 18 months of pitching H/E our #1 priority was to convert to I/R and that probably was the time to do but we didn't. She was trying to still pitch in games and be successful while tweaking arms position, grips, release, brush, etc. There has always been something else to deal with - peel didn't work once we switched to I/R, then CU didn't work once her speed improved - you all the know how it goes.

So here we are. 16 years old, just completed her sophomore year. Throws 51-54. Good tilted riseball, drop that is on about 70% of the time, screw that is helpful about 80%, FB to hit spots and a knuckle change that cooperates about 60% of the time.

Seriously I don't know how to tackle that foot. I mean she has mentally worked on it watching video of herself with Ken and me saying things like "think about toenails facing the catcher" "be light on the back foot" "barely touch the toe to the ground" "bring the back knee in behind the front knee" etc.

But I'm wondering is it really is an entire lower body overhaul? Are we looking at lower body drills on a regular basis for fall and winter not worrying about trying to throw strikes and then relearning upper body to match with arm location, release points, etc.? If the toe is different the back leg is different and the hips are different . . .

At one point we looked at, and decided against, the chute that you pitch through. As she turns her foot out on her drive and wasn't able to do that with that thing, but maybe just for drills??

Someone once told me to duct tape something to the side of her shoe where she drags to not allow the foot to lie down sideways in the dirt . . . never did it though . . . same pitching coach once put a sharp rock in her shoe on that side haha (don't report us to CPS - just crazy pitcher parents/coaches).

Feels like starting over . . . it's hard to know if it's worth it.
 
Feb 17, 2014
7,152
113
Orlando, FL
Dragging the side of the foot cannot be resolved by just not dragging the side of the foot. It is a symptom not an issue. You need to address the upstream issue, often a forced unnatural opening of the hips. Fix that and the foot will take care of itself. King is a great example of someone throwing their lower body open to open up her upper body.
 
Last edited:
Jun 19, 2013
753
28
I will try to get a current video on here tonight or tomorrow.

I'd say hers looks similar to Kings, except doesn't stay down even at and after release . . .

You're thinking opening too soon Riseball??
 
Feb 17, 2014
7,152
113
Orlando, FL
I will try to get a current video on here tonight or tomorrow.

I'd say hers looks similar to Kings, except doesn't stay down even at and after release . . .

You're thinking opening too soon Riseball??

Most likely too soon but certainly out of sequence. As she strides out the glove needs to come out opening the shoulders which in turn opens the hips. In the case of King her hips open then her shoulders. That is not natural. Try this at home. Stand feet together and stride out while reaching ahead with the glove hand. Watch as the hips open naturally.
 
May 30, 2013
1,442
83
Binghamton, NY
Here is a video from about 6 weeks ago. FB i think based on follow through. I never do videos so hopefully I do this right.

https://youtu.be/u91S3uMJwHg

my first reaction is that her body really "sinks" at toe touch/foot plant, to/though release.
Maybe try to focus upon staying tall to/through release with more front leg resistance at foot plant,
and the back leg won't drag like that?
 
Last edited:
Mar 20, 2015
174
28
I believed my DD was dragging her heal because she had done so many warm up type drills throwing with her heel starting flat on the ground which is not a desired position in any part of a live pitch. She switched to doing all these warm up drills starting with her heel raised on one of those yellow rubber spiky power pod domes. This worked for her as she became more and more used to having that heel elevated in the last part of the motion. I believe Amanda Scarborough has a video doing something similar to this. I think it also raised her center of gravity a bit when coming down on the lead foot which can translate into more power with good front side resistance.
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,132
113
Dallas, Texas
Class, you are working on the wrong problem.

The main problem is her front leg collapses from 7 to release. She loses all of the momentum, and her arm speed drops. Basically, her left leg is acting as a big shock absorber, taking all of the energy.

In overhand pitching, batting or underhand pitching, her left leg stay more or less straight, keeping her upright.

Look at Amanda Scarborough's left leg. Notice that the leg does not bend an inch during release...so, all of the energy is being released into the ball.

Your DD, on the other hand, is bending probably 3 or more inches.

She needs to work on keeping the left leg firm through release. "Stay tall, stay tall, stay all."
 

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