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Dec 10, 2015
845
63
Chautauqua County
DD really struggled today with throwing strikes. Yeah, I know but forget about hitting spots, we would just like it consistently around the strike zone. We're working with Java on drive mechanics and she's progressing as expected. So, to drill down, do we look at release angle at the hand or stride foot placement? I'm pretty sure the next time she hears me say "the ball goes where you throw it" she may throw it at me and I may be too big a target for her to miss.
Anyway, we talked about angles and how they get bigger the further out the ball goes. I'm thinking of doing 9 o'clocks, etc from about 5 feet from a target and backing up from there to reinforce muscle memory at the wrist/hand level. As Java says, "a thousand times." DD just looked at me and said to ask you folks. :)
 
Nov 27, 2012
197
18
Thing that helped my daughter is,when her coach told her not to make her target small. What she meant was, throw the ball thru the zone and let your spin move the ball away from the zone. When she started throwing the ball thru the zone and quit worrying about where ended after it passed the zone she started getting more strikes.
 
Dec 10, 2015
845
63
Chautauqua County
Thing that helped my daughter is,when her coach told her not to make her target small. What she meant was, throw the ball thru the zone and let your spin move the ball away from the zone. When she started throwing the ball thru the zone and quit worrying about where ended after it passed the zone she started getting more strikes.

Something like bowling where you line up your throw with the dots up front. Thanks!
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,132
113
Dallas, Texas
Let's be clear about something:

"Control" is the ability to move the location of successive pitches. Control is *not* being able to throw the ball to a specific point over and over again.

First, check on posture and brush interference. No brush interference is the death knell for control.

Second, you have to start turning control of the learning process over to her. You have to stop telling her what to do, and she has to start thinking about what to do. You have to question her to see if she is *thinking* about things that she can try to move the ball.

That is, she has to learn to judge the location of the pitch and to think of things she can do to change the location. If you are going to tell her something like "step 2 inches farther and change your angle 5 degrees", then you have lost the war.

Ciome up with drills where she is moving the ball into different spots on successive pitches.

The drills should be ones where *she* decides whether she succeeded, without you. Anytime she can see the result without you saying a word is better.

Examples:

1) The quadrant drill.
2) Target practice. Put some soda cans on a couple of cinder blocks and have her work on knocking them off the blocks.
3) The knot drill. Get a 1 inch rope, put a knot in it. Hang the rope up and have her throw at the rope. When she can hit the knot, have her work on hitting the left side of the knot and then the right side of the knot.
 
Last edited:
Dec 10, 2015
845
63
Chautauqua County
Let's be clear about something:

"Control" is the ability to move the location of successive pitches. Control is *not* being able to throw the ball to a specific point over and over again.

First, check on posture and brush interference. No brush interference is the death knell for control.

Second, you have to start turning control of the learning process over to her. You have to stop telling her what to do, and she has to start thinking about what to do. You have to question her to see if she is *thinking* about things that she can try to move the ball.

That is, she has to learn to judge the location of the pitch and to think of things she can do to change the location. If you are going to tell her something like "step 2 inches farther and change your angle 5 degrees", then you have lost the war.

Ciome up with drills where she is moving the ball into different spots on successive pitches.

The drills should be ones where *she* decides whether she succeeded, without you. Anytime she can see the result without you saying a word is better.

Examples:

1) The quadrant drill.
2) Target practice. Put some soda cans on a couple of cinder blocks and have her work on knocking them off the blocks.
3) The knot drill. Get a 1 inch rope, put a knot in it. Hang the rope up and have her throw at the rope. When she can hit the knot, have her work on hitting the left side of the knot and then the right side of the knot.

Thank you! We are already doing similar things. We are working with Java and her 12 on down mechanics are good. We are seeing him next Sunday so I will bring it up. She is, by default, the starting pitcher and first game is in 3 weeks. She is by no means terrible. Just maddeningly inconsistent.
 
Jan 5, 2018
385
63
PNW
DD really struggled today with throwing strikes. Yeah, I know but forget about hitting spots, we would just like it consistently around the strike zone. We're working with Java on drive mechanics and she's progressing as expected. So, to drill down, do we look at release angle at the hand or stride foot placement? I'm pretty sure the next time she hears me say "the ball goes where you throw it" she may throw it at me and I may be too big a target for her to miss.
Anyway, we talked about angles and how they get bigger the further out the ball goes. I'm thinking of doing 9 o'clocks, etc from about 5 feet from a target and backing up from there to reinforce muscle memory at the wrist/hand level. As Java says, "a thousand times." DD just looked at me and said to ask you folks. :)

You're working with one of the best!
 
May 15, 2008
1,913
113
Cape Cod Mass.
Here is an alternative approach, something outside the box, or should I say the circle. This is the only place I could find the study, I read it in the book"Make it Stick'.

https://www.meaningfulhq.com/massed-practice.html

I adapted the concept to pitching practice and now include a session I call Target Practice. I will position my glove all around the plate in some cases almost as far as I can reach, a good 2ft outside the strike zone. Often I will change the location a little after the start of the windup.
 
Nov 25, 2012
1,437
83
USA
If she has good IR then it is simple. If she does not, then work on IR. if she does then procede to step 2.

Step 2. Good IR is already mastured. Now do BM 9:00 drill. Master that. Once mastered, do full circle. Same as Rick's TTl Drill but a full circle instead of starting ball at 12ish. Once mastered, do full circle from pitching rubber. If you can do that you are better than most. It is that simple and don't let anyone tell you different.

S3
 
Jul 22, 2015
851
93
Hera are a couple of odd drills that can help:
-Start 1 or 2 feet to either side of the rubber. Have them throw to a target at the middle of the plate without making a drastic adjustment in their stride, etc.. It's not meant to "teach" a certain skill, just to clear the mind and let her see that she can throw it near where she wants to. This is NOT a high rep drill. Don't develop bad habits, just prove the point that it can be done.
-Alternatively, as has been mentioned, put your target at an exaggerated distance from one corner and have her throw to it, then do the same thing on the other side. As they begin to hit each target, move in closer and closer to where you would typically be. Can help to reinforce what it takes to throw to each side of the plate.

When my DD has some trouble making too large of an adjustment to hit a corner I remind her not to throw it to the spot, just think it there.
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,132
113
Dallas, Texas
Make sure she understands the pitching game...

Because the batters are different heights, the strike zone varies. Few fastpitch umpires have anything close to the official strike zone.

In Chicagoland, the strike zone literally changes with the weather. The zone at 35 degrees, cloudy with a 15 MPH wind is a lot bigger than one at 70 degrees, sunny and a slight breeze. And, everyone has seen the zone change over the course of a softball game.

Your DD needs to be thinking about the strike zone and pitching during the game. Try to get her to sketch zone during the game.

Attached are the common strike zones of umpires. The most common is the trapezoid, with the top of the zone larger than the bottom of the zone.

I've never seen a rectangle zone in fastpitch. College level umpires usually have a fist zone.
 

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