12u DD vid

[sluggers]

rackem4me...if you would post it on Youtube, I could break down the motion a little more. It is easier to point out problems if you have shots of her with her pitching arm pointed at the catcher, pointing up, pointing at 3rd base and then at release.

 

[starsnuffer]

Eh. It's a lot more then speed. Stepping pitchers will keep their entire body "closed" most of the pitch. This changes everything else. I don't see a lot of skill translation between the two styles, honestly, they're just too different, even if they look somewhat similar. But, as many of the older pitchers will tell you, they made the transition successfully.

I just don't see the point in teaching it one way first and then switching to the other. Life is too short, and childhood is even shorter. I can't agree with wasting someones time.

-W

 

[bobbyb]

rackem4me...if you would post it on Youtube, I could break down the motion a little more. It is easier to point out problems if you have shots of her with her pitching arm pointed at the catcher, pointing up, pointing at 3rd base and then at release.

Heres a gif...if rackem doesn't mind.

 

[crystlemc]

I would think that, pitching completely closed like that, would make it impossible not to have your glove out to the side. I just stood here and tried it myself. Impossible for me, that's for sure.

 

[sluggers]

Stepping pitchers will keep their entire body "closed" most of the pitch.

No, you are wrong. In the step motion, the pitcher is supposed to get completely open, push off and throw.

Most kids start in rec league using the step style. Not surprisingly, they do it incorrectly.

I'm not advocating teaching the step motion, but the step and the leap-and-drag are very similar.

 

[02Crush]

Agree with many here.

All I see in my limited experience us:
Her stride could be longer based on her height.

Her arm motion seems to slow down as it comes through the release point.

She could probably stand to get her body more open into a power position facing the 3rd baseline

Also...not sure if this matters (so I would defer to others with more experience) She seems a little tight in her finish aster the release. Almost like it was new to her and she was really thinking about and that thinking was somehow slowing her down a little in her arm motion.

 

[BoardMember]

Is that her pitching coach walking around? The same guy who at 45 seconds is making a "push it down" move with his throwing arm?........If it is........You've go a problem..........He has no idea how to throw a softball underhand. That's why she throws correctly (naturally) and then turns her arm up infront of her face for NO REASON after the ball is gone............She's as good as she is in spite of him IMO........

BTW.......Her form is not so good. She never opens to relieve the pressure on the shoulder complex......Her arm binds because it...........

 

[rackem4me]

She's not supposed to be a step style pitcher. PC ( not the guy in vid ) is always working on getting her to open up. I have been watching a lot of videos so I can get a better understanding of all the comments.

Should I be second guessing her PC? My DD likes going to him because he taught Kristin Nottelman, who my DD has met a couple of times and looks up to, but I want to make sure Im doing whats best for her.

We live in St Louis, are there any known PC that teach Hillhouse style in our area?

We have practice tomorrow, ill get some video from catchers view as mentioned above.

 

[sluggers]

rackem, it is really difficult for us to evaluate a pitching coach. There are so many factors, like how long she has been going to the coach, how hard she works, etc.

She is clearly not getting open when she throws, and so she is not even close to reaching her potential. When a pitcher doesn't get open, the problems compound.

If you post here and read, you can learn the basics of the pitching. About 90% of the pitching motion is standard between good pitchers. Once you know what the basic motion looks like, then you can judge for yourself whether the coach is teaching the right mechanics.

 

[Momo'sDad]

Is it legal to bring her hands behind her head in the over the head portion of her windup?

With the basic style she's using, she could be terrific rec ball pitcher, but despite the strong arm she's got, I'd expect her to get hit pretty hard and often in all-stars or competitive ball if she were playing around here. Things may be different in your area, though.

Screwball is exactly right when she said that coaches that care mainly about strikes right now are the ones who encourage the basic step style pitch. This is mostly going to be seen in 10u/12u.