Accuracy problems

[whiporee]

My DD seems to be able to have enough speed, but she has issues with controlling where the ball goes. As I've looked for coaching videos and such, I can't seem to find what dictates that. Lots on strength and power, but not a lot on accuracy.

She tells me that it's a matter of how her body is facing at release. Is that the case? And does anyone have any tips or drills that I could work with her on in order to help her develop more control? Or is it more of a repetitive throwing more and more until it comes?

I'm not a coach -- more of a team manager -- but it's tough to see her struggle with something that seems to be so fundamental, and I'd liek to help her if I can, especially with all outside coaching now cut off for a while. Thanks!

 

[djcarter1966]

The facing direction at release is a big factor which lead her to try and compensate somehow. First question would be which direction does she miss most often...this could be helpful, where does her plant foot land in relation to the power line? First guess is she is probably not getting good brush and is moving her hip out of the way or if not throwing around her hip again these are compensations she is trying to make becasue the mechanics aren't right. Of course only real way to know for sure is with a video... we don't bite and you just get honest straight forward and helpful advice. Hey like you said with no live coaching available we would be happy to provide some online help.

 

[whiporee]

Can

The facing direction at release is a big factor which lead her to try and compensate somehow. First question would be which direction does she miss most often...this could be helpful, where does her plant foot land in relation to the power line? First guess is she is probably not getting good brush and is moving her hip out of the way or if not throwing around her hip again these are compensations she is trying to make becasue the mechanics aren't right. Of course only real way to know for sure is with a video... we don't bite and you just get honest straight forward and helpful advice. Hey like you said with no live coaching available we would be happy to provide some online help.

Can I post a video here?

 

[djcarter1966]

Yes, easiest way is via youtube if you have a channel if not you can set one up in a few minutes. If you post the link make sure to make it public. Even though you are making it public nobody else will know how to get to your channel if they don't have the link so it is really just going to be accessible to people with the link. You can use some other programs but some people have issues viewing different types of media but you can always try just use the insert link widget thingy.

 

[MNDad]

My DD seems to be able to have enough speed, but she has issues with controlling where the ball goes. As I've looked for coaching videos and such, I can't seem to find what dictates that. Lots on strength and power, but not a lot on accuracy.

She tells me that it's a matter of how her body is facing at release. Is that the case? And does anyone have any tips or drills that I could work with her on in order to help her develop more control? Or is it more of a repetitive throwing more and more until it comes?

I'm not a coach -- more of a team manager -- but it's tough to see her struggle with something that seems to be so fundamental, and I'd liek to help her if I can, especially with all outside coaching now cut off for a while. Thanks!

How old and is she tall for her age? My DD had the same issue all the way into college. Along with mechanical challenges it took her a LONG time to adjust to her body changes.

 

[sluggers]

My DD seems to be able to have enough speed, but she has issues with controlling where the ball goes. As I've looked for coaching videos and such, I can't seem to find what dictates that. Lots on strength and power, but not a lot on accuracy.

She tells me that it's a matter of how her body is facing at release. Is that the case? And does anyone have any tips or drills that I could work with her on in order to help her develop more control? Or is it more of a repetitive throwing more and more until it comes?

I'm not a coach -- more of a team manager -- but it's tough to see her struggle with something that seems to be so fundamental, and I'd liek to help her if I can, especially with all outside coaching now cut off for a while. Thanks!

a) Understand "control".

Control is the ability to move the location of the ball by 3 or 4 inches, left or right, up or down. Why? Because the umpire strike zones in softball are, by and large, awful. There is no guarantee that pitches thrown over the black part of the plate at the knees will be called strikes. So, your DD has to learn to adjust to the umpire's strike zone.

Good pitchers (1) determine umpire's strike zone and (2) then pitch at the edges of that zone.

Putting the ball down the middle of the plate won't work against good hitters.

b) She has to learn control more or less by herself. You can tell her to release later to make the ball go up, or release earlier to make the ball go down. Beyond those general instructions, it is really up to her to figure it out. (Why? We are talking about millisecond differences to get a ball to go inside vs. outside.)

c) Your DD *MUST HAVE* brush interference for control. We have a whole sticky on brush interference.

HOW I HELPED MY DD LEARN CONTROL



Step 1: Learn how to move the ball up and down.

Alternate throws up and down. One pitch high, the next pitch low, next pitch high, etc. It doesn't matter how high or how low, as long as one is low and the next is high.

Step 2: learn how to move the ball left and right.

Alternate throws left and right. One pitch left, one pitch right, etc.

Step 3: Quadrant throwing

Divide the strike zone into 4 quadrants. Upper left, upper right, lower left, lower right.

Have her start going in a circle....upper left, upper right, lower lower right, lower left. She throws to one quadrant until she hits it, then you move to next quadrant.

When she can do this, then start randomly moving the glove into different quadrants.

When she gets "stuck", (e.g., she can't throw the ball to the left), then have her specifically work on throwing the ball left.

At first, anything in the quadrant is OK. It doesn't matter if you catch the ball or not, as long as the ball went to the proper quadrant.

As she progresses, then it is "ball has to be catchable", followed by "catcher does not have to stand or block to catch the ball", followed by balls have to be over the black.

This will take months to do. But, it works. My DD went 35 or so innings in HS without walking anyone. When she did walk someone, it was not "accidental"...she made a conscious decision that she wasn't going to give the girl a good pitch to hit. After that walk, she went another 20 innings or so without walking anyone.

In college, she didn't walk a batter unless she decided to walk the batter. (E.g., 3-1 on the #4 batter. In that situation, she would try to make a great pitch to nick the corner rather than put one down the middle.)

 

[whiporee]

How old and is she tall for her age? My DD had the same issue all the way into college. Along with mechanical challenges it took her a LONG time to adjust to her body changes.

She's 15.75 and 5-7. About 160 (I think because she would never tell me -- and I would never ask -- her weight).

 

[whiporee]

Thanks everyone for the info so far. We've got a bunch of snow falling so no videos today, but hopefully I'll get some up tomorrow. But I really appreciate the effort and insight.

 

[texasheat]

a) Understand "control".

Control is the ability to move the location of the ball by 3 or 4 inches, left or right, up or down. Why? Because the umpire strike zones in softball are, by and large, awful.