Before/After Videos of DD ....looking for reviews

[K-Pitch]

Hi! Posted this video of DD a few months ago...got some great info on this site, thank you! During the last few weeks, we've been starting to work on some of the necessary changes - The second video, while a really bad video (actually, bad workout too!)...shows what progress she has made. Looking for some more insight. We are obviously trying to stop her from "pushing" the ball and trying to get her to use elbow snap/ internal rotation...I think she has "loosened up and opened up" a bit, but seems a far cry from internal rotation still. and while I know her right shoulder should "drop", her entire right side seems to BEND. Glove hand is another story...swimming out there. Comments? Drills?

BEFORE

 

[sluggers]

First, congrats to her and you for working so hard on this. I'm sure it was tough for her to do a "pitching makeover", but she is on her way. She looks good.

She needs to keep practicing. It is tough to put in two or three hours a week in the off-season, but now is when great pitchers for the next season are made. The more she practices, the better she is going to get.

It is OK for her to throw the ball over the backstop right now. Better now than in a game...It is part of the process. So, get a bunch of balls and a pickle bucket, and get her out for practice two or three times a week.

You have to encourage her to throw hard. She is not really exerting herself because she is afraid the ball is going to go over the backstop. She will throw the ball over the backstop. At this stage, it is OK. Again, get a bunch of balls so you don't have to stop practice every time she throws one over the backstop.

Differentiate between wildness vertically and wildness horizontally. Lack of control vertically is not really a problem. If the body is aligned and the circle is good, vertical control is simply a matter of timing, and comes with practice. Lack of control horizontally means that she is reverting to her old form.

The only bad thing is that she throws her mitt off to the left. This is a habit she picked up from the old pitching method where she was trying to generate speed by violently twisting her body. The more effort she puts into her pitching, the more this will cause problems (horizontal control issues).

I believe she is going to be a good pitcher. But, she will need to work at it.

 

[K-Pitch]

Thanks Sluggers.
Any technical insight about her "leaning " to the right. Too much lean?

Any suggestions for helping with glove hand?

Part of the reason for her "lack of exertion" is fear of throwing it wild, but also, we've been throwing at slower tempo for her to work on her technique changes and "looseness" right now. Once she throws hard, right now, she goes right back to some old habits (although she is doing great with the footwork and not closing her shoulder right now).

any comments on whether or not she needs specific work on her elbow snap/internal rotation?

Thanks! love reading these boards.

 

[sluggers]

As to the lean to her right--It is OK. If it were a lean to her left, then there would be a big problem. Her lean may be a little bit too much, but until she gets to full throttle, you won't know if the lean is too much.

Let her pitch "all out" until her form degrades. When her form blows up, you stop immediately. Then, do some drills and get her form corrected, and then let her pitch "all out" again. Gradually, the number of pitches between blow ups gets bigger. At this stage, have her count how many pitches in a row she can go with good form before she blows up.

She has plenty of time to get this. She has the lanky arms that a lot of good pitchers have.

You have to develop a sense of humor about the ball going over the backstop. Get a face mask, shin guards, and 50 softballs. It is a lot easier to stay happy when you aren't hurt or exhausted.

*You* have to show leadership and encouragement. She doesn't understand the big picture...she doesn't understand that her prior form was a dead end. So, you have to be the one to keep her moving in the right direction.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

See her head fly up? The clinic that I just came from, said to put a nurf ball under her chin and have her hold it there. Also, they used a rolled up gymnastics mat and sat it out in front and to the left of the pitcher, so that when she rotates, both butt cheeks go up against that. Then, they sat the mat out further, so that the student could not fly the glove arm out. (I think you could use a fence for this.)

Teresa Wilson said that the pitcher needs to develop a counter balance with the glove arm, by bringing the elbow into the rib cage. (Maybe that is not quite right, but she doesn't want the glove to fly out.)

 

[lhowser]

Sluggers/Amy,

Would she benefit from a bit more of an angle with that lead foot. It seems awfully hard to open the shoulders and hips sufficiently without a bit more of an angle allowing this turn. Thoughts?

 

[Amy in AZ.]

The drag foot opens the hips. Wilson covered this and said that she did not want the back foot used for a push off, until the young pitcher is used to rotating the back foot to get the front foot to the power line.

She has put a bench to the side of her pitchers and they have to put both knees a few inches from that, while the ball travels above the bench.

I would have your DD throw a lot from the K.

I see that she has corrected her forward lean. So, go slow and work on one thing at a time.

 

[crazyteal]

find a good pitching coach and pay the money!!! its worth its wieght in gold

 

[BoardMember]

This young lady needs a COMPLETE overhaul of her mechanics.......

Speaking quite frankly, she has zero chance of success unless it happens......and happens soon....

I'm rather suprised at the well meaning people here offering any "tidbits" of advice to such overall horrible mechanics.......sorry to be so blunt.......but facts are facts.........

Watch this sequence and the positions she achieves in slow motion:

This young lady MUST seek a qualified pitching coach to completely overhaul her mechanics........

There is far too much in the way of poor mechanics to comment on here.........She MUST re-learn everything she knows to have any chance.......

The only thing I can say is she needs to learn HOW to throw the ball underhand BEFORE she can learn how to become a pitcher.

She needs to do 1000 of these 9:00 drills before she should even think about "going over the top":

Follow this 9:00 drill by taking the ball up to 12:00 WITHOUT HER HAND GOING OVER HER HEAD, and performing the same movement down and through the release.......

In my opinion.......who ever taught (or allowed) her these mechanics (before and after) should stop working with her immediately.....

Again, sorry to be so blunt, but this young lady is in big trouble and needs professional help to correct her flaws IF she continues to pitch.......

Not only will she NEVER be successful using these mechanics, but her shoulder will be "toast" by her late teenage years...........

The shoulder is NOT made to work like this:

Please seek a qualified coach for her sake........

 

[CoachFP]

Come on, a little harsh I would say. Yes, she needs some work, but there are a lot of good things going on with her motion. If you are going to make such a drastic argument at least point out her one or two biggest problems.