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

[lhowser]

As a dad who has spent a lot of time with a pretty good pitcher who is now 14 and never got very good (and moving on to other positions) I appreciate BoardMembers candor. There is room in rec, travel and high school for pitchers at every reasonable skill level with a variety of techniques to get it across the plate at a good rate of speed but to play at the higher levels of travel and highschool, be the ace and win on a winning team (and possibly earn that scholorship) you have got to get this thing right. Hoping to get there with my 9 year old who really seems to want it.

 

[Mark H]

I'd suggest taking anything Boardmember says very seriously.

 

[mrslug01]

I'm no expert but one issue is that she's almost completely closed when she releases the ball as illustrated in the top clip in boardmember's post.

 

[K-Pitch]

Thanks for some additional input, and Boardmember, for your candor...you can't post something asking for an opinion and then expect people to candy-coat it.

deleting the youtube. but really like whatever software was used for those slow-mo snippets...

 

[BoardMember]

Thanks for some additional input, and Boardmember, for your candor...you can't post something asking for an opinion and then expect people to candy-coat it.

deleting the youtube. but really like whatever software was used for those slow-mo snippets...

I'm glad you didn't take it personal.....it wasn't........I'm sure your DD is a wonderful young lady and gifted athlete.....

IMO, she needs to start over....not give it up.....that wasn't my intention at all........

She has several unacceptable mechanical flaws that WILL cost her any chance of future success, and in the worst case, mess up her shoulder in the long run........

Smokey's arm circle is horrible. Her hand passes over her head to the point is almost reaches the other side of her head.......She never opens from the target, and hence her arm not only passes over her head, but continues in that position behind her head. THIS IS DANGEROUS at best. See the first frozen frame below:

Because of the pressure being placed on her shoulder she then straightens out completely for the duration of the circle.......Internal rotation is not possible with this sequence.......

From this straight arm-facing the target closed position.....the only possible mechanic is to push down pull up.......

Any attempt at internal rotation from this straight arm closed position results in the ball being thrown way late and launched high and/or unpredictable with little added velocity.......

My suggestion is to start completely over by telling her she needs to re-learn how to "throw the ball" vs. "pitch the ball".......

Standing 45 degrees open to the target from fairly close range, she rocks it back to 9:00 with a slightly bent elbow and the ball facing the sky at 9:00, and then "throw it" by simply stepping and throwing with internal rotation creating inward/downward spin......NEVER closing back to the target in this drill......Step and stay at 45 degrees throught the release......

When you start seeing something close to this rotation from the catchers prospective, on a consistant basis, she can begin to rise up to 12:00 and back down......NEVER closing back to the target.......

The drill looks like this:

 

[lhowser]

BoardMember,

The rotation you are showing in the link is for a lefty as pictured or a righty?

In other words - Should a right handed pitcher have spin that is of course downward but in the slight horizontal spin of a screw or a curve?

 

[BoardMember]

BoardMember,

The rotation you are showing in the link is for a lefty as pictured or a righty?

In other words - Should a right handed pitcher have spin that is of course downward but in the slight horizontal spin of a screw or a curve?

Sorry for the confusion.......The gear is spinning for the RH'd pitcher shown from the catchers view.......

 

[BoardMember]

The lefty pitchers spin would look like this from the catchers view:

 

[vdubya]

I'd be interested in knowing why the 45 degree open is recommended for the 3 o'clock drill (9:00 as some refer to it). to be open at 45 degrees also means you are half closed to the target. The example of the lefty above is clearly not open at 45 degrees--her stride foot appears to be on a power line. As she throws the hips rotate closed some, but where is the 'starting at 45 degrees?'

I've been working this with my 11yo R hander. One thing I have noticed is that when she is at full pitch, she always strides slightly left of the powerline like Finch, Seldon, not on the powerline like Cat, Ueno. Then I hear this 45 degree stuff and it leads me to believe that she shouldn't actually hit the power line in full motion like I'm asking her to. Otherwise, if she should be hitting the powerline, wouldn't 90 degrees open to the catcher be recommended for the 3:00 drill too?

Can someone clarify?
VW

 

[BoardMember]

It's simply a matter of "how far is too far" open for a particular drill

The 9:00 drill focuses more on the "throwing action" of internal rotation then the completion of an entire motion......

When preforming a 12:00 drill, the arm travels an appropriate amount of time in order for someone "fully open" to properly close to under 45 degrees....

This simply isn't the case from 9:00.......

The lefty shown below is actually preforming a full walk through warm up......and I extracted a late portion of the full walk-through and reversed a few frames to "simulate" the 9:00 drill........

This is the complete clip the "drill example" was extracted from........

As far as the "power line".....anywhere from on it to slightly left of it (RH'r) is appropriate........

The lefty actually steps slightly right of the power line in her actual true motion.....Which is what I like to see.........a stride that is inline with the hip joint and arm swing......not in infront of it........

I'd be interested in knowing why the 45 degree open is recommended for the 3 o'clock drill (9:00 as some refer to it). to be open at 45 degrees also means you are half closed to the target. The example of the lefty above is clearly not open at 45 degrees--her stride foot appears to be on a power line. As she throws the hips rotate closed some, but where is the 'starting at 45 degrees?'

I've been working this with my 11yo R hander. One thing I have noticed is that when she is at full pitch, she always strides slightly left of the powerline like Finch, Seldon, not on the powerline like Cat, Ueno. Then I hear this 45 degree stuff and it leads me to believe that she shouldn't actually hit the power line in full motion like I'm asking her to. Otherwise, if she should be hitting the powerline, wouldn't 90 degrees open to the catcher be recommended for the 3:00 drill too?

Can someone clarify?
VW