My 13 dd is stuck at 45mph on her fast ball. (Granted 45 is pretty fast for the league she's in and she's quite accurate - but she wants to improve...so I'm all for that). I think it's because she still doesn't take a big enough step when she pushes off the mound. We've done most of the drills that are common to teaching this, but does anyone have anything that is "unconventional"? I was thinking of just doing 'Jumping" drills where she jumps up onto a platform (old aerobics step) or something like that. Any suggestions are appreciated! Thank you!
Bigger Step
- Thread starter 8isgreat
- Start date
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The infamous plateau that pitchers experience usually every 5 mph I have found on average....
There are lots of reasons not just stride for a pitcher to plateau.
Here is what I would focus on...
Increasing spin of ball (increased spin, faster cutting air and in turn faster ball)
Increasing arm whip (on downswing, the arm needs to be moving as quick as possible under control)
Increasing push off (stride leg... gonna try to explain - knee should bend and thrust hips forward and then leg should kick out and land, almost like kneeing someone then following it with a kick) I know that could be explained better, but easier to show.
Think of pushing the pitching rubber back towards 2nd base, her push leg should bend at the knee and ankle almost like getting ready to sprint. A drill some do: Have her start with her push leg bent, and have her spring off of pitching rubber. (spring forward, not up)
Do you have any video you could post? That would help others to evaluate where they think she could change something that would help....
There are lots of reasons not just stride for a pitcher to plateau.
Here is what I would focus on...
Increasing spin of ball (increased spin, faster cutting air and in turn faster ball)
Increasing arm whip (on downswing, the arm needs to be moving as quick as possible under control)
Increasing push off (stride leg... gonna try to explain - knee should bend and thrust hips forward and then leg should kick out and land, almost like kneeing someone then following it with a kick) I know that could be explained better, but easier to show.
Think of pushing the pitching rubber back towards 2nd base, her push leg should bend at the knee and ankle almost like getting ready to sprint. A drill some do: Have her start with her push leg bent, and have her spring off of pitching rubber. (spring forward, not up)
Do you have any video you could post? That would help others to evaluate where they think she could change something that would help....
Also working on her stride leg planting and then resisting against it may help her gain increased whip.
Her arm should be lose and relaxed, if she is locking her elbow this can cause a decrease in speed. (the elbow should lead the arm in the downswing)
Have you tried a bungee type cord tied to her? Basically the more she pushes off the more resistance she will have. I know there are commercial products that do this, looking quickly I could not find them.
You can also use these for assistance....
- Jun 18, 2010
- 2,615
- 38
I purchased a pocket radar, and we use it every pitching practice. We know from practice to practice where she is at with her speed, not just to see how fast she can throw, but to work on her off speed and change ups. We always discuss the goal of trying to keep the batter off balance with a change of speed and location. When we are trying to increase her speed, we try to speed up her arm circle. We follow Hillhouse's approach to pitching, so I try to have her feel that the second part of the arm circle (coming down) is faster than the first part. When we work on speed, we do not concentrate on pitch location. Arm tension is your enemy. A lot of times when DD tries to throw hard, she muscles the pitch. When she muscles it, she creates tension in her arm, shoulder and hand. I remind her to keep a loose arm (visualize whipping the towel) and really whip the arm. Because we are trying to speed up her arm we also need to keep the rest of her body in sync, so I also video her and we watch it back on the computer later and talk about what is in sync and what is not comparing he side by side to video from the model pitcher's thread. I think DD being able to see herself recorded has helped in many ways.
The best advice I received with my DD was to make her throw long distances. We started adding long toss into her practices about every third practice session. I have noticed a difference. You start at the normal distance- throw 5 pitches and back up 2 feet. Throw 5 more and back up 2 feet. You continue this until she can barely reach you. We actually get to about 60 feet. Then you begin to move forward again, only 4 feet at a time. It will really teach your DD how to drive off the mound and keep her upper body weight back. I've tried bungee cords and various arm speed drills. Long toss seems to work best.
8isgreat, IMHO, focusing on the legs isn't going to help you DD gain 5 MPH if she is throwing 45 MPH. You really need to focus on arm speed and "the whip" much more than trying to get her to leap farther.
There are probably some flaws in her motion that, if fixed, would lead to increased speed. Why don't you post a video?
That makes no sense at all.
There are probably some flaws in her motion that, if fixed, would lead to increased speed. Why don't you post a video?
That makes no sense at all.
Coach-n-Dad
Crazy Daddy
- Oct 31, 2008
- 1,007
- 0
I assume that you are coaching her and I applaud you that she still listens to you at 13 years old 
I recommend that you find her a pitching coach. Do some research and find one that is trusted in the community as a pitching coach.
I recommend that you find her a pitching coach. Do some research and find one that is trusted in the community as a pitching coach.
