Closing Hip Too Soon

[lhowser]

My dd is closing her hip too soon and is developing a bad habit. Any tips on how to stop this before it really becomes ingrained?

1) Make sure that is the problem and not a symptom of other mechanical issues
2) If she has the upper body right including the promper arm movement and release location it will go a long way in writing hip concerns

great video bwalk63. Looking at video on this sight it has become clear that hips properly oriented does not usually equal hips all the way open and perpendicular to the rubber during the pitch and certainly not at release.

One recommendation. Do not practice drills such as standing totally sideways that put your dd in positions she will never be in when pitching. I don't think in reinforces anything.

 

[bwalk63]

lhowser, yes many things become clear with video, this next one is of a senior in H.S. she will be going to a D1 school in Texas not sure which one. here her hips stay all the way open( not just on this pitch but on every pitch she throws, this one is a rise I think), she turns her head back and doesn't even look at the catcher until after the ball is gone, most here will say her mechanics are not ideal. But I say it works for her, she throws mid 60's with movement. Point being? there should not be a cookie cutter approach to fastpitch mechanics just like there isn't for Baseball pitchers.

 

[Jeff_H]

lhowser, yes many things become clear with video, this next one is of a senior in H.S. she will be going to a D1 school in Texas not sure which one. here her hips stay all the way open( not just on this pitch but on every pitch she throws, this one is a rise I think), she turns her head back and doesn't even look at the catcher until after the ball is gone, most here will say her mechanics are not ideal. But I say it works for her, she throws mid 60's with movement. Point being? there should not be a cookie cutter approach to fastpitch mechanics just like there isn't for Baseball pitchers.

I have watched this kid pitch for several years, she is committed to University of North Texas. She looked exactly the same in 14U. As far as mid 60's, I would bet that she cruises 58-60, unless she picked up 4-5 mph in the last year.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Interesting. Thanks for posting her video. That is a curious place she is pitching in. It looks like a gym with a dirt floor.

What happens if a team just bunts right back at her? I mean her back is almost to the batter.

I would also like to see her pitch with a pitching plate, because in this video she is stepping off.

 

[lhowser]

this next one is of a senior in H.S

Wow...I have never seen one quite like that!

Point being? there should not be a cookie cutter approach to fastpitch mechanics just like there isn't for Baseball pitchers.

I agree with an *

*There have been many many cookie cutter rules that have been created that really are not proven as absolutes. They include landing foot angle, the proper hip angle, glove hand swimming, pushing out further to increase velocity. The mechanic described often on this website as Internal Rotation that describes the effective use of the throwing arm in a proper sequence is I believe an absolute that must be present to obtain the highest velocity as opposed to a fingers behind the ball push approach.

 

[bwalk63]

Amy, being that she is stepping off she should fit right in with all the other illegal pitching in the college ranks. LOL just kidding, kind of. Jeff you may be right about her speed, but from what others on here have said I didn't think a D1 school would even look at you if you didn't throw mid 60's, if that is the case my daughter will be happy to hear that she is having a hard time breaking the 58mph hill as a H.S. Freshman. Point taken lhoswer, I generalized on that cookie cutter statement.

 

[Jeff_H]

Amy, being that she is stepping off she should fit right in with all the other illegal pitching in the college ranks. LOL just kidding, kind of. Jeff you may be right about her speed, but from what others on here have said I didn't think a D1 school would even look at you if you didn't throw mid 60's, if that is the case my daughter will be happy to hear that she is having a hard time breaking the 58mph hill as a H.S. Freshman. Point taken lhoswer, I generalized on that cookie cutter statement.

There is a huge difference between D1 and top 25 D1. I don't remember her being illegal, but then again it really doesn't bother me that much. At some point you just have to hit the D#@n ball. I do remember her hitting her spots.

Tell the freshman to keep working, my daughter picked up 3 mph from her HS freshman year to her freshman year in college.

 

[CoachFP]

This girl does not look at the target. Is she doing an Eddie Feigner blind fold impression? The girl is apparently very good in spite of this nonsense. She might be great if she did things properly.

 

[WiZ]

You can also have the pitcher drag the push off foot to the back of the front heel. That way the hip can't close.

Very good advice.

 

[SoCalSoftballdad]

great discussion, why? because it reinforces what myself and daughter have learned over the past 2 years reading and learning from this great board. There is more than one way to skin a cat. I will try and post some videos later this evening but I think Bill Hillhouse, Cat and Ueno would have to disagree, they all have the shoe laces pointed straight down the power line to the catcher as the ball is is still coming down the backside. And others such as Finch, Harre and Tincher drag the side of the big to with laces basically pointing towards the 3rd base line. All are great pitchers and they do it different. So what is right for one girl may not be right for the next. Just my opinion, but as we all know from the massive amounts a quality video here, video doesn't lie. Now before you jump all over me I agree that these are drill to help them stay open, and I am not saying shoelaces pointed towards the catcher is the best way to go. Just wanted to point out that there is more than "1" way to pitch.

Cat technique is fascinating to me. Pausing at each frame, notice how she hops her pivot foot to a position with laces pointed to first base and she is looking at the ground (2 sec mark); as the ball comes down from 12 o'clock, she rotates her left hip / leg / foot inward (closing) with laces now pointed towards home plate as the ball moves down the arm circle towards release. At release she finally looks up while kicking her pivot foot out towards 3B.

Certainly her pitching mechanics are not textbook (1. looking at the ground and 2. hop, drag, and then kick) but are very effective for her. What I really like about her technique is she points the glove directly to home plate, has a big, fluid straight up and down arm circle, and gets to the release position with her knee and foot laces pointed directly down the powerline.