crow hop fix/help

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Feb 21, 2019
8
1
My daughter is 10 in softball age, but she plays 12U in travel ball. She isn't a superstar by any means but she loves the game and works very hard and very often. She has been taking pitching lessons for about 1.5 years and last spring she was actually pitching exceptionally well. However, as she started to stride more (as requested by her instructor), she started to get her weight out front and bend her knee and at the waist. After not really being happy with the effort to fix this, I discovered discussFastpitch.com . I posted asking about drills to help with her bending over and for a pitching coach suggestion in my area (Eastern North Carolina, which I still need suggestions ;) . However, after reading through threads, and looking at Front side resistance and drive mechanics we started working on some drills. While seeing vast improvement on the drills, once she started full pitch she now crow hops!!!!!!!!!!!! She cannot feel herself doing it either...I showed her in a slow motion video and she looked shocked! Can anyone help with this? Thanks!
 
Aug 12, 2014
112
28
Buffalo, NY
This is always tough. If it's a real crow hop (replant on bottom of foot) I have found that it usually means there's a timing issue. The legs are usually ahead of of the arms. Take video, take stills at different parts of the motion. Compare it to someone like Yukiko Ueno and see if there are timing differences.
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
to piggy back on what Rosey said, are you SURE it's a crow hop and not a leap? If it's a crow hop, keep this in mind... crow hopping is NOT a problem with the feet!! It's actually a problem with the HANDS. Every pitcher that crow hops has a pause or a hitch in their arm circle. Most pause the arm at the 12:00 position but that's not an absolute in the process. Some pause the hands at different spots on the 'clock' but it's USUALLY at the 12:00 spot. But the pause ALWAYS, ALWAYS happens at the precise time as the foot replants. So, if it's a crow hop, the hand will pause in the arm circle as the foot "replants". Go on Youtube and look up some men's fastpitch game where crow hopping is very blatant. You will see the hand pauses at the exact time as the foot lands sideways. So to fix the crow hop, the hands need to go faster and not pause. Make sure the arm makes a continuous circle. Once you know the cause (hands) the fix will be much easier.

Bill
 

javasource

6-4-3 = 2
May 6, 2013
1,347
48
Western NY
Not to be argumentative, but if it's a crowhop... it's entirely a problem with legs, and their orientation... in relationship to the body. Fixing the crowhop in other ways typically results in insanity. The hitch Bill speaks of is a result, not a cause of the crowhop.

I hate being contradictory on here... but having helped 3 kids in the last month stop crowhoppiing in one 45-minute lesson has made me realize how simple the fix really is. All you need is for her to understand, try, and then repeat. But first, you need to clearly identify that it is indeed a crowhop... as suggested by the two rockstars before me.
 
Apr 12, 2015
792
93
This pose right here:

Replant.jpg

is the classic replanter's pose. The rear facing drive foot, the cocked hips, etc, etc. Of course she is nowhere near the biggest offender below, but it is the start of it:

Barnhill.jpg

This would be considered a crow hop as defined by Rosey: "real crow hop (replant on bottom of foot)"

The is because she has driven off the rubber, landed, and is starting a second push in the still shot.
 
Last edited:
Feb 21, 2019
8
1
I agree, as stated in my original post, I was sure she was crow hoping. I need help fixing it! Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
 
Feb 13, 2018
162
28
I am not an expert but when I really look at that video it seems like instead of driving forward and keeping her foot straight she is turning it early and driving off the inside. So, it does look like she replanted but also she drug the inside side of her foot instead of the toe. Maybe if you get her driving forward off the mound instead of turning that foot early it will fix that problem?
 

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