dd10 pitching

[dfp01]

Hi all,

I do need some help and advice- we are in trouble. I do feel bad having to ask, but DD10 wasn't supposed to be pitching in Little League this year, at 40feet with the 12inch ball- but now she will be. And in about 3 weeks. Playing in the older age group was surprise enough, but then they surprised us again that she'd be one of the main pitchers. We're in trouble. Our main worry is speed- she gets the ball across the plate fine and her accuracy doesn't worry us. It's just not hard/fast. We will take any all suggestions. This is just at practice (horrible field)/ it was quite chilly today/ plus my DH took a horrible video- I know. But after all those excuses- I'll just take any and all the suggestions we can get - we know we have a lot of work to do in the next few weeks. Help? Thanks SO MUCH - in advance.

 

[WaSpeed02]

I don't really think there is much you can do in 3 weeks, but I'd recommend that you familiarize yourself with the I/R sticky and work on those drills. The bad thing about having the combination of good control with a lack of pitch velocity is that she will get shelled until she improves. Focus on your defensive skills--you'll need it. And stay positive with your pitcher. Keep encouraging her and working with her. She WILL improve and by the time she's 12, she'll be dominating the rest of them.

 

[sluggers]

This the drill of drills...my DD did this from the time she was 12YOA up to the last game she pitched in college. Cat Osterman still does this drill. Your DD literally cannot do this drill enough.

Pay very close attention to Amanda's foot work at the end. Notice that her right foot stays well behind her left foot. That is what your DD needs to be doing. She needs to stop her body from going forward after the pitch...she is losing speed.

If your DD does this drill conscientiously, she'll get a speed boost in a matter of days. She isn't going to be throwing 50, but you'll notice an almost immediate improvement.

[video=youtube_share;r7o7MC1XX5k]http://youtu.be/r7o7MC1XX5k[/video]

 

[Rocketech1]

Watch how Amanda "sticks the landing" at stride plant, trasferring most of the stored energy to the throwing arm. Your DD is "walking through" the release of the pitch. She should be staying back at release.

Side note, it looks like there is a pitching plate to pitch from but your DD isn't using it? Maybe I am crazy, but I measure off the exact distance from the pitching plate to home plate (and put down a home plate) and always have may DD pitch from the pitching plate. I also make sure my DD is pitching with the exact ball (model and make) of the one she will be using in the game. Off my soap box.

 

[dfp01]

Thank you all for your feedback. I promise we've been working on it all. I think she is a little better about not "walking through" now, am I right? Sometimes she forgets to "stick the landing" and those are the pitches that we usually catch on video. We've learned to play a little with Coach's Eye now too, and slow down the video if that helps {i don't know why he put it in reverse}. I'll try and upload more as we go through them all and make better ones. Any other comments are completely and totally welcome. We are 3 days away from our first game now- so we are running out of time. She did pitch in a scrimmage last Saturday and was as good as or better than the opposing pitcher (age 11). There just aren't any 12 year olds in the league this year that can pitch with any consistency, so between 3 teams- their main pitchers are age 11, age 11, and age 10 (my DD).

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Z1jVkPTCMY0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[dfp01]

Here are 3 pitches in a row, but normal speed- not sure when we will get to play with it a little more in Coach's Eye, so I'll post this for now. Not sure why she's not keeping her right foot behind her left still. I think she's getting better, but she must not be doing it as often as I thought because I'm having trouble finding any that we captured on video. We'll have to go over that again with her at tomorrow's practice.

{And I did ask her why she wasn't using the pitching plate that is there at that practice field. It throws her off because it moves on her when she uses it- so she measures and draws a line with her foot instead. Fields used to practice around here are not ideal- very hard to come by- I know. Luckily games start Monday.}


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/-gEGOiah-90" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[dfp01]

And... this one is from the back to look at the back foot. (not in Coach's Eye yet either). I guess we didn't get any video of her right-back foot behind her left. Will reinforce that tomorrow. I thought we were doing better with that than we are- I guess.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/XNWfPJaZjc0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>