dragging entire side of foot

[the_fitter]

I,ve been working with a 12 yr old who has a habit of dragging the entire side of her pivot foot instead of just the toe. When I try to get her to drag on the toe, she ends up staying forward instead of getting sideways and she drags on the very end of the with shoe laces facing straight on same as her body. Any ideas or drills to help keep her sideways while dragging on toe.

 

[LAdad]

Instead of focusing on the drag, teach her how to push. The drag is just the follow-through, but the push is what contributes to the pitch. Not only does focusing on the cosmetics of the drag apparently confuse her, but the way she drags seems only possible with all her weight on her front foot - in other words, a stance where you get zero push. (My foot still hurts from trying that sideways drag.)

 

[lhowser]

First thing to check. Make sure her push of/drag leg always has the knee at least somewhat pointed forward (somewhere between home and third). If it rotates beyond 90 degrees (say pointing between third and short) you are going to get this drag. rotate it more towards home and the heel will come up. She doesn't need to be "on the toe' just work first on the knee and see what happens. My recommendation - don't try it until you observe what I said as a problem and compare it to better college pitchers

When I try to get her to drag on the toe, she ends up staying forward instead of getting sideways

In my opionion I have learned that it is more important to focus on the girls getting the shoulders open than the hips. If you land at a sufficient angle with your stride foot and open the shoulders the hips usually get sufficiently open.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Is it like this? This is WA.'s Danielle Lawry, a world champion and former olympian.

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[mrslug01]

Jennie Finch does it too

 

[Amy in AZ.]

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[CoachFP]

Yes they do it. They could be even better if they didn't

 

[mrslug01]

Yes they do it. They could be even better if they didn't

Certainly an opinion.
Please explain it.
I've already heard the one that says that it slows you down and I'm not buying that one because you either drag the side of the foot like that or the toe. Who's to say what generates more resistance with the ground, thereby slowing you down. If you watch girls that drag the side, it's an essentially instantaneous part of the motion.

 

[Hillhouse]

Mrslug, I just arrived in Europe after a LONG trip so I'm a little groggy and perhaps jet lagged. But, was this serious?

Ask yourself this, why is "leaping" illegal? It's because they have nothing hold them to the ground anchoring them down and anchoring them back from the plate. They get more push, more drive off the rubber. It's pretty simple, the more foot on the ground the more of an anchor holding you back. Like running with a fridge tied to your back. Yes, Finch does it. Ok. She's like 6 foot tall (maybe more). So she gets away with a lot of mechanical "flaws" that someone smaller cannot.

Since I'm supposed to "answer the question" in all my replies, I'll tell "the fitter" this: Have her pitch towards a mirror (either throwing socks to the mirror or just 'air' pitching without anything) . Stretch some masking tape on the floor and her her drag her tip toe on the masking tape. Shoe laces face the target. If she can do this in the mirror 10,000 times, she'll build muscle memory to get off the side of the foot. Believe me, she'll get more out of her legs with less foot dragging.

Bill

 

[BLB]

Here's a couple more elite pitchers not turning in the ts knee or hips towards the catcher prior to release.