Dropball
- Thread starter NJSwampdragons
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My eye tells me that with that shoulder angle and release she is probably rolling over the ball. You should take a ball with a circle around it, have her line up her middle finger with the circle and throw it. If the ball is coming off her hand/fingers in a 'peel drop' release the circle should be vertical and in line with the plate. Or buy one of these;
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When the shoulder gets involved that early in downswing it causes an early internal rotation of the arm. She's losing some velocity because of that. When she tries to throw a palm up curve or riseball that shoulder will have to stay back to allow the arm/hand to get in the proper position.
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When the shoulder gets involved that early in downswing it causes an early internal rotation of the arm. She's losing some velocity because of that. When she tries to throw a palm up curve or riseball that shoulder will have to stay back to allow the arm/hand to get in the proper position.
- Nov 22, 2019
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She has a weighted plyoball in her hand instead of a glove to try and keep her from swimming, so she doesn’t have a glove for me to throw it to her.
- Sep 3, 2015
- 372
- 63
Use a lined ball, instant feedback.
Vary the pitches so she gets used to going back and forth between the drop, change, etc.
You say 2K’s per inning? What level does she play at?
The ball will have to move in order to get those Ks later.
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Vary the pitches so she gets used to going back and forth between the drop, change, etc.
You say 2K’s per inning? What level does she play at?
The ball will have to move in order to get those Ks later.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
- Nov 22, 2019
- 297
- 43
Almost every team in our area just classifies themselves as “B” at this age, but she’s playing against recognizable names like the Newtown Rock, PA Chaos, Jersey Intensity, Ruthless, etc. The physical maturity difference between her and some of the batters she faced was pretty absurd (some looked like high schoolers). The number of strikeouts per inning was “helped” by errors and 3rd drops.
Movement is the one thing she does have, you just don’t know what type of movement you’re going to get.
Let me just say one thing, she starts quick and then slows down. Her leg drive is just quick rocking back and forth. It can improve greatly.
Start slow to fast. Not fast to slow.
I will go out on a limb and say her ball drops, not because of spin, but when she throws it low - also known as releasing it a little earlier. It is gravity on a pitch not thrown at an upward trajectory that is the primary reason it drops.
Look at it this way, from 40' she is throwing the ball in the upper 40's. When she releases the ball basically flat (not an upward trajectory created by a later release) the ball runs out of gas at the end and drops. It would really drop from 43'.
The question is how can you trick her brain into changing the release angle and call it a drop? Some use a "peel drop" suggestion. When it works the ball falls off the fingers earlier and so it is flatter and gravity kills it (a drop). Others suggest a "turnover drop". The turnover wrist action causes an earlier release and you've got your drop ball. Throwing a low fastball will also achieve the same result as the ball will be less likely to be thrown on an upward trajectory.
I've had good success teaching the turnover. It gives a young player a clear mental cue different than the fastball which makes them feel like they are doing something much different. Most of the time what actually happens is it just causes the pitcher to release a little earlier creating the drop effect.
Taking the mystery out of the drop ball!
Look at it this way, from 40' she is throwing the ball in the upper 40's. When she releases the ball basically flat (not an upward trajectory created by a later release) the ball runs out of gas at the end and drops. It would really drop from 43'.
The question is how can you trick her brain into changing the release angle and call it a drop? Some use a "peel drop" suggestion. When it works the ball falls off the fingers earlier and so it is flatter and gravity kills it (a drop). Others suggest a "turnover drop". The turnover wrist action causes an earlier release and you've got your drop ball. Throwing a low fastball will also achieve the same result as the ball will be less likely to be thrown on an upward trajectory.
I've had good success teaching the turnover. It gives a young player a clear mental cue different than the fastball which makes them feel like they are doing something much different. Most of the time what actually happens is it just causes the pitcher to release a little earlier creating the drop effect.
Taking the mystery out of the drop ball!
Someone posted that if you release the ball at 6 o'clock with your fingers down and behind the ball you will throw your best speeds. This really helps my kids by just stating it when they are a little early or late. Hillhouse talks about releasing a little early to get more drop. If not throwing uphill gravity works better.
IMO, her arm is to straight at 12 o'clock, her drive leg is late and not stacked, which leads to a bowling action (peel), and her elbow goes out at release which causes some rollover and maybe curve action.
- Nov 22, 2019
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So my guess is if you fix some aspects of the motion, she’d get worse in the near term (lose movement), but it would be better long term.
