Feedback please

[ga_smith]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Rhw-YO0dUoo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Pitching so far has been a roller coaster for my DD. Started out with HE for a few months then found this site with IR. We worked on IR and got decent at the 10u level. She pitched a lot for her team in 10u with success. Game speed around 43-44 with a good change-up. Location was pretty good. At the end of 10u she started to become stuck in a rut and I thought getting help with the drive would be a benefit. I couldn't find a pitching coach that taught IR so I tried 2-3 coaches with the emphasis on don't mess with the IR just help us with the lower half. Long story short....they couldn't not try to "fix" the IR. They all wanted a straighter arm blah blah blah...It affected her pitching and she started hitting her side.

3 months ago we found a true IR instructor but DD is still having trouble with:

1.getting palm up
2.feeling the whip
3.Main concern is brush interference... problem is she says it's hurting her elbow with repeated brushing. The elbow hits right on the top crest of the hip bone. I've used video and I see the contact but it's not excessive in any way. Her arm is a little red but never a bruise. Do I tell her that it is part of the pitching process or should I be concerned?

Please look at the video and tell me what you think. I know there are other issues but contact is making it frustrating for her to get past the drills and to the actual mound.
Thanks

 

[knightsb]

At the end of 10u she started to become stuck in a rut and I thought getting help with the drive would be a benefit.

GA, Cat Osterman arguably one of the greatest pitchers to play didn't start pitching until she was 12.

Learning to pitch is a process, embrace it. IMO, I wouldn't be worried about brush interface at 10 or 11, instead focus on making sure she has fun and loves the game. Speaking as a type A personality, I almost ruined my DD seeking perfection at an early age. Of course there is always something to work on, but make sure and not overwhelm her with technical jargon at a young age. I subscribe to JJSqueeze's advice and that is to work on throwing underhanded separate from the lowerbody focus, then lower body separate from the throwing motion, finally putting it all together.

I'll create some GIFs from your video tomorrow (if someone doesn't beat me to it).

My advice, don't try to eat it all in one bite.

 

[grcsftbll]

Such helpful advice. Really. I'm type A myself and I have to constantly remind myself, my kid is 9. If she stops having fun, it's all over. And should be.

 

[FrozenRope]

Teaching BI can lead to this in my mind......so some kids take the elbow to hip or side a little too literal. Try telling her and showing her that the inside of her elbow should contact her side, not the point of her elbow.....that will not only alleviate the head of her elbow beating into her side....it will also help her "catch the whip" by promoting an "on time" release. Think of it as the inside of the elbow and forearm rolling over on the side of her torso.

 

[Ken B]

Really good start! She's getting a little whip. Tell her to let it go and forget control to feel it more.

There should be no pain--ever. It may seem counterintuitive, but tell her to release even closer to the thigh. Get the elbow tucked even more behind the hip and let the pinky brush the leg. The pain will stop immediately--if the cause is her arm bumping the hip bone. The arm should contact under the upper part of the hip bone and wrap/roll across the soft spot between the hip and thigh.

 

[knightsb]

 

[knightsb]

 

[knightsb]

 

[knightsb]

Thread: "DD's Arm Circle....Hopefully it is Better??"

Here you go guys............See if this helps..........I'll be back later tonight..........

........

Get in the PROPER drill position...........STEP DON'T LEAP/DRAG for this drill.........Just STEP and throw..........ABBREVIATE THE CIRCLE.........I can actually throw harder with this circle..........

Here's one more valuable tip for this drill..........Have her make a circle without throwing the ball........SHE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THE BALL ALL THE WAY AROUND THE CIRCLE by watching the ball...........

If she can't see it.........It's going too far over her head...........

Hope this helps...........

 

[knightsb]

Thread: "DD's Arm Circle....Hopefully it is Better??"

Adman is right on. If you recall, I asked you NOT to post slo-motion clips.........They are not helpful. Either 30 or 60fps in real time makes this so much easier to use. It literally took me over an HOUR to make this comp because of the frame rate difference.........

When you make a "slo-motion" clip.......The software adds hundreds of "duplicate frames" to simulate slow motion........So instead of one frame of movement after another, it makes 6-8 duplicate frames of that one frame to give the appearance of slo-motion.........

Regardless.........This is an excellent job for this drill..........Watch the elbow/hand/ball as she comes over the top........On the left they have to much rotation around the head to find the correct position..........On the right........It simply flows straight down the backside...........

Also, because her weight is no longer over her heels, but more toward the toes, there is less swim (KenB)..........

IMO you've got her just a little too closed to the target line to start, causing her to step just slightly over the target line. This causes a "block out" of the target line, so the hips have to close back too far through release. Open her drill position up just a little more to start so the step can be more forward then inward, and keep the hips more open through release..........

Also, I'd like to see a little more "hook" in the elbow bend.......

FYI, there are 88 frames in this clip, and that's after I took out almost 100 duplicates...........There are only 36 in the Renfro FULL PITCH clip on page 2...........

I'd like to see a full pitch with this abbreviated circle..........I think you'll find that it won't be this abbreviated during a full pitch, even though it will feel this abbreviated to her.........