Follow through

[Sparky Guy]

The pitch she is throwing her is a curve. Watch the hand flatten out with the little finger coning across under the ball.

In the Sports Science clip you need to watch the pitches at 4:25 - 4:45 area. Watch the follow through of the arm and where it finishes at. It definitely does not come across the body.

 

[lhowser]

Coaches/Parents/Players,

Trust your eyes and make sure what a person is teaching - no matter who they are is supported by GAME video. Jenny does NOT do what she teaches in that clinic instructional clip but I have seen many young girls struggle because they were doing what a college level athlete (or in this case) Jenny Finch taught them at a clinic. Same thing at the plate. In my experience clinics can do more harm than good and often only serve the purpose of getting players and parents interested in taking the next step of better practice standards and a personal coach (which is good).

 

[Sparky Guy]

Coaches/Parents/Players,

Trust your eyes and make sure what a person is teaching - no matter who they are is supported by GAME video. Jenny does NOT do what she teaches in that clinic instructional clip but I have seen many young girls struggle because they were doing what a college level athlete (or in this case) Jenny Finch taught them at a clinic. Same thing at the plate. In my experience clinics can do more harm than good and often only serve the purpose of getting players and parents interested in taking the next step of better practice standards and a personal coach (which is good).

I have to agree with you on clinics. Whenever I run one I tell the parents and the kids right up front I can not teach their daughter how to pitch proficiently in the span of the two hours she'll be at the clinic. I tell them I can teach them some of the very basics of pitching. To learn how to pitch correctly it takes a real dedication to the position. Then I show them my catchers mitt. It's worn so bad the pocket is coming apart and the padding is falling out of it. I've fixed the laces a couple of times and other parts of the glove are falling apart. Then I tell them the glove was new when my daughter started pitching. I ask them if they are willing to do that to a catchers mitt? I always get the yes head bob, but it's only a rare few who follow completely through it.

 

[Chris O'Leary]

The pitch she is throwing her is a curve. Watch the hand flatten out with the little finger coning across under the ball.

In the Sports Science clip you need to watch the pitches at 4:25 - 4:45 area. Watch the follow through of the arm and where it finishes at. It definitely does not come across the body.

I admittedly know a tick above diddly about fast pitch pitching, but if the finger goes under the ball, that's going to put backspin on the ball, not topspin.

Wouldn't this be a 4-seamer or a even a riseball?

 

[lhowser]

admittedly know a tick above diddly about fast pitch pitching, but if the finger goes under the ball, that's going to put backspin on the ball, not topspin.

A popular way of throwing a curve in fastpitch is to have the hand flat (palm up) and take the fingers around the side of the ball to create curve spin.

 

[Ken Krause]

Getting back to the original question, I have a couple of drills I use when a pitcher is stopping/freezing her elbow at her side, which I think is what the OP was describing here.

One is the "low five" drill. Set the pitcher on her knee, facing sideways. Place your hand out in front of her, then have her make a half or full circle pitching motion. At the end, she has to give you a low five. With a specific target she will keep her elbow going so the hand can reach your hand. This will help her get the feel of it.

The other is batting glove slap. The pitcher holds a batting glove in her hand, standing with feet spread or kneeling. You place your hand out in front of her, wherever you want her hand to go. She makes a circle or half circle, and slaps your hand with the batting glove. Encourage her to hit it hard, which forces her to go quicker and looser. Just make sure she is getting you with the glove and not her fist!

 

[Chris O'Leary]

Getting back to the original question, I have a couple of drills I use when a pitcher is stopping/freezing her elbow at her side, which I think is what the OP was describing here.

But isn't that what Finch does in the clip I posted?

Her elbow clearly stops for a frame or two, which helps transfer momentum.

I'm not sure this is a good idea for a younger pitcher, but I'm thinking I'd teach it to a pitcher who has stopped growing.

 

[Chris O'Leary]

If Jennie is throwing a curve (or rise), she will not finish the follow through in the same way as a fastball. Since Jennie does not throw any fastballs (except in warm up or practice), her follow through (almost always on a movement pitch) should not be used when teaching fastballs to young girls.

Why, if you are trying to break the force plate, would you throw anything but your best fastball?

 

[Quake Softball]

Why, if you are trying to break the force plate, would you throw anything but your best fastball?

I don't know. But later in the video she is definitely throwing her best hardest fastball and she "shows her elbow".

 

[Sparky Guy]

Why, if you are trying to break the force plate, would you throw anything but your best fastball?

Who knows if that was the pitch that broke the plate. The producer could have had her throw a dozen different pitches without a hitter there while filming her from the side and used what they thought was the best one that illustrated the pitching motion.