glove slap

[doublesteal]

I had a pitcher approach me and ask how she could get rid of the glove slap that she hs always done. She understands that it can allow batters to time her better not to mention her leg looks like hell after pitching, but she can't seem to get rid of it. She has been pitching this way for quite a few years. Any suggestions, I have video but I dont know if it will help because its from behind or is not the best quality.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

When is she slapping? During the beginning of the pitch? At release? Both? And is she always hitting the front of her thigh? (Some girls actually hit them selves in the butt.)

 

[doublesteal]

She slaps at release, when she was younger her PC taught her that is how to know when she should release .. She slaps outside part of her thigh but towards the front.

 

[MandM]

Glove snaps may help, something she can do over and over, and by herself- it will get her out of the habit of slapping. She can go up to full motion with the snaps as well

 

[quincy]

Just a Bucket Dad but maybe have her pitch to herself.

Look at 8:06.

[video=vimeo;39865664]http://vimeo.com/39865664[/video]

 

[Amy in AZ.]

You know when the glove hand goes out toward the catcher? Then, when she would normally bring the glove down to slap the thigh, her glove will not drop. Tell her to pull her elbow towards the ribs but the glove stays toward the catcher.

If we are looking at Bill, at release, the elbow and arm form an L and the elbow touches his shirt. The glove stays basically where it is.

 

[starsnuffer]

What Amy said. Basically you pull it in like you would an overhand throw. Baseball pitchers seem to throw just fine without punching themselves in the face, pitchers should be able to pitch without having to move both arms the exact same way.

-W

 

[Ken B]

 

[SBFAMILY]

Learned this from some very good hitting and pitching coaches. Watch film, the more the pitches does the more she has to be aware of that gives away a pitch. Does she slap the same with a change up as a rise ball. Grunting is the same issue. 90% of young pitchers give away what they are throwing. The #1 thing I see the put the hand into the glove deeper on some pitches. Hillhouse talked about this in one of his clinics. Just try to keep everything the same. Today teams use film and believe me, you can really find out things watching a pitcher in slow motion.

 

[starsnuffer]

Learned this from some very good hitting and pitching coaches. Watch film, the more the pitches does the more she has to be aware of that gives away a pitch. Does she slap the same with a change up as a rise ball. Grunting is the same issue. 90% of young pitchers give away what they are throwing. The #1 thing I see the put the hand into the glove deeper on some pitches. Hillhouse talked about this in one of his clinics. Just try to keep everything the same. Today teams use film and believe me, you can really find out things watching a pitcher in slow motion.

By the same token, pitchers can learn to use all of those things to their own advantage. Learning how to slap the thigh earlier and later, or not at all can really throw off a batters timing, especially after using the same slap on all the warmup pitches and not slapping during the actual pitch. Learning to grunt when the pitcher wants is a good thing too. Grunting on that really fast riseball way outside the zone and using the same grunt on the change can mess with batters.

Basically, every tool the batter has to read a pitcher can be used to throw off the batter as well.

Or, we can all just assume that pitchers are drooling idiots and must pitch every pitch the exact same way every time because if they don't, their fragile little tiaras on their pretty pretty heads might break.

-W