Good footwork drills

[Patdapitcher]

I'm teaching my daughter 9 yrs. She has a nice fluid motion from the open position and has some good pep but once I add footwork into the equation she gets out of rhythm. What kind drills can I use to get her arm and lower half in synch.

On a side note you guys have great advice on here.

 

[Sparky Guy]

If you can post a video of her it would help a lot. Going off of your description it sounds like she doesn't know when to start her stride foot moving forward. What I do with the young one to help them with their timing is to tell them there is an imaginary string that goes from the tip of their glove to their big toe. I tell them when the glove comes forward the string pulls the big toe and that when to start moving the glove side foot. I have them do a relaxed two-armed back swing and then start.

Do it without a ball slowly. Then do it faster and faster until she puts the timing together without having to worry about throwing a ball. Once it feels natural to her then add the ball. Again, let her start slower and work up to full speed.

 

[quincy]

An observation, not a drill.

DD was told to get her plant foot out farther than she was ready for and it really messed up her footwork. Instead of trying to fix her footwork with the longer leap she shortened the leap and her footwork is much better. Now that her footwork is better she is slowly increasing her explosion off the plate again.

 

[Steve Huff]

An observation, not a drill.

DD was told to get her plant foot out farther than she was ready for and it really messed up her footwork. Instead of trying to fix her footwork with the longer leap she shortened the leap and her footwork is much better. Now that her footwork is better she is slowly increasing her explosion off the plate again.

I think it is common for some coaches to believe that stride length is a indicator of a "good" stride. In fact, Jenny Finch could probably stride 10 feet. But if she did, her balance would be far behind her front leg, her arm swing would slow down, her control would fall apart, and it would result in a stiff front leg with a lot of impact on her ankle and especially a locked knee! What good came here?

To increase speed she can also do one-legged push-off drills, lifting and bending her left knee, rocking that leg, and then pushing off with her right leg (assuming she is RH).
Another drill is a "walk through drill". She walks up to the pitching rubber and then as she steps onto the "plate" or simulated pitching plate, she completes delivery. She can increase approach speed to learn that explosive leg push.

The balance point at the finish is what is important, not the stride length by the front foot. And knees shouldn't be locked, just solid.