Help needed

[mann]

I would like to help my pitchers, but i have reached my limitations. I would like to learn along with a pitcher i have.

She started softball as a 7th grader, started dabbling in pitching as a curiosity, and this Christmas i have worked with her about one day a week, because she likes it.

She will be pitching for jv this year, its all they have. great kid, learns fast, but we need help.

I will supply any angle you need, and will work on whatever you recommend. Thanks in advance.

 

[Doug Romrell]

The very first thing I see is her taking the ball out of her glove immediately. Get her to take the ball IN the glove down toward her right thigh, then her hand and ball will come out when the glove can no longer follow into the back-swing.

The second thing I see, AND THIS IS HUGE, is her right foot. She needs to either use the "rolling" or "striking" type drive with that right foot. In her case, I would suggest the rolling type. And, she needs to get deep into the forward-leaning h by driving the hips forward after the ball passes the hip in the back-swing, giving her the sense that she's sprinting away from her arm.

Thanks Javasource

 

[knightsb]

In addition to Doug's observations:

-She does not transfer her weight back. Back to go forward. She never gets her front side unweighted to get that running start.
-More front side resistance for momentum transfer.

 

[knightsb]

Basic pitching checkpoints

 

[mann]

The very first thing I see is her taking the ball out of her glove immediately. Get her to take the ball IN the glove down toward her right thigh, then her hand and ball will come out when the glove can no longer follow into the back-swing.

The second thing I see, AND THIS IS HUGE, is her right foot. She needs to either use the "rolling" or "striking" type drive with that right foot. In her case, I would suggest the rolling type. And, she needs to get deep into the forward-leaning h by driving the hips forward after the ball passes the hip in the back-swing, giving her the sense that she's sprinting away from her arm.

Thanks Javasource

Why go with the rolling, over the toe stomp? I have a hunch (bad word in the pitching section).

 

[sluggers]

(By the way, you've got a kid who can throw the ball.)

Front side resistance:

Watch Jenny Finch's feet. Do you see her walking toward the catcher after she throws? *NOPE* she stops. Her right foot stays 6 to 12 inches behind her left foot.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9JlItx-6acY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Your pitcher is walking toward the catcher after she throws. What does this mean? She is losing speed.

Here is another great pitcher, Whitney Canion. Look at her feet...she is a lefty, and her left foot barely moves after she throws the ball.

https://youtu.be/-czxt7uUvXw

 

[mann]

Ok, stuff i grasp, and can work on. This place is a gold mine of teaching talent.

Thank you for your help so far, and i will be applying these useful suggestions this week, and i will keep you posted.

 

[knightsb]

Look at Georgia's Brittany Gray:

 

[mann]

Got it, thank you Knight. i can see that her beginning sequence is off, creating a situation where her arm circle is not late enough in the sequence. She is not "running away from her arm".

her arm should be "late" this would allow more of the whip type action with a pulling body, a better sequence?

So working on that whole front part, along with a more / lean, and a good front-side resistance.

Am i close? I know that at times her back gets tight, and now i worry because of the back injury talk. We work on hardwood, and she needs core work, her spine is absorbing alot of force.

We worked on the toe stab, but i can see the rocker method might be a better fit, also like AS

 

[knightsb]

Mann, as sluggers mentioned, there is already a lot to like with her pitching.

Below are frames 32, 42, 53, 56, 63, 67, and 70.

---------32-------------------42--------------------53-----------------------56------------------------63-----------------------67--------------------------70

1. Between 32 & 42, this is where she should be transferring her weight from the front side to the back side.

2. Between 42 & 53 this is where she has an opportunity to create overlap by moving her weight forward as her throwing arm goes back (backswing). JS referred to this as the hip thrust.

3. Between 53 & 56, you can see a skip step. IMO, this is because she never got her weight back, but she still feels the need to shift her weight forward.

4. Frame 63 looks like she is coming out strong. Both her pitching arm and stride leg are coming out together.

5. Frame 67 looks close to a classic position, but a slight adjustment to a 45 degree orientation with her stride foot and hips would make this better IMHO.

6. Frame 70 release, looks like she is getting some arm whip.