Help with DD's release - video included.

[jryan15]

I've been working with my daughter on bringing IR into her pitching style, and I'm pretty sure I've got her all messed up, lol! She has struggled a great deal on how to correctly release the ball and keeps falling back to this release which almost always pushes the ball outside. Any advice on how to help her with her release or anything else would be greatly appreciated. I would also appreciate any links to videos with views of a good fastball (or dropball??) release using IR would be wonderful. I just interviewed a new pitching coach today who seemed to promote pushing the ball through release . When I tried to show her the basic mechanics of IR, she said that's only for a riseball... I would have like to show her the differences between a riseball and dropball release using IR, but I've not learned that for myself yet . Thanks again!


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I can't seem to get the embedded format to work correctly, so for the time being, here is a temporary link.


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[chinamigarden]

I see some things I would get rid of (the big bend and both arms going back) but I don't see a big issue with the release.

 

[howellhandmade]

I don't see a problem with release, either. I think Hillhouse would say that left/right dispersion is an alignment problem; up/down dispersion is a release problem. What he says is that if the ball goes to the left it's because the shoulders over-rotated, if it goes right it's because the hips closed too soon. Hips don't look closed, of course. If her arm passed closer to her body going through at the bottom and she stayed more upright and in balance you might see better left/right control.

I agree about the both arms going back, but some really great pitchers do it. I think the IR part looks pretty good, but she might have an easier time getting more elbow lag if the arm didn't go back locked straight. If you're on your own coaching your daughter I'd recommend the Hillhouse DVD.

 

[joemcq51]

One issue that will immediately help her is to work on her stride. She steps well off to her right during the pitch. I believe this is causing her entire body to compensate for the loss of momentum to the plate. If you get her a little straighter to the glove, I think her pitch will naturally come back over the plate. The release looks fine. IMHO

 

[abbygale]

It looks like that glove swing is pulling her entire body to her right and then she has to compensate in her arm circle. I wasn't even sure where her target was. I don't think she is anywhere near strong enough in the front side for that glove swing yet. It doesn't help her balance at all that she keeps her glove arm straight/locked and swings with it. As an adult, take a 5 pound bag of sugar and pretend its a glove and swing your arm out locked like hers is and see if you have much balance at all. Have her take that glove off and have her throw you about 10 pitches. I bet you will see a big difference in her balance and I also bet she'll say that it is a lot easier. Then you can make a better decision about that glove swing.

 

[sluggers]

One issue that will immediately help her is to work on her stride. She steps well off to her right during the pitch. I believe this is causing her entire body to compensate for the loss of momentum to the plate.

Exactly. She is getting off the power line, so that throws everything else off.

Here is a video explaining the "power line":

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(I am *NOT* endorsing the "Powerline Mat"--you can get the same benefit by drawing a line in the dirt. But, the video has a good explanation of the power line.)

 

[jryan15]

Thanks for the excellent feedback. I see now that the arm swing may really be pulling her off of the line, and we'll work on it in the next couple days. With regard to her release, I felt like she was releaseing weak and not picking up a couple components of forearm and wrist articualtion. Her hand seems to open up at release and impart a sideways spin on the ball.

 

[howellhandmade]

Interesting point on the part the glove hand plays in momentum. For it to really help it should go out toward the catcher. With my dd, pointing the glove right at the target seems to help put the ball there.

 

[MandM]

With my DD, who I am trying to work with on IR, who is also lefty, who also seems to be releasing too early so her pitches are low and to the left (sorry I haven't figured it out yet!)- the problem is intermittent. It looks on this video that your daughter is not sending the ball to the left with this pitch? Could you keep the camera on her to get an example (as evidenced by the pitch going astray)- and then post. I would say that my DD does not leap to the right- (and still has the problem)- she was leaning forward a bit- which was contributing. I have had her working on glove snaps to get the feel of the finish and follow thru in a concentrated experience- and that seems to have helped. If you figure out how to solve, please LMK!

 

[abbygale]

When my daughter was starting out, I was all concerned about the backside use of the arm. Arm circle, IR, the whole schmear of things. Then it was her leap. Getting her out there looking like Cat. Problem was, she couldn't truly "finish" and I didn't realize that she wasn't. No back leg drive. A skinny version of Whitney Canion without the hipsnap. She was leaving about half her pitch on the rubber no matter how far she drove out. Took along time to figure out that the front side wasn't doing it's fair share of the work. Somewhere in here there is a post about shoulder articulations by Boardmember. Read it, study it, and try and wrap your head around it. It goes hand in hand with the IR thread even tho it is separate. It only took me two years to realize it was a natural fit with the IR thread.

IMO (and I'm nowhere near a pitching coach) your daughters IR is fine for the moment and her front side is what is messing with everything.

Get her BALANCED and get BOTH shoulders working together in unison and you will increase the speed of her (and your) learning curve. I've come to believe that the front shoulder has a lot to do with rear leg drive. Remember, Just my opinion. I wish I would have worried more about the front side early on. Now I know better.