How do I find the perfect release point????

[RubberBiscuit]

Don't frett! you need to throw 5-6 days a week to gain consistancy and learn your release point. I teach every other day to throw a LOT of location and working all pitches you currently have. I like to use the in-between days to thow a LITTLE location and LOTS of wrist/spin work and fielding practice.

Bottom line, from what I see is if you are only throwing a few times a week, its AWFULY hard to get consistant. If you throw 5-6X a week (AT LEAST 4X a week MINIMAL), you will learn your release point and location much quicker.

ALSO< KEY is MAINTAIN your composure! I see many girls from 12U through 18U that do NOT have composure and when they can't keep their emotions in check, they get wild. LACK of composure OFTEN leads to lack of control!

Good luck! Pitching is LOTS of hard work, but so rewarding!

Hear me now or feel the pain later - every other day should be the steady-state MAX with 6weeks off doing nothing per year. Any more than this is Russion Roulette with all the pitchers injuries out there. Pitchers were dropping like flies last year with the mentality of 5-6x a week... (maybe this 5-6x a week can work if ya don't swing a bat at all and just focus on pitching BUT you lessen your value to colleges by ignoring the bat)

The "composure" part I will buy.

 

[FrozenRope]

Hear me now or feel the pain later - every other day should be the steady-state MAX with 6weeks off doing nothing per year. Any more than this is Russion Roulette with all the pitchers injuries out there. Pitchers were dropping like flies last year with the mentality of 5-6x a week... (maybe this 5-6x a week can work if ya don't swing a bat at all and just focus on pitching BUT you lessen your value to colleges by ignoring the bat)

The "composure" part I will buy.

I agree with this once your pitcher is established. 4 days of pitching per week is quite a bit. RB, would you take the same stance if the pitcher is just in the very beginning stages, before they are actually throwing full pitches the full workout? In my opinion, if the 5-6 d/w is a lot of partial circle breakdown drills......I would say feel free to do it daily if you want. I cant image an overuse injury from that level of activity. Your thoughts? I know you speak from experience, so I value your opinion.

 

[starsnuffer]

Don't fret about finding it, because it is going to change constantly as she evolves and improves as a pitcher. She might have a lean or develop a lean, as she fixes this, her RP will have to change. She'll get stronger, her stride might get longer and she might brake faster as her core improves, her RP will have to change to adapt.

The important thing is that she learns how to adjust ON HER OWN, that she feels what she does when the ball goes low, high, left or right, so that she knows how to fix it for the next pitch. How she does this is by throwing pitches, over and over. It's the bad pitches that teach the most, and the bad pitches that should be encouraged so that the student asks themselves "what did I do there?".

-W

 

[GatorGirl]

Thanks for the feedback. How would you explain brush interference to a young girl--9 years old?

If the arm is going as fast as it should, can the brain process, "I just brushed I need to release now" at such an early age? I really don't want to confuse her, but would like to offer her something for timing that isn't a dead giveaway to the batter. But if it will just confuse her more, I will just let time work it out.

I do ask her when she throws and misses, what was the cause and 9 out of 10 times, she can tell me right away. But adjusting isn't quite there yet.

 

[JJsqueeze]

Sorry, I can't help, my daughter did it naturally, I never taught her. I actually thought it was a problem for a while. One of the big boys will have to chime in a bit to get an idea of how to teach it to a little grommet.

 

[Ken B]

In my world, there is no such thing as a release point. Not for a nine year old girl, let alone for a world class pitcher. There's no way to tell a kid to release 2mm earlier or later, especially if the misses are fewer than the hits. If the stage is set with teaching solid form, it becomes a matter of practice to go from zero control, to 95% mastery. Focus on form, fun and frequency. The misses will get fewer and fewer with time.

 

[GatorGirl]

Also, is there another name for brush interference for research purposes?

 

[Ken B]

Forearm brush?

 

[Ken B]

GG,
Try this thread:
http://www.discussfastpitch.com/sof...pitchers-training-aid-any-use.html#post140949

 

[Doug Romrell]

Thanks for the feedback. How would you explain brush interference to a young girl--9 years old?

If the arm is going as fast as it should, can the brain process, "I just brushed I need to release now" at such an early age? I really don't want to confuse her, but would like to offer her something for timing that isn't a dead giveaway to the batter. But if it will just confuse her more, I will just let time work it out.

I do ask her when she throws and misses, what was the cause and 9 out of 10 times, she can tell me right away. But adjusting isn't quite there yet.

Explain? Simply show her. I think it's easy to show I/R with brush interference. Explaining it would be a bit more difficult, especially at the younger ages.

Funny thing, given the three pitchers I work with didn't have "brush interference" just over a month ago, and given two of the three get very good brush interference now...... those two have a slight bruise on their hip. No, they are not smacking their hips. It's just that when you are throwing so many pitches over an hour and your hip isn't use to that interference, it will bruise easily, even if you're not really hitting it. I will say that they are really throwing more accurately now as a result. I'm a firm believer that "brush interference" is a vital focus of I/R, arm whip, etc.