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

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May 26, 2009
3
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I am on a 12 U team and I am a pitcher. I pitch pretty well about 60% of the time, but I am having trouble with my release point. Sometimes I will release too early and the ball will go into the dirt, and sometimes I release too late and the ball goes over the catchers head. What can I do to find the perfect release point every time?
 
Mar 2, 2009
311
16
Suffolk, VA
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!
 
Aug 20, 2013
558
0
Bringing up and old thread cause I want some input here. Sometimes DD is way late and the ball goes way high. We know it is a late release. Besides suggesting throwing more, is there a specific way to help hone the release point. Her PC tells her to tap her leg and that helps sometimes, but just looking for other ideas to correct a super late release. Happens about 1 in 5 throws.

Has to be super simple for a 9 year old. Thanks!

GG
 
Jan 4, 2012
3,852
38
OH-IO
Back then... I told DD I was wanting her to give a catcher practice blocking, so hit the ground in front of plate. Then I told her I wanted to give her high ones for practicing jumping up. :cool:
 
Aug 20, 2013
558
0
So location practice will help you think? I was thinking this as I was piecing it together from other threads, but wasn't sure I was understanding it correctly.
 
Jan 4, 2012
3,852
38
OH-IO
Sorry...I didn't re-read this post just answered your last one....I do remember reading here, before I used my tactic of promoting her to teacher, to help her learn...that they have to find that on there own. It worked and worked fast. Of course I told the catcher, I wanted her to help DD find her release points. :cool: the catcher was a pitcher... but they both had fun putting on the catching equipment. Also the big trick...thinking back was... I had DD working with a girl much older. For that girl the trick was session's in the balcony while Boyz Basketball practice was going on :cool:
 
Nov 27, 2010
54
0
Aim for the catcher's shoe tops and work your way up from there. I also like exaggerating everything with ultra-slow-motion and a mirror or a video to "see" how it feels. we use that for hitting as well to refine mechanics, and then go right back to full speed and "feel" how it feels. Not sure if it's right, but we do that for each of my DD's pitches as well. Only do this once a month or so, but it always seems to get her into the "deep pracitce" a bit more.
 
Aug 20, 2013
558
0
Yes our PC has an approach. No we aren't slapping our leg. He suggest a knocking on the door motion at her hip as a gentle reminder of the release point before each full pitch.

He is more concerned right now with missing left and right. We are just taking this week off so I am just doing some research for my own education. Thank you.

GG
 

JJsqueeze

Dad, Husband....legend
Jul 5, 2013
5,436
38
safe in an undisclosed location
Brush interference along with I/R with proper posture! Sounds simple, huh.

I agree with Doug here. Two things to observe here. I/R will tend to flatten the bottom of the circle ever so slightly so that the HI/LOW becomes more of a low-in/high-out miss. Since the arm is never truly fully extended, that little angle on the forearm flattens the circle ever so slightly through the release phase. This is important because it helps give a little more window to release the ball without a big high low miss, and it indicates that more energy is going directly at the catcher.

The brush interference gives a tactile feedback point that she can use to time the release.

When my DD first showed signs of consistency at release I asked her what she was feeling and she told me she was using her arm making contact with her side as a timing mechanism. In looking at the high level slo motion video, I think I see something similar happening with the elites.

I think there is a critical point in teaching a pitcher when they get away from the feeling that they are throwing with an arm making a circle motion and they get the feeling that the circle is a windup and they are throwing towards the catcher and using the bottom of the circle to get as much energy to the catcher as possible, I think this simple concept "flattens" the bottom of the circle a little so during this phase they are thinking "forward" instead of "around" and they start dialing in the up/down and find a better release point.

As a method, one thing I like to do is have them throw a few in the dirt if they are high (or over my head if they are in the dirt) so they can feel the other side of the correct release point. Then you are just interpolating between those two points to find the right release.
 

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