How to break sidearm habit?

[ifubuildit]

Fixing the Side arm problem

AK go look at what I just wrote in the "Chicken Wing' Thread about the Perfect Circle. It will help your daughter with this problem too.

Dana Maggs

Excel Hitting and Pitching

 

[RookKev]

In the meantime, maybe 1,000 special K's? Standing facing a wall so none of that twisting 'stuff' can go on without hitting the wall. This looks like a muscle machine right now...it will be exciting when she switches to a pitching machine, with her physique, she could do some neat stuff.

 

[aksaunders]

We are looking into getting another pitching coach in the near future. Rook, it is funny that you mention Ks. When she does this drill during warm-ups, she looks fantastic: arm brushes her belly-button and velocity is outstanding. When she goes to full motion though she reverts back to the sidearm delivery. It is very frustrating for her because she wants to get it fixed so bad.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

She could pitch from the sling shot and forget the windmill, all together. (Just a suggestion.)

 

[aksaunders]

My daughter and I just read the thread together. It was great to see her smiling from some of the comments that you all made. She was really excited when I explained the muscle machine vs pitching machine reference. Amy, could you point me to some sling shot references?

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Here is a discussion - http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-pitching/5934-success-slingshot.html

 

[starsnuffer]

She's leaping 30 degrees off to the first base side. This starts with her turning her foot before she even pushes off. After this, she brings her glove to her side, however instead of standing tall and holding her glove/ball out to her side, she does the lazy hip cock and tilts her hips out to her left to make room for her glove. She turns her foot out, then pushes off the side of her foot in the opposite direction. She flies out to the left with her glove, and steps far to the left of the power line when she leaps. With all of this energy and momentum flying off to the 1st base side, how do you think she could do anything BUT compensate by throwing her other hip out in a violent attempt to stay balanced and fly way out towards third with her pitching arm?

Any decent quarterback will tell you that footwork is everything. The same is true of pitching. Fix the foot, then fix the hip, practice sprinter starts, and then put down a powerline and make sure she opens with the balls of both her feet lined up directly towards the inside corner of home plate (for an inside fastball) and see if that doesn't get you somewhere with the arm.

-W

 

[aksaunders]

I am looking forward to reading the article. Also, the foot was pointed out and we talked about it when we watched the video. We will be working on this, the footwork, and the arm circle while we seek out a pitching coach. Appreciate the feedback.

 

[Sparky Guy]

We will be working on this, the footwork, and the arm circle while we seek out a pitching coach.

I know this may sound REALLY counter productive. It might be better if she stops until you find her a pitching coach.

This is not meant to be condescending. Right now you've got a problem and you're stumbling blindly trying to fix it without a real idea of where you're heading. While trying to "Fix" the problems you may be compounding them. You can get some good advice here, but there is nothing like the one-on-one interaction with a coach there when the work is happening. I've had girls with the same flaws in their motion that took different drills to straighten out. There are just WAY too many variables.

 

[Lozza]

I'm going to agree with Sparky. If she's going to a pitching coach, you need to find one straight away and not do any pitching until she sees them. All she'll be doing is compounding the issues now. She won't be improving anything.