Ken B said:The thread that FastPitchCat posted has some good info, as does the Drive Mechanics stickie. I think that learning the sequence and how it contributes to the release phase makes it much easier to know what to look for.
As far as checkpoints to look for in evaluating an efficient sequence, I like to see a good lean with overlap:
More important is how this lean is achieved. The 2 Step sequence gets there in an incredibly efficient manner, but many just bend and/or fall into a lean and go.
Another good checkpoint is looking for the drive effort at 3 PM to be completely expended:
I really like this shot because it demonstrates a couple other things I look for:
-an effort to drive squarely towards the target and allowing extension to open the body and
-use of the glove side to contribute to the drive (and hopefully to release)