Keeping ball down- and keeping speed up

[MandM]

DD has been working on IR and has (I think) improved in velocity and accuracy. There is no question that currently, her fastest pitches are coming in about shoulder height. With a lower target, she definitely takes something off the pitch to keep it low. I remember a thread awhile back about this topic, and someone had mentioned that this could be due to late acceleration of the arm whip? This is something we are trying but wondered if anyone might have another suggestion to keeping the ball low and maintaining her velocity- Thanks - (I will be getting BH video shortly- so maybe this will give me some other ideas!)

 

[nanotech14]

It sounds like a release issue, to me. Left & right are a mechanical issue,up & down are a release issue. Have her try to release the ball earlier, by her hip pocket.

 

[halskinner]

Does she tuck the ball in her hand back to where it touches her palm? I suspect so.

Get a plastic softball, the kind with the holes in it. Have her practice with that. Hold the ball out on the fingertips, dont let it touch the palm. The first several pitches will go very high but she will briing them down.

Once she is throwing strikes with the wiffle ball, take it away and give her back the real softball. The first few pitches will be in the dirt.

She will bring it up and find the strike zone.

The way most instructors teach students lets the weight of the ball do most of the thinking for a pitcher. I am NOT one of those.

Taking away the weight of the ball and placing the ball on the fingertips forces the pitcher to actually think about the role the fingers play in accuracy and speed.


If your instructor says to "just work on speed and accuracy will come", find an instructor that knows what they are doing rather than the one you have that is stringing you along.

 

[MandM]

no she does not -

 

[Carly]

Before doing anything complicated, try this: have her "lower her eyes" and fire as hard as she can to where she's looking. Have her start by looking at a spot below the glove, and if it's still too high she can look at the plate. If it starts coming into the lower part of the strike zone with good velocity, just have her keep practicing that way until the new release zone gets introduced to her muscle memory.

If that doesn't work, there are a ton of non-release problems that can make a pitch go high. I'd need to see pics/video.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

If a student is leaning forward or bending at the waist, even a little, the pitch will go high. Or if the back foot is not in contact with the ground, the ball can go high.

 

[MandM]

I will see if I can post some video of her