Lock it in drill

[djcarter1966]

Boardmember is being blunt for a reason...you don't want to ingrain bad muscle memory. Lets see if using Java's video show's you the difference a little more glaringly. Hopefully you notice the orientation of the hand and ball we are looking for PALM UP and we really shouldn't be getting to 90 degrees on the elbow bend either it might look close but even at 60-70 degrees or so it makes a difference try it yourself at 90 degrees for some reason you just get a different feel. Also please don't just give up it is a marathon not a sprint slow and steady.

 

[ArmWhip]

Thanks Bill, I was more just giving up on myself helping her. I understand your philosophy of throw the ball across the body - it's simple and makes sense. When she does that, she generally pitches well for being 9. I was actually talking to a D1 pitcher's dad last week from afar and he mentioned you as a resource of how he helped his daughter.

With the arm rotation stuff it's more difficult for me to understand. Having torn my labrum and rotator cuff a long time ago, if I take a ball and go 9 o'clock palm-up I feel a lot of pressure/pain in my shoulder. So then I worry am I doing this right, or I am I going to hurt my daughter's shoulder. At the same time, I can't throw a football, nor can I throw a baseball or softball overhand very fast or far, so maybe for normal shoulders this a perfectly fine position.

With no softball and stuck at the house, I just wanted to try and help develop the part of the motion she is seemingly missing.

I had a labrum tear and could not throw overhand. I had to catch for my daughter so I bought a lefty first baseman's mitt. What a challenge throwing lefty was. It became a source of humor for my daughter. One time we were at a group practice indoors. One of my throws back to my daughter was so bad it hit the thermostat on the wall and shattered it. It was so loud everyone stopped and looked over at us. My daughter points to me, shakes her head and breaks out in laughter.

 

[NJSwampdragons]

Try it lefty maybe? Or with your good shoulder

Yes lefty palm-up seems fine. Ironically, I tore my left rotator cuff as well, but it was minor and never had surgery.

Is the external rotation in the video basically the same motion you do with bands to strengthen your rotator cuff but turning your wrist up?

 

[NJSwampdragons]

I had a labrum tear and could not throw overhand. I had to catch for my daughter so I bought a lefty first baseman's mitt. What a challenge throwing lefty was. It became a source of humor for my daughter. One time we were at a group practice indoors. One of my throws back to my daughter was so bad it hit the thermostat on the wall and shattered it. It was so loud everyone stopped and looked over at us. My daughter points to me, shakes her head and breaks out in laughter.

Yes, I think it's the labrum tear, not the rotator cuff that is the issue. I had surgery in HS and was back wrestling in 3 months, but it was never the same. Now it cracks and crunches and makes all types of weird noises. Then ~17 years ago I tore a tendon in my right elbow, which was a pretty long recovery. So the whole right arm and shoulder is a mess. I don't think I could throw left handed, though.

 

[Powerof9]

Rotate YOUR HAND FIRST is what makes it easy. Start with ball at release, then rotation starts with your hand, your thumb point straight away from you. As you lift your forearm and arm contine rotation of palm to sky at 9 o clock. Practice without a ball hundreds of times then put a ball in your hand just practice the reverse chain stopping at 9 o clock. Break the movements down in pieces then put it together! It takes hard work and thousands of reps to get it close to being correct. Keep working and dear God dont post a video public unless you have thick skin and can receive criticism. You are posting videos to folks who spent decades studying, analyzing, dissecting and learning fastpitch mechanics. Start with IR in classroom its all there and there is a search function because most questions have been asked here before. The members on this forum are very helpful

 

[Hillhouse]

Thanks Bill, I was more just giving up on myself helping her. I understand your philosophy of throw the ball across the body - it's simple and makes sense. When she does that, she generally pitches well for being 9. I was actually talking to a D1 pitcher's dad last week from afar and he mentioned you as a resource of how he helped his daughter.

With the arm rotation stuff it's more difficult for me to understand. Having torn my labrum and rotator cuff a long time ago, if I take a ball and go 9 o'clock palm-up I feel a lot of pressure/pain in my shoulder. So then I worry am I doing this right, or I am I going to hurt my daughter's shoulder. At the same time, I can't throw a football, nor can I throw a baseball or softball overhand very fast or far, so maybe for normal shoulders this a perfectly fine position.

With no softball and stuck at the house, I just wanted to try and help develop the part of the motion she is seemingly missing.

One small point, nothing I do or teach is "my philosophy". I didn't invent this or anything about this. Neither did anyone on this board. The arm whipping across the body is it's natural movement, just like throwing overhand the arm finishes down and across, hitting a tennis ball the arm and racket finish across. Etc.

I may be in the minority here on this board but, I am not a believer in teaching pitching based off drills. If your kid hasn't been poisoned by a H/E coach, then she doesn't have a lot of "unlearning" to do before she can learn new stuff. So there's a very good chance she's already doing the things she's supposed but but is making it harder than it needs to be when doing these "drills", which takes away their value if she's not doing them right. Honestly, I don't know if I'd do this "drill" correctly either but I'm pretty sure I do ok when throwing a ball.

Bill

 

[BigSkyHi]

One small point, nothing I do or teach is "my philosophy". I didn't invent this or anything about this. Neither did anyone on this board. The arm whipping across the body is it's natural movement, just like throwing overhand the arm finishes down and across, hitting a tennis ball the arm and racket finish across. Etc.

I may be in the minority here on this board but, I am not a believer in teaching pitching based off drills. If your kid hasn't been poisoned by a H/E coach, then she doesn't have a lot of "unlearning" to do before she can learn new stuff. So there's a very good chance she's already doing the things she's supposed but but is making it harder than it needs to be when doing these "drills", which takes away their value if she's not doing them right. Honestly, I don't know if I'd do this "drill" correctly either but I'm pretty sure I do ok when throwing a ball.

Bill

I was not a pitching coach until last fall, November.

I agree with Bill. He has a lot to offer. Learned at lot from his videos.

Also learned a ton from Rich Balswick. “When we see distortion in delivery and inconsistency in ball placement, much of it is attributed to an inefficient effort being made to power the ball.”
– Rich Balswick

Quite a resume he has: 9 High School Scholarship Commitments, 28 Current College Athletes, 3 Gatorade Athletes of the Year

 

[fanboi22]

My DD always seemed to struggle with the lock it in drill. It seemed to promote an around the body throw and felt less natural. We usually went to the 9 oclock or liberty and just made sure there was brush interference (BI). These is a thread for that in the stickies. I think that was the main thing missing with my DDs training was verifying there was always BI. If she didn't feel it, she was doing it wrong. Verify pam up at 9 oclock and BI on the throw, and think to yourself 'throw from pocket'.

 

[Hillhouse]

I was not a pitching coach until last fall, November.

I agree with Bill. He has a lot to offer. Learned at lot from his videos.

Also learned a ton from Rich Balswick. “When we see distortion in delivery and inconsistency in ball placement, much of it is attributed to an inefficient effort being made to power the ball.”
– Rich Balswick

Quite a resume he has: 9 High School Scholarship Commitments, 28 Current College Athletes, 3 Gatorade Athletes of the Year

Balswick was a hell of a pitcher before his coaching days BigSky. Pitched on the US national team, for one of the top teams in the country and was considered one of the best during his playing days. So he's teaching from experience, and seems be excellent at transferring his playing career into his teaching (which not everyone can do). So his resume begins long before the credentials you listed.

 

[cnardone]

Yes lefty palm-up seems fine. Ironically, I tore my left rotator cuff as well, but it was minor and never had surgery.

Is the external rotation in the video basically the same motion you do with bands to strengthen your rotator cuff but turning your wrist up?

Rotator Cuff Surgery here. The lock it in drill is NOTHING like the exercises I did (and still do) with the band. We might be talking about different exercises. But, I'll go further and say the lock it in drill is not like any shoulder exercise I ever did with bands or without.