Looking down during the pitch

[SoCalSoftballdad]

IMHO, you should approach this problem from, "I want to make you a better pitcher." And then, show her how a good pitcher throws, and then work with her.

I have a nice frame-by-frame shot of Osterman throwing the ball you can use. There are also lots of videos available and pitch sequences you can use.




That is correct, except you left out the words "at release". After the pitch is thrown, some good pitchers do square up to the plate. It is the orientation of the hips at release that is important.

There is also an issue of "how open". Pitchers do close their hips somewhat prior to release. I've never seen even moderately accomplished female pitchers throw with the hips fully closed at release.

I read the articles Steve listed, and I didn't see this. Where are you getting this?

While Cat Osterman is a fabulous pitcher, she has her own very unique style to pitching that I would not necessarily use as the poster child for good pitching mechanics. At least three things she does which I would not emulate: a) she looks down at the ground, 2x, during her pitch (see Model Pitchers thread, page 2), b) she "hops" to stride plant, and c) immediatley after release, her pitching arm finishes in several different positions depending on the pitch thrown.

I would use Bill Hillhouse as an excellent example of proper pitching mechanics. If you are looking at elite female pitchers, Jennie Finch is a pretty good example of getting the hips open, long stride, and big arm circle. See the below link for a contrast in style between Cat and Jennie.

http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-pitching/5208-model-pitchers-3.html

By the way, pound for pound, Yukiko Ueno who throws 75+ is almost fully closed at release. Of course her body type (narrow hips) has a lot to do with being able to close her hips this much and not have her arm hit her right hip.

With regards to the Study, my takeway is that you shoudn't close your hips too early or too late before release, but definitely should close the hips somewhat to reduce the risk of injury.

 

[starsnuffer]

I don't want to sidetrack the conversation, but looking down at the ground is a good thing. It is a known fact that the human brain is able to focus much better on something that has just come into the field of view rather then something that has been there for a longer period of time. Many PC's, myself included, teach the pitchers to spot their landing spot (look at the ground) and then look to their target as they pitch. Accuracy, especially in younger pitchers, improves. At older levels, it leaves the pitcher in a better mental state to defend.

-W

 

[SoCalSoftballdad]

I don't want to sidetrack the conversation, but looking down at the ground is a good thing. It is a known fact that the human brain is able to focus much better on something that has just come into the field of view rather then something that has been there for a longer period of time. Many PC's, myself included, teach the pitchers to spot their landing spot (look at the ground) and then look to their target as they pitch. Accuracy, especially in younger pitchers, improves. At older levels, it leaves the pitcher in a better mental state to defend.

-W

In the middle of her stride?

 

[dadof3girls]

Yea, I would like to hear more opinions on the looking at the stride foot landing location before looking at pitch location "target" during the wind up.

 

[halskinner]

I am not a hitting instructor nor have I ever clamed to be. However, I would be called upon now and then to work with hitters and teach them about pitchers and how to spot weaknesses in their pitching.

One of the things I would teach them to look for was a pitcher looking at the ground as they started their [itch. As another poster mentioned, many times they have beem taught to do that/ When that is the case, the pitcher does that as part of their own 'Comfort zone'/ That is exactly how they pitch at their instructors training session, so thats exactly how they want to pitch in the game.

Anything that a batter can do that will 'Shake the pitcher's tree', so to speak. will take her out of that 'Comfort zone' and make her struggle with accuracy.

What I taught hitters to do, when they saw a pitcher that looks down as she starts the pitch, was very simple.

Many will look at this as a busch leagu tactic but it works.

The pitcher brings her hands together and starts the pitch. At that exact moment she is looking at her catcher and the glove, her target. She also sees the umpire and the batter. As she looks down, all three are still, the catcher squatting, the umpire bent down and the batter in their stance.

When the pitcher starts the pitch and looks down, she is thoroughly expecting to see EXACTLY what she just saw before looking down: everyone still, nobody moving. However, She looks back up midpitch and the batter is moving around ALOT. Now she is NOT focused on her target anymore, for an instant she is now looking at the batter. Her concentration has been broken and her target lost and she has been yanked out of her comfort zone. Very good chance that pitch is going to go wild of the strike zone. Very good chance it is unintentionally going to head straight for the batter too!

A few batters doing this and the pitcher will stop looking down so she can keep her focus on the target. She is now outside of her /comfort zone' and will possibly even be angry about it. At any rate, she will be struggling the rest of tha game, if she isnt pulled before that point.

What was it Yogi Berra once said "50% of pitching is 90% mental" (or is it the other way around? I forget). Anyway, the mental pitching game can be used against a pitcher too.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

I don't want to sidetrack the conversation, but looking down at the ground is a good thing. It is a known fact that the human brain is able to focus much better on something that has just come into the field of view rather then something that has been there for a longer period of time. Many PC's, myself included, teach the pitchers to spot their landing spot (look at the ground) and then look to their target as they pitch. Accuracy, especially in younger pitchers, improves. At older levels, it leaves the pitcher in a better mental state to defend.

-W

Interesting because we use the same tools for problems in young baseball pitchers. Examples of 100% focus and target acquired.

Pitching Mechanics / Baseball Pitching Mechanics / Baseball Throwing Mechanics / Baseball Mechanics For Pitching Mechanics
Pitching mechanics phase #1: Stance

The starting stance, from the windup position, should include the following:

Eyes need to be fixed on target.

Pitching Mechanics - The Delivery

It is very important that a pitcher’s eyes stay focused on the target at all times during the delivery of the pitch. I get pitchers to especially focus on the target during the follow through and tell them that the only time that they can take their eyes off of the target is for a split second during the step-back discussed earlier. Many pitchers take their eyes off the target and look down for a second while they place their right foot in the groove in front of the pitching rubber and then pick up the target when their delivery begins moving towards the plate. This is fine as long as they demonstrate they can quickly pick up the target while conducting the delivery of the pitch.

 

[ArmWhip]

I have some high speed video of Taryn Mowat at release with her chin up and pointing at the batter, no way she could see the catcher. Later that year, in the winter, I went to a conference where Cat O was speaking. On the wall over the stage was huge picture of Cat at release, she was in the same position at Mowat, chin up. I have never seen Cat in that position on any of the video that is around. I thought that it was more than a little ironic that they put up a picture of her in such a bad position at a place where she was talking about pitching mechanics.

Here is a picture of Mowat.

http://www.pbase.com/jfp_photo/image/97293587