Loose / Whippy drills

[Change the plane]

Does anyone have any suggestions on loose / whippy drills? A previous post mentioned getting more loose and whippy with the arm and my DD needs to work on the same.
She’s been working on keeping the bend in the arm over the top but I don’t think she fully understands yet what loose and whippy feels like.

 

[sluggers]

Go rock skipping.

 

[DrRiello]

This is what loose looks like. My dd still struggles.




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[DrRiello]

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[Bobby Shirer]

Post a super slow mo of your dd.

 

[Fluid Fastpitch]

Since you asked for a drill; I do the 'gravity drill/spaghetti arm drill' for my beginning pitchers to try both head off tension and help them understand they don't need to *try* to clear their bodies.
Goes like this: With both feet set at 45deg on powerline, player points their glove at the target (3 o'clock) and holds a ball palm up behind at 9 o'clock (hands on the powerline). Instruct them, when I call 'spaghetti arm!' just relax, breathe out, let gravity take over and both arms will just fall (the throwing arm should brush the hip, but clear the body. If it doesn't, check that feet, shoulders, hands started on plane with powerline.). Do that 5 times, then move the back arm up to 12 o'clock. Instruct them to do the same thing, just 'encourage' the ball to start moving back toward 9 o'clock to start. Then a full circle, breathe in on the way up, out on the way down, always thinking about spaghetti arm. Breathing is key, don't ignore it. Keep adding components until you're doing full pitches.
As an aside, I've adopted the glove pointing down strategy (wrist points to target, fingers point down) as I've found personally that it decreases tension in my shoulders when pitching. That could be a quick fix, something to consider.

 

[uncdrew]

Kitchen towel.

Show her how to whip it. Like snapping a towel in the locker room.

As you're making dinner hand her the kitchen towel and make her whip it.

 

[DrRiello]

Since you asked for a drill; I do the 'gravity drill/spaghetti arm drill' for my beginning pitchers to try both head off tension and help them understand they don't need to *try* to clear their bodies.
Goes like this: With both feet set at 45deg on powerline, player points their glove at the target (3 o'clock) and holds a ball palm up behind at 9 o'clock (hands on the powerline). Instruct them, when I call 'spaghetti arm!' just relax, breathe out, let gravity take over and both arms will just fall (the throwing arm should brush the hip, but clear the body. If it doesn't, check that feet, shoulders, hands started on plane with powerline.). Do that 5 times, then move the back arm up to 12 o'clock. Instruct them to do the same thing, just 'encourage' the ball to start moving back toward 9 o'clock to start. Then a full circle, breathe in on the way up, out on the way down, always thinking about spaghetti arm. Breathing is key, don't ignore it. Keep adding components until you're doing full pitches.
As an aside, I've adopted the glove pointing down strategy (wrist points to target, fingers point down) as I've found personally that it decreases tension in my shoulders when pitching. That could be a quick fix, something to consider.

Funny you mention this. Did it last week with dd.


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[ArmWhip]

I would question whether good arm action on a pitch is actually 'whippy'. Proper arm sequencing looks whippy but in reality there is a lot of force being applied. Whippy is ok for a warmup or a drill.

 

[Gags]

Are you throwing the ball with this drill, or just holding it?

ArmWhip - maybe "relaxed" or "effortless" are better terms? My daughter's top speed is probably only 42-43, but her non-windup step-and-throws are already probably high-30's. Thinking about it, I should just have her ditch the windup altogether - she's much more accurate without it!