My 15 yo DD ...wanting to improve this off season.

[abbygale]

Bobby- Thanks for sharing your daughters motion and allowing us to learn along with you. Have a great day.

 

[BoardMember]

There are several areas in which she can improve her mechanics..........The goal is to get you to understand them...........

Study this for a few minutes and tell me what you see.........

 

[bobbyb]

abbygale...thank you and your welcome...i look forward to it too.

BM...I see the three planes of arm rotation.

 

[asurock]

BM...what software program are you using to draw your markings on the .gifs?

 

[bobbyb]

(1) The biggest flaw is that she "hops backward" prior to release. You'll notice that when her left foot lands, she pushes backward with her left foot, and then releases the ball.

I didn't think she was doing that unless i am misunderstanding something...she has released the ball with weight on front foot prior to popping up.

 

[BoardMember]

Ok great......So you see 3 arm planes.........

I see 2......With a big "loop" in the middle.........The ball is never on the yellow plane.......It goes back on the green plane Target line.......And circles loops into the red plane and stay there around the circle.............

The question is what's causing the loop.......??

The answer is SCREAMING at us in this clip........Take a look at her throwing shoulder in the side view.....Can you see it?

This is why I tell people NEVER to face the ball forward in the backswing OR FOWARD/UPSWING..........

Face it in or face it back.......

 

[sluggers]

The "hop back" is wrong. I've never seen a pitcher in baseball or softball land on their left leg and then push themselves back 6 to 12 inches. A lot of your DD's forward momentum is being absorbed by her left leg and is not going through to the ball.

Here is Jenny Finch:



Kenzie Fowler:



Sarah Pauly:



If these world class pitchers aren't doing it, then why do you think your DD should be doing it?

The clip you posted, by the way, clearly shows that her hip is *NOT* even slightly open at release.

 

[bobbyb]

This is why I tell people NEVER to face the ball forward in the backswing OR FOWARD/UPSWING..........

Face it in or face it back.......

Ok....gotcha...i can feel that myself. Internally rotating the humerus into the shoulder socket...definitely restricts the the amount of aberrant movement you can do in that position and will help keep the path correct from the beginning. I have not run across that and that is good! Please continue.

 

[BoardMember]

Like Cat..........Who "pulls the ball up the circle vs. pushing up"..........

Facing the ball FORWARD causes worse problems then just a transition loop from the rock back to forward arm motion...........It starts a forward arm swing that is out of plane (unless corrected)........As the arm "rotates" over the head..........

If you notice.......ALL the clip Sluggers just posted......The ball is facing BACKWARD and being pulled up the circle vs. being pushed up the circle........

As to what Sluggers is pointing out.........The "hop back".......While it is after delivery........Is an indication that she isn't/CAN'T transfer all the kinetic energy into release..........Because she WAY over-strides.........To the point that her body cannot "contract" that much spread........So she's in essence "stuck" on her back side..........

Which is why I put the green line on the "spread" between her feet...........

 

[BoardMember]

Think of it this way..........The arm circle is a "running start" to the contaction that happens from the top to the bottom of the circle.......

IF you are too spread.........The body cannot contract the kinetic energy into release efficiently........

If you'll notice/study..........Watch how close the top level pitchers thighs come together during the release and follow through compared to your DD.......