Need some help

[765Seth]

Full disclosure the only person i have 'taught' is my DD. I suppose i have also 'taught' myself, but more to learn to teach DD.

That being said, I don't 'teach' the rollover because it is not possible. I was stating (or my understanding of what i thought Sluggers was trying to say or show) that the drill was a 'feel' to get the student to IR faster and get to the proper release location. If you try to do the 'rollover' drill, you will feel your hand have to IR faster to get to the correct release point. In my opinion it is more a cue of what to try and feel though it is in no way possible to ever achieve.

I believe that people who actually think it happens are wrong and their teaching methods are flawed because of it, but in this example because the 'cue' gets the IR done sooner, this incorrect teaching of what the pitcher is doing is actually erroring into a correct pitch.

I think i have stated before, i used the cue with my DD to start IR at 9 oclock. This was to try and get her a better change up, but turned out to be a better drop ball. My change up cue is bad, but used for a drop worked. haha. again, i dont know what i dont know. trial and error. and sometimes better to be lucky than good. I like knowing what actually happens, and then how to translate to DD is another issue all together.

random question since you are experimenting with your DD's IR like I am... lol... If she cradles it, which way is her hand facing coming out of the glove? the more traditional backswing, which way is her hand facing? My DD is trying to keep her back swing with palm to the catcher on the backswing (not cupping), with as quick of a 'short circle' possible, which has increased her spin and movement. It seems the external cue of make it spin has helped her create her own movement.

 

[Hillhouse]

From my DD's lessons, I picked up the following short reminders about her dropball - "Shorten the stride" (just a few tiny inches), and "Nose over knee" (more of a lean forward, not to bend forward). Nope, I'm not a pitching coach, but these just stuck in my head.

When a coach tells you to "shorten the stride" on a dropball, the goal of doing that is to release the ball earlier. Stepping shorter brings the release point up quicker for the release... just as I was saying earlier (a drop is a "fastball" released earlier). I don't understand why someone has to "shorten the stride" in order to teach them an earlier release. Then again, I don't understand why anyone wants to change their mechanics for different pitches period. "step shorter for the drop, longer for the rise, step over this way for a curve, then go that way for the fake 'screwball', etc". How can a pitcher stay in a rhythm when they are constantly changing what they do every other pitch? Isn't that the opposite of rhythm?

When you watch Cat Osterman pitch, take notice of something you do NOT see... a change in mechanics from pitch to pitch. She is not arguably the best all time for no reason. Yes, she has some physical benefits but, there are a lot of tall pitchers out there who do change their mechanics from pitch to pitch and they aren't Cat Osterman.

 

[Rick M]

When a coach tells you to "shorten the stride" on a dropball, the goal of doing that is to release the ball earlier. Stepping shorter brings the release point up quicker for the release... just as I was saying earlier (a drop is a "fastball" released earlier). I don't understand why someone has to "shorten the stride" in order to teach them an earlier release.

Does shortening the stride allow the stride foot to hit the ground sooner when the release point is earlier in the motion, increasing front side resistance?


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[Hillhouse]

Does shortening the stride allow the stride foot to hit the ground sooner when the release point is earlier in the motion, increasing front side resistance?


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I can't speak to the front side resistance portion, but yes striding shorter means the foot hits the ground sooner, which speeds up the release point. Again, I don't understand why the earlier release needs the mechanics changing shorter stride. Practice and repetition is the best thing for working on timing, which is what the release is needed.

 

[fanboi22]

random question since you are experimenting with your DD's IR like I am... lol... If she cradles it, which way is her hand facing coming out of the glove? the more traditional backswing, which way is her hand facing? My DD is trying to keep her back swing with palm to the catcher on the backswing (not cupping), with as quick of a 'short circle' possible, which has increased her spin and movement. It seems the external cue of make it spin has helped her create her own movement.

My DD no longer uses a 'traditional' backswing as she has found better rhythm and sequence with keeping her hand more in the glove as well as hiding the ball from the hitter. When taking the hand forward the ball comes out with palm to 1st/ground and not cupped. Her curve would be the only pitch coming out cupped as it is her cue to try and keep palm up at release as the fingers work on the outside of ball and release out front of the ball. All other pitches just normally come out not cupped. If she does she has a habit to pull across her body vs a loose whippy release.

My DD gets best spin and movement from a longer looser arm circle. Not a quick short one. She will drive arms straight out and then bend slightly thru the back of the circle. I have seen more pitchers recently (more on the mens side on the videos i have seen) that seem to push arms out on the drive and 'pause' the circle slightly and then when landing with front side resistance get the arm moving again and use that leverage and whip the arm thru. Probably not explaining it well. I think i may have seen an LSU pitcher do this last week. She was getting hit so maybe it's not a good thing...haha.

 

[DNeeld]

'pause' the circle slightly and then when landing with front side resistance

The "pause" is the result of men's crow hop and replant. Its a tell-tale sign that is the easiest way to spot a true replant.

 

[sb4fun]

The "pause" is the result of men's crow hop and replant. Its a tell-tale sign that is the easiest way to spot a true replant.

The LSU Pitcher was crow hopping so that analysis makes sense. A few of the LSU pitchers do this.