I've heard good and bad about doing drills from 1 knee. My daughter has done alot of drills from 1 knee to isolate the arm circle and to build arm strength. I have talked with some parents who say they went to an instuctor who says stay away from them. They do some drill from 2 knees although. Any thoughts?
One Knee Drills
- Thread starter TNdad
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Assuming your DD has good mechanics, why not? I might be a little reluctant at the beginning, but if she has been pitching for 5 or 6 years, why not?
It is real easy for a pitching instructor to say, "Don't do drill XYZ because it doesn't accomplish anything." It is quite another to be a parent dragging DD to a pitching tube in mid-January with three feet of snow on the ground for her 50th practice session of the winter. If pitching from her knee or blindfolded or with her left arm tied behind her back makes practice less boring, then do it.
E.g., my DD learned how to throw the ball behind her back. Is is useful? No. Did it help with her mechanics? No. Then why? **BECAUSE IT WAS FUN**. (It was learned in addition to the regular workout.) It also improved her flexibility and her control.
Pitching is about fine motor control of your arm and wrist at very high speed. Anything that challenges your DD is good. I'll give you an example from basketball. Do you know how to learn how to make shoot three feet jump shots left handed during a game? Practice shooting 20 feet left handed jump shots.
How? Can Osterman or Finch pitch from one knee?
It is real easy for a pitching instructor to say, "Don't do drill XYZ because it doesn't accomplish anything." It is quite another to be a parent dragging DD to a pitching tube in mid-January with three feet of snow on the ground for her 50th practice session of the winter. If pitching from her knee or blindfolded or with her left arm tied behind her back makes practice less boring, then do it.
E.g., my DD learned how to throw the ball behind her back. Is is useful? No. Did it help with her mechanics? No. Then why? **BECAUSE IT WAS FUN**. (It was learned in addition to the regular workout.) It also improved her flexibility and her control.
Pitching is about fine motor control of your arm and wrist at very high speed. Anything that challenges your DD is good. I'll give you an example from basketball. Do you know how to learn how to make shoot three feet jump shots left handed during a game? Practice shooting 20 feet left handed jump shots.
How? Can Osterman or Finch pitch from one knee?
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I use one knee drills for many reasons and have come away with excellent results. So for me and my students I do and will continue to use them. For those who decide not to use the one knee drills good for you but until it is proven to me (after 36 years of private instruction) it is adverse I will continue to use them.
- Dec 22, 2010
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Drill
The PC has my DD (9 y/o) doing these to help her with her arm circle.
The PC has my DD (9 y/o) doing these to help her with her arm circle.
halskinner
Banned
- May 7, 2008
- 2,649
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You can isolate the arm circle while standing straight up.
I look at drills very simply; does the drill duplicate what you do in your normal pitching motion?
You do not pitch from one knee AND at no time in your motions does your stride knee come up anywhere near that high, at least I hope to God not anyways.
Never used that drill on my students.
I look at drills very simply; does the drill duplicate what you do in your normal pitching motion?
You do not pitch from one knee AND at no time in your motions does your stride knee come up anywhere near that high, at least I hope to God not anyways.
Never used that drill on my students.
- Jan 24, 2011
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halskinner
Banned
- May 7, 2008
- 2,649
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That is an Olympic calibur athlete that is doing something that would be VERY DANGEROUS FOR A YOUNGER LESSER EXPERIENCED ATHLETE TO DO.
That is not an intelligent drill to recommend for any level. If I would of had any of my students doing that at the facility I worked at, our liability insurance would have gone through the roof. I'm picturing broken bones and sprains from the kids losing their balance and falling forwards, backwards or to one side.
With all due respect to Miss Abbott, this is the dumbest and one of the most unsafe things I have ever seen advertised.
My DD showed me this video and wanted to try it. As stated above, it is a very challenging drill - not one to do unsupervised. My DD has been in pitching lessons for several years and has great mechanics. She found that pitching from an exercise ball helps strengthen her core and really gives insight into what exactly her upper body is doing during a full motion pitch. Wedging the ball inbetween to objects (in her case two bean bag chairs) makes it a bit easier and adds a measure of safety. I don't see her adding it to her regular workout, but it was an interesting tutorial into just how important the core muscles are to pitching.
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- Jan 24, 2011
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I would suggest that her training methods have been successful for her. Doesnt have to be for everybody , but it shows that there are more options than what one pitching coach or the other has to say.
