one thing to work on, please

[javasource]

or perhaps some Picasso...I think this looks rather cubist.


View attachment 9896

Holy smokes, JJ... I'm still laughing...

I do apologize... I have not read all the posts on this thread... in fact, I'm typing this offline - because of all those pesky video ads this site now has are sucking my bandwidth dry.

Anyway... Good overlap is the result of one thing: GREAT FORWARD MOMENTUM PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF THE BACKSWING.

People tend to obsess over what the drive foot/leg are doing... and they look passed the stride leg. Let's think about this.. but first... know that transferring weight to the stride foot is something I prefer.

Transferring weight to the stride foot is a negative move.
A negative move CAN accentuate the resulting positive move.

Having said those things... the negative move... or simply camping out on the rear leg to start... can destroy good overlap (or... as I said, GREAT FORWARD MOMENTUM).

I'm not a fan of camping out (starting with weight over the stride leg) for the simple reason that I know it is less than OPTIMAL. I want optimal. The best bang for the buck.

Getting back to the negative move... the intended response from performing a negative move is to answer with a more powerful positive move.

Negative is backwards... positive is forwards.

When a pitcher's rear gets over their stride foot... and then their head over their rear, they are not performing a negative move...

... they are putting their weight - or COM - over their stride foot. This is a vertical position...

This position applies vertical force to the ground. Some of that force is returned... much is absorbed... either way, it's returned in a direction I do NOT want a pitcher going... UPWARD.

In order for the force our stride leg is applying to the ground to be returned FORWARD... our COM (center of mass) MUST STAY IN FRONT OF OUR STRIDE FOOT POSITION ON THE GROUND.

Still awake? Here's a pretty picture... but forget staring at the drive leg... LOOK AT HER STRIDE LEG. What do you see it doing?

Note how her head is in front of her butt... and notice how her butt is in front of her stride foot... and notice that her lower leg angle is DIAGONAL.

This allows her to applying Diagonal force (rearward and downward) to the ground.

The ground returns diagonal force (forward and upward).

Now, you can be happy with simply doing this... or you can concern yourself with creating GREAT MOMENTUM FORWARD.

How is Yukiko doing this?

Let's slow it down a bit.. note the action of the lower stride leg:

Right... she's pushing forward with her stride leg!!! Now, she's using the force the ground gives her... and her own force. Bingo... great FORWARD MOMENTUM.

<<<<<IMPORTANT>>>>>

Note how the ball hasn't left her side.
Note that she's pushing so freakin' hard with her stride foot... that it actually slides backwards off the plate.

Long lesson... but the key to implementing this is to make sure you understand when the backswing begins. It begins when it passes her side.

DO NOT BEGIN YOUR BACKSWING UNTIL YOU'VE:

1) Performed a negative move that returns positive force.
2) Used your stride leg for something other than standing... (i.e. push).

 

[DNeeld]

When a pitcher's rear gets over their stride foot... and then their head over their rear, they are not performing a negative move...

... they are putting their weight - or COM - over their stride foot. This is a vertical position...

This position applies vertical force to the ground. Some of that force is returned... much is absorbed... either way, it's returned in a direction I do NOT want a pitcher going... UPWARD.

That sounds soooo simple when you word it like that. Real light bulb moment for me. Thank you!

 

[mothgirl]

Holy smokes, JJ... I'm still laughing...

I do apologize... I have not read all the posts on this thread... in fact, I'm typing this offline - because of all those pesky video ads this site now has are sucking my bandwidth dry.

Anyway... Good overlap is the result of one thing: GREAT FORWARD MOMENTUM PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF THE BACKSWING.

People tend to obsess over what the drive foot/leg are doing... and they look passed the stride leg. Let's think about this.. but first... know that transferring weight to the stride foot is something I prefer.

Transferring weight to the stride foot is a negative move.
A negative move CAN accentuate the resulting positive move.

Having said those things... the negative move... or simply camping out on the rear leg to start... can destroy good overlap (or... as I said, GREAT FORWARD MOMENTUM).

I'm not a fan of camping out (starting with weight over the stride leg) for the simple reason that I know it is less than OPTIMAL. I want optimal. The best bang for the buck.

Getting back to the negative move... the intended response from performing a negative move is to answer with a more powerful positive move.

Negative is backwards... positive is forwards.

When a pitcher's rear gets over their stride foot... and then their head over their rear, they are not performing a negative move...

... they are putting their weight - or COM - over their stride foot. This is a vertical position...

This position applies vertical force to the ground. Some of that force is returned... much is absorbed... either way, it's returned in a direction I do NOT want a pitcher going... UPWARD.

In order for the force our stride leg is applying to the ground to be returned FORWARD... our COM (center of mass) MUST STAY IN FRONT OF OUR STRIDE FOOT POSITION ON THE GROUND.

Still awake? Here's a pretty picture... but forget staring at the drive leg... LOOK AT HER STRIDE LEG. What do you see it doing?

Note how her head is in front of her butt... and notice how her butt is in front of her stride foot... and notice that her lower leg angle is DIAGONAL.

This allows her to applying Diagonal force (rearward and downward) to the ground.

The ground returns diagonal force (forward and upward).

Now, you can be happy with simply doing this... or you can concern yourself with creating GREAT MOMENTUM FORWARD.

How is Yukiko doing this?

Let's slow it down a bit.. note the action of the lower stride leg:

Right... she's pushing forward with her stride leg!!! Now, she's using the force the ground gives her... and her own force. Bingo... great FORWARD MOMENTUM.



Note how the ball hasn't left her side.
Note that she's pushing so freakin' hard with her stride foot... that it actually slides backwards off the plate.

Long lesson... but the key to implementing this is to make sure you understand when the backswing begins. It begins when it passes her side.

DO NOT BEGIN YOUR BACKSWING UNTIL YOU'VE:

1) Performed a negative move that returns positive force.
2) Used your stride leg for something other than standing... (i.e. push).

Thank you and I know you've told me this before I'm smh in agreement because I can see it and I remember from last few times I posted a vid it was the same thing no overlap. I talk about it every practice. I just don't know how to help her fix it. Nothing I say or show her seems to make it click. She seems to understand the concept, I think it's just that she doesn't like the feeling, it feels different and wrong. I've suggested that what she's doing now isn't working so different and wrong is probably a good thing. I feel like I'm completely failing at explaining this to her. But you started a new fire I'm determined to help her get this and she's determined to get there, yesterday's practice was just more of the same, I'll post a video but her rear is still way behind the rubber for way to long. Thank you for responding I know it's frustrating telling me the same thing over and over!


http://youtu.be/zfoDEb79kag

I see a bit of progress ....baby steps ....She hit 52mpr yesterday


I hate tacos- said no Juan anywhere

 

[catchermom13]

Mothgirl I think she looks good and very strong! The single best drill in my opinion is Java's pushback drill. It really focuses on overlap and getting off the plate fast. Go through each step to make sure you're doing it correctly then keep adding momentum. We use this drill at every velocity practice and also when dd feels she is not throwing hard. A couple reps of the drill and she's right back in. The other thing that Java has said is don't let her get comfortable - it should feel uncomfortable doing this drill, then you know she's really pushing the envelope. Good luck!

 

[coach james]

http://youtu.be/zfoDEb79kag

I see a bit of progress ....baby steps ....She hit 52mpr yesterday


I hate tacos- said no Juan anywhere

this clip is SOOO much better! Nice adjustments!!!

 

[knightsb]

 

[FastPitchCat]

Right... she's pushing forward with her stride leg!!! Now, she's using the force the ground gives her... and her own force. Bingo... great FORWARD MOMENTUM.

<<<<<IMPORTANT>>>>>

Note how the ball hasn't left her side.
Note that she's pushing so freakin' hard with her stride foot... that it actually slides backwards off the plate.
.[/B]

java - i thought the stride leg should almost be 'weightless' at the moment the drive foot loads up to push out. so when does this stride foot assist in pushing come into play?

Sequence:
1. stride foot tippy toe on back of plate - weight ~ 0. drive foot weight ~100.
2. stride foot drops down - weight ~100 - drive foot slides to find center weight ~0.
3. drive foot heel up to load - weight ~100 - stride foot weight ~0

can you clarify?
TIA

 

[javasource]

Closely watch that gif... the answer is before you.

The stride leg role is to create resistance against the ground... not just put weight on it. When your center of mass is forward and your stride leg resists... this results in greater forward momentum.

To me... "loading of the drive foot" is two different things. Those who use a rolling start prematurely load the drive leg by bearing weight on the heel and rocking forward. Those who strike the front of the plate, like Yukiko, load the drive leg by stretching the muscles out over the front of the leg... via bending slightly at the knee.

The 100% / 0% reference is to make sure that the pitcher establishes some type of rhythm... utilizing the spacing she has created on the plate. Watch the full gif... there is no doubt you can see the rhythm between Yukiko's left and right legs... and as such, the resulting weight transfer.

Look at your #2 on that list... add "transfer weight to the side foot by hitting a wall... and pushing forward off that wall." Centering is a result of loading the strike... it's not pulling your leg to the middle of the plate... to me, that is.

 

[Ken B]

I really like this perspective of Ueno's running start:

Thanks PC!

I see what starts out looking like a rolling start: with the weight of the hips rolling back onto the stride heel. She starts to roll forward, but at "Go!" she forcefully hits the gas with the stride leg followed by the drive leg in a bang-bang sequence. I could watch this gif a thousand times!

 

[Dial]

Java, when you practice with your students on pushing do you look at the line made by the push foot in the dirt? I would assume the time between the detachment of the plate and when the shoulders open the hips should be a long straight line. If the hips open before detachment your just going to see a 45 degree line from the plate, but does that mean the pitcher didnt push, not enough overlap, out of sequence??