Question from an overwhelmed coach.

[NorthMS]

Hello all,

My oldest DD is moving up to 10u this year. In our rec league, this is the 1st year for team pitch. Sadly, I'm the only one to volunteer to coach (actually coaching 2 teams) and I have no experience in fast pitching. I have a girl, just out of high school that has agreed to help me coach. She pitched some in HS, so this should help some.

On to my question. I hear a lot of talk about a players overhand throw when discussing their fast pitch motion. Can someone explain the link between the two motions.

Thanks in advance

 

[lawdawg]

You should really seek out the help of an experienced pitching coach to help get your girls started. If they develop bad habits early - makes it that much tougher to correct later. If you cannot find a coach in your area try ordering Hillhouse video @ Bill Hillhouse: House of Pitching Softball Academy. I have no financial interest whatsoever but I think if you emulate Bill's principals it will serve your girls well.

In a feeble attempt to answer your question - the only link I can imagine is that you hold the ball in the same hand. Not being trite - fastpitch softball is an "explosive artform." I'm dealing with a thorasic back injury to one of my dd's because of bad habits - very effective pitcher just developed some mechanical issues that she self corrected with stride and is causing back problems.

Good luck and thanks for getting involved in the lives of these girls. It's a great sport and opportunity for you and the girls.

 

[sluggers]

The problem most girls have is that they use the entire overhand for pitching *EXCEPT* for the direction of movement of the arm. So, they make no other adjustments in their body when they throw. This leads to "throwing off the front foot". If you look at most untrained fastpitch pitchers, you'll see their upper torso in the same position for the overhand throw and their underhand pitch.

(1) In the overhand motion, the ball goes over the shoulder, and thus the shoulder goes up at release. In the underhand motion, the ball goes under the right shoulder, and therefore the right shoulder goes down at release.
(2) In the overhand motion, the shoulders close during release (close means that the shoulders are parallel to the plate and pointing to 3B and 1B). In the underhand motion, the shoulders and body stay more or less open during release.

 

[CoachScott]

I would just order the Hillouse video from the get go. I've talk to a few "pitching coaching" near me and boy, they are teaching bad habits too. When I try to talk to them about it, they look at me like I'm some kind of idiot. At least with the video, you'll know what to look for and what to look out for. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Ken Krause]

CoachScott, you just have to find the right pitching coach. I am definitely amazed at some of the, uh, unproductive things that are taught out there, but a good pitching coach can really help shorten the learning curve. Assuming they're teaching the right stuff, they'll be able to see things you won't know to look for.

The Hillhouse DVD is excellent, and will be helpful in trying to find a good coach, so you know what you want them teaching your players, and as a way of getting them started until you can find the right person. But there's no substitute for the live interaction with someone who knows what they're doing.

It's sort of like that old saying -- you have to kiss a few frogs before you find your pitching coach.

 

[NorthMS]

Thanks for the responses. I just hear about working on the overhand throw as part of training the underhand pitch. I'm having trouble seeing the correlation.

 

[starsnuffer]

Someone needs to make a "training coaches to coach pitchers" video along the lines of Dave Weaver's catching coach video.

-W

 

[ArmWhip]

Learning to truly throw the ball underhand is a very difficult thing, it goes against your natural instinct. Ask someone to throw the ball overhand, they will open up the shoulders, point the lead arm, raise the arm/hand/ball, turn the shoulders back toward square, lead with the elbow, roll the forearm/hand into release and follow through. Ask a person to throw the ball underhand, they will pull their arm/hand back with the elbow fairly straight, face the direction they are throwing and with a bowling/pushing motion deliver the ball. Two very different actions. Virtually all successful pitchers have learned to 'throw' the ball underhand, not bowl/push it. To get a feel for how to 'throw' the ball underhand yourself start with a sidearm delivery. To do this you must lean over a little, lead with the elbow and throw with the throwing shoulder a little lower. This is the stone skipping motion. From the sidearm delivery simply start to drop the release point lower and lower until you get to what you feel is a legal softball release. The elbow is bent and it leads the downswing, you get internal rotation of the arm into release. Teaching this action to kids is not easy, their instinct is always to lead with the shoulder, square up and bowl or push the ball.

 

[CoachScott]

Someone needs to make a "training coaches to coach pitchers" video along the lines of Dave Weaver's catching coach video.

Starsnuffer, I agree. I would love a video like that. I've been coaching rec. a long time and teaching all aspects of the game. Lately, I've moved to teaching more on pitching and I tell you, this forum and Hillhouse's video has helped quite a bit. Now I don't call myself a pitching coach but feel i could do just as good or a better job than most pitching coaches I've seen around here. Now don't get me wrong, they are a few that are good, but they are few here.

 

[NVfishing]

Amy gave some tips in a thread I started that work really well. http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-pitching/5553-asked-coach.html

I was doing these drills with all first time girls today and they really took to it.

1. Wrist snaps at the release point. Get's the girls the proper feel of where the release is. We stood about ten feet from a wall and flicked wrists for a little while so the girls knew where to release
2. Ball at 9:00 O'clock and bringing hand down to the release position. If the ball releases early it will hit the ground. Late release and the ball goes high. Pitching around the hip the ball goes away from that hip. Right hand pitcher ball goes right. If the girls get their shoulders closing to quickly the ball will go left. Keep the girls in the open position during these drills.
3. K position. Glove hand to target and ball at twelve and practicing that motion until release was good. Slight bend in arm, elbow leads the motion.

Have the girls stand with feet shoulder width apart. Have the girls bring the forearm to their stomachs so the arm brushes the stomach during the motions. Make sure the girls are properly aligned with a power line. Work on the arms before anything else. Work on form. Make sure the girls are relaxed. It's not about strength. Stay open to begin with.

Get Hillhouse's video or watch some clips of his seminar. You'll understand a lot more.