Release point

[drc9805]

I agree...the hole is not a disadvantage at all. Well, I have seen a couple that were a little too big/deep but it's rare.

 

[Cowdogz]

We worked on weight shift and drive before this game. She struck this hitter out, but her whip is inconsistent:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE27oIVakRE

 

[Cowdogz]

More recently we tried the lower follow-through to induce resistance, but didn't quite get there. You can see that she sometimes holds the ball too long or lets go early:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9RhQzXk1_M

 

[javasource]

Cowdogz,

She is completely behind the ball... and guiding it. IMO, her drive is very serviceable... I'd eliminate focus on that and get her to learn the whip.

Her arm NOTICEABLY slows down in the back half of the circle... as she prepares to get her hand behind the ball... and then guides it to the target.

Please don't take this the wrong way... but IMO, she REALLY needs to LEARN I/R. It appears her head is wrapped around 'throwing strikes'... and as such... has very little whip.

This summer will mark a great opportunity for you guys to dedicate yourself to BM's progressions. Teach her to throw a football first... with a spiral to the catcher. Needs to learn to get her palm up and keep it INSIDE the ball into release. If she learns this correctly... her speed will shoot through the roof. Guarantee it.

Wish you guys the best! ~JS

 

[NorthMS]

Great stuff in this thread. Thanks all.

 

[Cowdogz]

JS,

Thank you for this. We are working on loosening up the elbow and tightening up some other stuff. She is also a ballet dancer, so she wants to do everything "big," and with a flourish, hence the long lines with her arms. She is conscious about being inconsistent in the strike zone, which obviously affects her delivery sometimes. Lately when we practice, she will throw a bunch of pitches while looking at the ground, just by "feel," and does pretty well with it. After that second video, she threw to me with very good velocity.

I'm trying to get a handle on what "I/R" means in terms of a specific arm/hand/ball path. We've changed a lot over the last few times we've thrown, so I don't want to totally re-structure her delivery in such a short time span. I'm curious about the football thing......does that mean you advocate a bullet spin? We've been working with a four-seam grip, and when she throws it right she gets good 12-6 rotation. Occasionally, by accident, the bottom will fall right out of it.

 

[javasource]

JS,
I'm trying to get a handle on what "I/R" means in terms of a specific arm/hand/ball path. We've changed a lot over the last few times we've thrown, so I don't want to totally re-structure her delivery in such a short time span. I'm curious about the football thing......does that mean you advocate a bullet spin? We've been working with a four-seam grip, and when she throws it right she gets good 12-6 rotation. Occasionally, by accident, the bottom will fall right out of it.

The path of the arm components is still circular... the difference lies in the articulations. Read the I/R sticky. Download Kinovea... it's free... and allows you to compare video side-by-side a frame at a time. Compare the articulations that BM uses (arm/elbow/hand/ball) to those that your daughter uses from 10 o'clock to release. The differences are glaring... and the differences = whip.

As far as keeping your hand inside... as opposed to hand behind:

Yes, I don't mind bulletspin. In fact... in beginners... it's exciting stuff. Tells me that they will progress much faster in the early stages. Keeping your hand inside does not force bulletspin... providing you allow your forearm to pronate... when it wants to: at the rear leg. To me..this natural pronation is the release...and as such, creates great spinates and a 7-1 (or 1-7) axis (on a righty). To me, this is more desireable spin.

The football throw will teach her this new feel...as the only way she can spiral spin it, is to release inside the ball.

Lastly, don't let her rear shoulder "see the target". Keep her open into release. That rear shoulder closing she does is half of the fix... (IMO). ~js

 

[Cowdogz]

I am glad she is not doing that back and forth two-step, gym step. Just like 80 percent of elite pitchers, who don't rock. Good start there. The landing is not confident, and you can't have whip without front side resistance. If you have the resistance the whip happens pretty naturally.

To me, especially at the beginning, the fewer moving parts the better. I don't mind starting a beginning baseball pitcher from the stretch. I see a lot of girls do a huge rock backwards, then straighten up and stop. It's like they don't understand why they're going back in the first place. I know the firm front side is inconsistent. I'm trying to build myself a mental list of "checkpoints" like I have for my baseball guys. It's a challenge. Thanks for the input.

 

[Cowdogz]

As far as keeping your hand inside... as opposed to hand behind:

Yes, I don't mind bulletspin. In fact... in beginners... it's exciting stuff. Tells me that they will progress much faster in the early stages. Keeping your hand inside does not force bulletspin... providing you allow your forearm to pronate... when it wants to: at the rear leg. To me..this natural pronation is the release...and as such, creates great spinates and a 7-1 (or 1-7) axis (on a righty). To me, this is more desireable spin.

The football throw will teach her this new feel...as the only way she can spiral spin it, is to release inside the ball.

Soooo..........looking through the I/R thread some, thinking about how to achieve top-spin while keeping the wrist inside the ball, and finding that it kind of hurts when I try it. You'll probably laugh when I tell you why: When I stand with my arms to my sides, my palms face backwards. It's a family trait. All those videos of pitchers who basically have the back of their hands brushing their thighs? My arm doesn't want to do that. Been meaning to check with DD to see if she inherited that. Would getting out from behind the ball even a little bit be better than not at all?

 

[SoGASoftball]

Certainly not the expert like Java, but the key thing I saw was her trying to throw a strike. If possible, take her out of game situations and work on mechanics without the pressure of throwing a strike.