halskinner
Banned
- May 7, 2008
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SHOVE THE GLOVE
Question; My pitcher has a problem with her glove swimming out to the side. Why does she do this and how can it be fixed?
Her glove is swimming and she does that to try and get a better feeling of balance in her pitching motion. In other words, she is out of balance.
Ever see a tightrope walker? Remember the long balance pole he used to keep balanced so he did not fall off the line / cable he was walking on? It is exactly the same for a pitcher and their arms in the windmill motion. The glove arm is the counter-balance weight for their pitching arm and the windmill circle it makes.
When you make a windmill circle, that arm action produces a pulling force to the throwing side, it is referred to as a “Distraction force”.
You are trying to drive straight forward (straight down the power line) and that distraction force is pulling you to your glove side. Just like a tight rope walker using his balance pole, your glove goes out to the glove side so you can stay balanced and stay on the power line.
Here is the first thing I always recommend. I have always called it “Shove the Glove”.
As your stride foot just starts to go forward of the rubber, shove the glove straight at your catcher. Shove it out there and shove it hard, hard enough and far enough that it opens your shoulders during the upswing. Now that part of your balance pole is pointing straight down the power line as are your shoulders.
Now, as the ball starts into the downswing, quickly pull the glove straight back just to the glove side of where your belt buckle would be, the ‘Holster’ position. That glove arm action puts the counter-balance weight straight down the power line and pulls it straight back on the power line. The force created by that arm action will counter some of the distraction force on the other side happening with the arm circle. This also brings the glove back quickly to the mid-section for the best self-defense position of tyhe glove. Have the fingers spread wide and pointed slightly up.
The force of your forward momentum, as long as it is strong enough, is MUCH more than the distraction force trying to pull you off the power line. That distraction force will have zero effect because the forward momentum will overpower it.
Shove the glove with power, pull it back with power and have a strong push off and forward momentum and eliminate all the balance issues that pop up with weaker piotching forms and mechanics.
This has always worked for my students.
I hope you find this useful.
Question; My pitcher has a problem with her glove swimming out to the side. Why does she do this and how can it be fixed?
Her glove is swimming and she does that to try and get a better feeling of balance in her pitching motion. In other words, she is out of balance.
Ever see a tightrope walker? Remember the long balance pole he used to keep balanced so he did not fall off the line / cable he was walking on? It is exactly the same for a pitcher and their arms in the windmill motion. The glove arm is the counter-balance weight for their pitching arm and the windmill circle it makes.
When you make a windmill circle, that arm action produces a pulling force to the throwing side, it is referred to as a “Distraction force”.
You are trying to drive straight forward (straight down the power line) and that distraction force is pulling you to your glove side. Just like a tight rope walker using his balance pole, your glove goes out to the glove side so you can stay balanced and stay on the power line.
Here is the first thing I always recommend. I have always called it “Shove the Glove”.
As your stride foot just starts to go forward of the rubber, shove the glove straight at your catcher. Shove it out there and shove it hard, hard enough and far enough that it opens your shoulders during the upswing. Now that part of your balance pole is pointing straight down the power line as are your shoulders.
Now, as the ball starts into the downswing, quickly pull the glove straight back just to the glove side of where your belt buckle would be, the ‘Holster’ position. That glove arm action puts the counter-balance weight straight down the power line and pulls it straight back on the power line. The force created by that arm action will counter some of the distraction force on the other side happening with the arm circle. This also brings the glove back quickly to the mid-section for the best self-defense position of tyhe glove. Have the fingers spread wide and pointed slightly up.
The force of your forward momentum, as long as it is strong enough, is MUCH more than the distraction force trying to pull you off the power line. That distraction force will have zero effect because the forward momentum will overpower it.
Shove the glove with power, pull it back with power and have a strong push off and forward momentum and eliminate all the balance issues that pop up with weaker piotching forms and mechanics.
This has always worked for my students.
I hope you find this useful.