The Dreaded "Late Release"

[FrozenRope]

I'm starting to see a common theme in MOST of the young pitchers that are posted on this site for feedback.....and that is....the late release. Even when EVERYTHING else looks pretty darn good..... that single flaw sticks out. When I watch the greats...I see the ball explode off the back thigh, or just a HAIR in front of it. When I watch MOST of the young ladies posted here....I see the lack of upper arm stabilization, causing there to be very little upper arm deceleration...or worse yet....none at all...... resulting in what I call the a "Carry Through" release...... out in front at the stride leg......just AFTER the point of critical mass....and instead of the ball exploding off their hand...it just sort of rolls off.

Make sense?

HOW THE HECK do you get them to "Bust it off" as Boardmember would call it? I've heard "Posture"...and I agree that's part of it, but I know I've seen kids with what I would call good posture still blowing right through the release and missing that ideal spot.

 

[grcsftbll]

Definitely one of our biggest struggles.

 

[mothgirl]

I remember reading
I/R in the classroom. BM says have them miss to the right and work into the whip, I think that's the key for working to get earlier release (Idk for sure. I'm guessing on this but it makes sense if your working into your whip by throwing ball low and to the right, once you catch the whip and start throwing it forward you should be good? But if you miss the whip you'll be late.

Once your pitchers are already missing the whip, It's hard to go back and teach em to catch the whip but if my dd starts missing to the right I tell her to stay there don't try to correct just stay there and let your body adjust. She doesn't listen to me she immediately goes back to her late release but maybe someday it will sink in and she will listen?

...she's so stubborn




I hate tacos- said no Juan anywhere

 

[JAD]

98.2% of the time when my DD is struggling with late release she is slowing down her arm speed and trying to "guide" the pitch.....

 

[FrozenRope]

98.2% of the time when my DD is struggling with late release she is slowing down her arm speed and trying to "guide" the pitch.....

I can tell you that my kid NEVER releases on time. And I can tell you that based on pitch speed, she doesn't slow her arm circle. Not discounting your info or feedback JAD....but there's no way it's that simple of a fix.

 

[corlay]

in the case of my DD, over-rotation/disconnected upper half is the culprit...

 

[chrispots]

I'm starting to see a common theme in MOST of the young pitchers that are posted on this site for feedback.....and that is....the late release. Even when EVERYTHING else looks pretty darn good..... that single flaw sticks out. When I watch the greats...I see the ball explode off the back thigh, or just a HAIR in front of it. When I watch MOST of the young ladies posted here....I see the lack of upper arm stabilization, causing there to be very little upper arm deceleration...or worse yet....none at all...... resulting in what I call the a "Carry Through" release...... out in front at the stride leg......just AFTER the point of critical mass....and instead of the ball exploding off their hand...it just sort of rolls off.

Make sense?

HOW THE HECK do you get them to "Bust it off" as Boardmember would call it? I've heard "Posture"...and I agree that's part of it, but I know I've seen kids with what I would call good posture still blowing right through the release and missing that ideal spot.

Just a thought...is the lock it in drill being bypassed before it is being done correctly?

CP

 

[grcsftbll]

We now warm up every single practice with the lock it in drill. We do that one, then the one at 9 and at 12. That's our new warm up these days. I have to tell her to chill and relax once we get to 9 - she wants to whiz it like a pitch (like the T drill). Nice and relaxed, toss me the ball underhand, stop pitching it, kid. It has helped a lot - her release is better more often, and she leans forward less often. But easily half her pitches and probably more than that, she's releasing late still. I think it's part trying to be accurate and part just ingrained muscle memory from me reading stuff on DFP too late.

 

[riseball]

The lock-it / unlock-it drill is brilliant and seemingly quite simple. While it is tempting to fixate on IR you need to also make sure the proper posture and BI are maintained. Otherwise like any drill lock-it / unlock-it could easily become counter productive.

 

[JAD]

I can tell you that my kid NEVER releases on time. And I can tell you that based on pitch speed, she doesn't slow her arm circle. Not discounting your info or feedback JAD....but there's no way it's that simple of a fix.

Film your DD throwing 4-5 pitches into a tarp from @ 20', then throwing 4-5 pitches to a catcher and compare the two. If she releases on time into the tarp, but is late when throwing to the catcher she is worried about the result of the pitch and is probably slowing down her arm and not using her legs 100% in order to "guide" the pitch.