The mirror drill

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halskinner

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May 7, 2008
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This is a dril that is a cure to many different problems that young pitchers have with their arm circle. It gives them immediate feedback wyhen their am circle is not straight.

I have always likened the arm circle to that of an oversized hoola hoop. You can take a perfect hool-hoop and roll it in a straight line to your target across the room. But, if that hool-hoop is bent, or in any way NOT perfect or is not rolled straight up and down, it might go a few feet and then veers off course or flops down on the ground and it wont go fast at all.

The same thing happens with an arm circle when trying to pitch. If the hoola-hoop arm circle isnt perfect, the pitch wont go real fast or in the direction you want it to.


THE MIRROR DRILL



This requires a full length mirror and can be done inside the house. NEVER use a softball for this drill, Take a pair of rolled up bright colored socks to use as the ball.

Take a strip of blue painters masking tape and run it straight up and down in the center of the mirror.

Then have her stand back from the mirror maybe 10 feet or so. Have her stand with her stride foot ahead of the pivot foot so that her hips are around halfway open. Have her adjust her position so that while she is standing there, the ball is on the blue line when it is at her side.

Then, very slowly, make the arm circle while she closely watches the ball going throu the circle. Keeping a slight bend in the elbow, do not let the ball go off the line, THAT INCLUDES AS IT GOES DOWN BEHIND HER. This is not as easy as it sounds for a pitcher with any type of kink in the hoola-hoop.

Once she can do that consistantly, speed the arm cirle up a little. If that stays consistant, keep speeding it up a little more until she can do it and keep the ball on that line the entire time.

Once she can do all that, start in the normal pitching position as if she was on the rubber. Again, make sure the ball stays on the line. Slowly go through the motion taking a stride like she would while pitching AND KEEP THE BALL ON THE LINE.

While she is doing all this you can stand behind he so that YOU can see the ball on the line also, a second set of eyes so to speak.

AGAIN, NEVER USE A SOFTBALL FOR THIS DRILL and dont let go of the rolled up socks either. Even the socks, depending on the mirror itself, CAN break the mirror.

If dad has some carpentry skills, cut a piece of 3/4 plywood slightly longer and wider than the mirror and get some of the plastic mounting things ansd screws and attach the mirror so the backside touches the plywood. That should give it enough strength to withstand a fastball from wadded up socks. If not, that kid of yours can REALLY bring it!

By the way, if her arm is straight and the elbow is locked, you CANNOT keep the ball on the line.

sneakysoftballpitching.com
 

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