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May 9, 2014
31
6
After a year and a half of Lurking, the time has finally come for my first post. I simply want to say THANK YOU to all of you amazingly unselfish instructors that give freely of your time and expertise. There are literally thousands of dollars worth of instruction on this site that you provide for free to parents like me that just want to help their daughter(s) learn to play this game. In order to fully demonstrate my appreciation, please allow me to tell you the journey of my eldest daughter (DD, I guess, right?) and I over the past few years.

It began with a simple request that any youth baseball or softball coach hears from just about every player on their team, "I want to pitch." As an 8 year old on what was basically a 10U rec-baseball team of boys and girls, my response came easily, "Honey, everyone wants to pitch, and right now you can't even throw the ball from the pitching rubber to home plate." Extreme disappointment on my little girl's face was more than I could take, so I continued, "but, if you are willing to WORK hard, I can teach you." So, we worked... and worked... and worked. By the end of the season (6 weeks or so), she could throw strikes (40 ft I think). Her amazing coach gave her an OPPORTUNITY in the last 2 games of the season and she did very well. We had a serious talk about not jumping up and down and celebrating after striking out the boys.

By the next spring, she heard about the softball program (9-12 yr olds) and wanted to join. I was against it, figuring it was much like little league or travel ball that I read about on here and that she was not ready. She and her wonderful mother talked me into it and, thankfully, it was very apparent after the first practice that she could at least keep up with the "big kids." It was also apparent that I had ALOT to learn about softball the first time I saw the 2B cover 1st instead of the pitcher.

We stayed after practice to work on some of those new things we were both learning when it happened... she saw the coach's daughter pitching. "I want to pitch," she said again. This time the disappointment had to be on my face. "I don't know anything about pitching underhand, I'm not sure I can teach you." "We can learn together," she said... that's pretty tough to deny. We talked to the coach's daughter, who will one day be a coach herself, and she was a great teacher. She taught us the basic motion, leap and drag, and to point our elbow at the target, and we were off. I started searching the internet and watched hours of youtube videos. She learned to open doors, close doors, snap her wrist, and point her elbow. We also went to a softball camp that had pitching instruction that showed us all of these things and how to practice them. She was pretty accurate and was taking the arc out of her pitch a little bit everyday, things were going well. Every now and again she would even throw it pretty hard, but it would have a weird spin on it, so I told her not to do that.

She never got to pitch that first year, but I was helpful and interested enough that when the pitcher graduated from the league, I was appointed the new Coach of the team. My DD and I continued to work and learn because we anticipated that she might be the only pitcher on the team the following year. I kept searching the internet about softball to learn as much as I can. Sometime in the winter of early 2014, I came across this guy named Bill Hillhouse that said you throw underhand like you throw overhand, only upside down. Power in sports, he said, is performed ACROSS the body. That stuff made sense to me, so I watched videos of his clinics several times.

Then I finally got up the nerve to show her... 3 months before the season was about to start and no access to indoor pitching. She thought what he said made sense, but she KNEW it meant she would have to change. She was no stranger to hard work, but knowing that so much of what she had done so far was "wrong" was infuriating. We started working in the living room with a rolled up ball of socks taped together. She was having a very difficult time learning the whip, so I kept searching the web for Hillhouse references when I came across a post on DFP from the man himself... and this is where you guys may have changed a life forever.

From that post (who knows which one) I made it to the stickys in the pitching forum. I learned about timing, drive mechanics, and how to THROW a ball underhand. I was able to teach her using your cues ("pull the elbow down with the palm up" worked amazingly). Most importantly I learned accuracy is the last thing to develop and to have patience. This was vitally important because she kept missing low and WAY inside and I was able to show her the posts that this was exactly what to expect. The season came and she walked and hit ALOT of girls... she also struck out alot of girls. By the end of the season accuracy was starting to develop. The last day of the season was what I think you guys would call a "Friendly" where she played 3 games... she was pretty dominant that day, but still had some walks.

She continued her hard work through the summer. I continued to read and we really worked on Drive Mechanics (she still needs lots of work here) and making sure her arm circle timing was matching her legs and body. I told her to keep her arm next to her body (brush interference) to help with her accuracy. Beginning this spring we started to make a big point of front side resistance, and I had to hold back tears the first time I heard the ball cut through the air and really pop my glove. Her accuracy is to the point where she can usually hit the top half or bottom half of the strike zone and when she's dialed in she can hit quadrants. Her changeup is lethal in our league...no arc and she can spot it on the outside corner.

We are 4 games into our season, and she has been pretty dominant. She had one inning where she completely lost it and walked or hit enough batters that she reached the 5 run mercy rule limit (that was tough). Because of everything you guys have taught me, however, I was able to help her straighten out between innings and she struck out the side in the next inning (top of the order). Other than that inning, she hasn't given up a run.

What makes a long time lurker become a first time poster, though?? Tonight. Tonight we played one of the better teams in the league, a team with some of her classmates on it. As will happen between 11 yr old girls, there was some chatter about who would beat who in school. One of the other team has improved alot and was pretty proud of it (As she should be, she has improved alot). She made sure to tell DD who would win (we honestly don't have wins/losses, the league rules are too modified for that, and my DD knows that, but girls will be girls). DD had a pretty big chip on her shoulder and it showed from the first pitch she threw in warmups...sssssssssss POP! "Front side resistance!", I thought.

She pitched 3 innings (other girls need the same opportunity her baseball coach gave her). She had 9 strikeouts. She did hit one batter, but was insanely dominant on a night she needed to be (#2 & #3 pitcher did not play). One inning she threw 12 pitches, and I think her total pitch count was around 40. Its rec ball with modified rules that many of you wouldn't consider "real" softball, so I don't expect any offers from SEC schools yet, but it was a very good Daddy-Daughter night, that was only possible because of you wonderful people.

For the hitting instructors, we love you, too. I have used alot of the cues from this board to teach the whole team, including DD. She went 3-3 with 3 doubles :).
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Awesome story! :)

Welcome to DFP, NewbieDad. Stick around. I'm sure there are people who can learn from your experiences.
 
Feb 3, 2011
1,880
48
Excellent post, and welcome! I should print that out for some coaches and parents in my rec league. Or better yet, maybe I'll get them to join DFP - now *that* would make for some good times around here! lol
 
Apr 5, 2013
2,130
83
Back on the dirt...
Great post!

Imagine, a dad (male, that has never played fp) showing enough interest in his DD to research and learn proper pitching mechanics. :)

Every coach has to start somewhere. It's usually in the back yard. Good luck on the rest of your journey and keep us posted on her progress!
 
May 9, 2014
31
6
Great post!

Imagine, a dad (male, that has never played fp) showing enough interest in his DD to research and learn proper pitching mechanics. :)

Every coach has to start somewhere. It's usually in the back yard. Good luck on the rest of your journey and keep us posted on her progress!

Its not just pitching mechanics, but that was the best example and one I thought a lot of long time lurkers could empathize with. The hitting mechanic threads have been great, too. We were taught early on that the softball swing is different than the baseball swing and all about the "power V," knocking knuckles, and squishing the bug. The hitting mechanic threads here are a little tough to navigate sometimes, but most of the top level guys agree on one thing... Pujols and Miggy have nice swings that translate just fine for top level Softball players. I have TRIED to help the girls on the team learn those mechanics thanks to everyone here promising it is ok. Our batting practices consist mostly of Tee work and Front Toss, based on the recommendations from coaches on here. They are all pretty darn good hitters compared to the other teams in the league, so we thank you all for that as well.

By the way, our pitching journey did start in the back yard and I have a funny anecdote about that... We started her pitching in the back yard with the back of the garage as the backstop. There was a window there that she would occasionally hit. One day, she asked what happens if she breaks the window. At that point, there was NO WAY she was breaking any windows, so I told her, "it means you are throwing hard enough to break the window." It wasn't long after teaching her "Palm up at 9 O'Clock" that I had to board up that back window and clean up all the broken glass (that makes me wonder... is that how BOARDmember got his name???). We now use the driveway because its actually level, but the garage door is starting to take a beating. Fortunately, there are fewer and fewer from her that get by me now... her two sisters on the other hand are a different story.
 
May 9, 2014
31
6
Excellent post, and welcome! I should print that out for some coaches and parents in my rec league. Or better yet, maybe I'll get them to join DFP - now *that* would make for some good times around here! lol

I gave all my parents the link to the pitching mechanic stickys... what they do with that is up to them. I'm not a pitching coach, so I want their parents to take an active role in their development by educating themselves and teaching their own daughters. EVERY single girl says they want to pitch, but they all expect it to happen by the next game. I tell them all it will be 1 year minimum and they need to practice at home by first learning to THROW the ball underhand. One of the girls is 7 and started learning last year before she was even on our team. She already throws the ball pretty flat and can get it to the catcher with ball rotation that shows she is getting I/R (Not quite 1-7, but not 12-6 H/E either). She got a chance in a game and hit some batters, so she was upset... I told her that was outstanding ;).
 
May 9, 2014
31
6
Awesome story! :)

Welcome to DFP, NewbieDad. Stick around. I'm sure there are people who can learn from your experiences.


LOL, Eric... I'm STUCK! If you knew how many hours I've just been hanging around, you'd be very creeped out ;).
 
May 9, 2014
31
6
Well, the Rec League recently came to a rather emotional end for DD and I, and I am incredibly proud of her accomplishments. She finished the season with 89 Ks in 30 1/3 innings. She did have 45 BB/HBP as well, so she has some things to work on yet.

She saved her Best Day for last when we played what I think you guys call a "friendly" against 3 other teams... one hour timed games, so as a Coach I din't take things too seriously, just tried to let the girls have fun and learn. The problem with that came when I learned that one of the other teams was a "Travel Ball Team" and was pretty good. I put together the best lineup I could and handed DD the ball and told her it was hers until she gave it up. We managed to scrape together 2 runs off their pitcher in the top of the 1st as she battled some control problems. Bottom of the 1st was 3 Ks and a big smile for DD. We got a few more walks and a couple hits in the 2nd,3rd and 4th, but never put another run across. DD did her job in the 2nd and 3rd and never had a runner get past 2nd with 6 more Ks. I had seen everything I needed to see and was thouroughly impressed, so I gave her the option to pitch or not... I was very happy that there was no doubt in her mind that she wanted the ball. With time running out in the bottom of the 4th, she gave up a lead off walk (uh oh). Back to back hits (right out of the "what to do (or NOT to do) with 0-2 count thread) had it 2-1 and then our rec league defense made it 2-2. A walk loaded the bases and the horn sounded to indicate that the player at the plate is the last batter. I told her, "We have to have this one." She had NEVER heard something like that so maybe I was putting too much pressure on her. But, Like Java says, I talk to my girls like the young adults they are and she needed to know the situation. Count made it to 3-2 and it was obvious to me that the girl at the plate was not going to swing. "This HAS to be a strike." Again, something she had NEVER heard, or even practiced (THAT will change!) She threw her best fastball right down the middle for a no doubt called strike 3. For a bunch of Rec Leaguers, we were pretty happy with gritting out a tie. She got some serious congratulations from the opposing Coach, and all of that goes to this forum... you people are amazing!

That experience lit a fire in her I haven't seen in quite sometime. For the first time ever, she voluntarily started talking about playing travel ball and really WORKING at her game. Her league had one more game held for just the 6th graders, where she again pitched very well and threw her last pitch at 35'. After the game was over and the other girls had left, I handed her a 12" ball for the first time and smiled (I didn't have the words). Thankfully, she smiled back and she threw her first pitches at 40' with the 12" ball. I learned that you can hear those even better than the 11 inchers ;). Thank you all so much for helping us get this far :).
 

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