Throwing Drill Needed – Elbow parallel to ground

[CPSBDad]

My DD's throwing mechanics went under the radar for a few years. She adapted to her bad throwing mechanics and could throw pretty far for her age. Last year I was made aware of how she was throwing and what she should do to fix it. It was the possibility of an injury that got her to finally decide to accept the fact that her throwing mechanics needed adjustment. Basically, back to the beginning.

It's gonna take the girls and parents to get this fixed.

 

[obbay]

CPSBD- good point! I forgot that oldest DD has a rocket arm, so no one (me included) saw the incorrect mechanics that led to a significant elbow problem that affected a lot more than throwing. Believe it or not, it stemmed from improper follow thru/finish! that was almost two years ago and we still need to be diligent with mechanics and ice. I got her one of those tennis elbow velcro thingies to wear on that arm. don't know yet if it's helping, but it's not hurting.

 

[CPSBDad]

obbay,
bad habits are hard to break. We continually work on her throw. Much better now, but occasionally the elbow drops and she'll throw side-arm. Yesterday was the best I've seen in a while. Nice snap at the wrist, high velocity with nice pop in my glove--stinger!

 

[shockcoach]

Don't expect to fix it in a month or two or three. Reinforce good mechanics with constant friendly reminders. By this time next year they will be looking a lot better. I have had some girls in the past say they get embarrassed when I constantly say something to them in front of their team mates. So we come up with a compromise and a code word I tell them to remind them.

 

[bcc69]

My 10 yr old DD had the same problem. This past fall she started taking lessons for catching. Her coach had me purchase a ThrowMax to help her keep the elbow up. She also informed my DD, that when she was younger, she had a similar problem which lead to shoulder surgery. Those 2 things and lots of practice, corrected her problem in 3 weeks.

 

[obbay]

Well there you go- the Throw Max! Purchase one and use it as a training aid for each player. Nothing trains better than letting a player feel how it's supposed to feel to execute the motion correctly! Great idea!

CPSB- after reading the posts yesterday, I went out with DD after work to "have a catch" (oh wait, that's another thread!). She has been "on the DL" for the past 7 weeks with a concussion. periods of inactivity like these are where bad habits can creep in. I am glad to report that her form and her mechanics look great. her balance is still off fom the concussion so I'm glad to see that despite the handicap, she is still doing everything right. Yes, I agree. we have to keep working on these things to retain correct form/mechanics. same with hitting.

 

[CPSBDad]

Code word is "elbow" for us. Of course I can't be yelling that during a game or she would be mortified. Mainly when we play catch and during catching practice.

Don't expect to fix it in a month or two or three. Reinforce good mechanics with constant friendly reminders. By this time next year they will be looking a lot better. I have had some girls in the past say they get embarrassed when I constantly say something to them in front of their team mates. So we come up with a compromise and a code word I tell them to remind them.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

CPSBdad, You have hit upon one of the differences between coaching boys and girls - and one of the differences between being a male coach and woman coach. I would care less if she was mortified. And if she continued to "do it her way," she would be sitting next to me on the bench.

 

[starsnuffer]

If he is the parent and not the coach, he's probably smart for not yelling it out during a game. The hardest thing parents can do is bite their tongues.

Now, if he told the coach the code word and the coach yelled it to her during the game, she would probably be mortified with good reason and it would probably have a positive effect in the long run.

-W

 

[CPSBDad]

Yes, I'm not a coach, but a dad in the stands who has bit his tongue more than I care to. Giving the code word to the coach is a great idea, but sometimes the coaches don't see what I see and when I see it ( we've had this discussion ). Actually, I'm going to do this once our season begans.

Amy, it's not like she goes back to the old way of throwing because she prefers that way. It's a habit she's had since she was 5 when she started playing. It's only been months since I was made aware. We worked all fall on changing the mechanics, and hence implemented the code word, but like shockcoach said, this won't change overnight. I am relieved and a little bit excited that I've seen major improvement.

If he is the parent and not the coach, he's probably smart for not yelling it out during a game. The hardest thing parents can do is bite their tongues.

Now, if he told the coach the code word and the coach yelled it to her during the game, she would probably be mortified with good reason and it would probably have a positive effect in the long run.

-W