Time for another video critique

[leerph]

Hi Gang. Just wanted to post the latest video of my 15YO and get some fresh eyes on her pitching. We have been working hard and pitching 3 days a week for quite a while. We really have kinda hit a wall at the 53mph range with her fastball and she has been there for about a year. She has good location and good change and breaking pitch but like all dads we are constantly looking for more speed. Just wanted to see if any of the other bucket dads (or moms) out there saw anything that is wrong fundamentally with her pitch. I can't see anywhere that she is leaking power but wanted to get some more opinions from the group here. Thanks in advance for any feedback. This forum has been a godsend for both of my girls in terms of making them better pitchers.
KT 15YO - YouTube

 

[Ken B]

Good load, great explosion and extension, good timing, whip, angles at plant/release... Nothing more to say than "Studdette!"

Ok, sweep the leaves off the mat. Come on! Clean up that thing!

 

[Ken B]

Something to play with if you have access to a gun. I see her using her shoulders with her release. Have her try a few normal, then have her try a few thinking "stay open." Not a lot--more thinking about not closing so much as staying open. See if the gun indicates a difference.

Also, if you're using a gun, have her throw:
-10 regular,
-10 thinking "relaxed, loose and limp arm" going into the release and another
-10 throwing hard.

Compare the speeds from the three sets and see what she thinks about the results.

 

[abbygale]

Look at 6 seconds in. At plant, her upper body keeps moving forward alongside the arm whip, minimizing the whip instead of transferring the momentum. We call it drifting when mine does it. I think your daughter looks great and bet you will find a few miles an hour in that.

 

[JAD]

How big is your DD? The video is in slow motion, but she certainly seems to be putting everything she has into the pitch! Can you also post a video at full speed?

If you are really trying to find some extra speed, I would suggest increasing her arm backswing, and try to eliminate the "bowling" she does with her drag leg. I can tell a 2-3 MPH difference when my DD throws really gets her arm back on her backswing. The forward momentum of her arm also helps her push off the rubber. For the drag leg, ask her to try finishing with her right ankle just below her left calf with the inside of her right knee pointed at the plate.

 

[nanotech14]

I would not suggest a backswing. IMO, she needs to snyc her arms together. She drops her throwing arm out at her waist, and the glove hand goes forward. Keep them connected to each other, both go out together at the same time and seperate out in front of her body. Like a swimmer jumping out into the pool to get a further jump off the the block. Also have her finish the pitch driving her knee and shoe laces towards the catcher after (I repeat after release of the ball, not before or at the same time as release of the ball after)

 

[sluggers]

This kid looks like she downed a couple of Red Bulls. Her problem is simple: She has to *RELAX*. Her failure to get fully relaxed results in her right arm never fully extending.

Attached is a shot of her. Her right tricep is bulging. Her neck and head looks like they are ready to explode. Her teeth are clenched (she better get a mouth guard or she is going to crack a tooth). One result is that her right arm never fully extends until release.

I'm sure she has seen the Finch video, but pay attention to her neck and arm. Finch video Do you see even 10% of the tension in Finch as you do in this kid? Not even close.

This is going to sound a little whacky, but she needs to practice relaxing. She needs to do the "cleansing breath" routine before she throws. Also, what is her breathing right? She looks to me like she is holding her breath through the whole pitch.

IMHO, she does need the back swing just to loosen up before the pitch and to get the right arm extended.

 

[Jojo]

I'd like to see a view from the back.
I'm with sluggers, I think the first thing that is causing her speed loss is her arm extension on the way up. Get that longer and more relaxed. She is just pitching too tight. Maybe some walk throughs before throwing practicing being loose and relaxed.

She's pulling her shoulder through at release, her whole arm is tight through the shoulder, maybe some arm circle drills to get that arm relaxed and loose through the shoulder.

 

[nanotech14]

I agree with slugger on she is to tense. The back swing part, it could be on a case by case suggestion. Now with my dd and it is just from what I have seen with my dd. She is loose with out a back swing and tenses with a back swing. The op will have to find out what works for his dd. But again if you look at the pic. that slugger posted, she does look really tense.