Timing issue

[Madsdad]

I would like to know if anyone can help me correct a timing issue. DDs arm is not far enough in the circle at toe touch, photos show that it is about 1:00. Recently She has begun to notice ( the last couple days) that if she can get her arm further along, she can get much better whip. Her top speed will jump 3mph over night when she does it correctly. Is the fact that she has become aware of this enough to correct it or is there something that someone can offer to help. I don't want her to over stride, she is getting out 6.5 feet right now. She is 13 about 5'9" and is crusing at 51-53 using my Bushnell on a very regular bases. When she started to figure this out, she jumped to 54-55

 

[chinamigarden]

Maybe she should shorten her stride. 6.5' might be too far for her. It might work for others but for her it might be a bit long.

 

[starsnuffer]

Stride higher with the stride foot, this will cause her to land later. Make sure that you, as the catcher, can see the bottom of her stride foot. Often pitchers can get lazy at that age and take shortcuts, which usually result in loosing their bottom half.

-W

 

[gvm]

" hang time"

 

[halskinner]

I would like to know if anyone can help me correct a timing issue. DDs arm is not far enough in the circle at toe touch, photos show that it is about 1:00. Recently She has begun to notice ( the last couple days) that if she can get her arm further along, she can get much better whip. Her top speed will jump 3mph over night when she does it correctly. Is the fact that she has become aware of this enough to correct it or is there something that someone can offer to help. I don't want her to over stride, she is getting out 6.5 feet right now. She is 13 about 5'9" and is crusing at 51-53 using my Bushnell on a very regular bases. When she started to figure this out, she jumped to 54-55

Hi Madsdad,

She is striding out around 115%. This is a Very aggressive stride length. 120% is considered Extremely aggressive.

Try dropping her stride length down to 5' 6" and try that for awhile. Make sure the stride foot lands at 45-degrees to the powerline.

You hit the nail on the head, she is overstriding for the average 14-year old.

FYI. At the exact instant of landing foot touchdown the ball should be between 1 o'clock and 1:30, just into the down swing, for the safest shoulder mechanics.

HS/ks

 

[Madsdad]

Thanks all for your imput. I understand the hang time and how getting the stride leg higher might help. I'm confused about shortening the stride. I have aways used your method Hal from early on and share it with everybody because of its simplisity. DD has just been working hard at driving and it is getting longer. Should she shorten and raise her stide at the same time? At TOE (the very tip of her toe) touch she is closer to 12:00. By the time the rest of the foot comes in contact with the ground it is closer to 1:30

 

[halskinner]

Sorry for the slow responce.

1. Do Not raise the stride foot up. The higher the stride foot goes up the farther it has to come down and the harder the landing will be. Never bring the stride foot above the ground any higher than if you were wearing a rollerblade on it.

2. When your stride foot touches down you should touch down on the BALL of the foot, not the toes. The stride foot heal should touch down an instant after the ball of the foot. The heal should be no more than an inch or so off the ground when the ball of the foot touches down.

3. That stride foot should land much closer to 45 degrees. If it is touching down at zero degrees (pointing towards home plate) and then the heal shuffles over to bring the foot closer to 45 degrees, doing that "shuffel" you are loosing speed, accuracy and balance. Remember all of your weight and force from the forward momentum is being put towards the stride foot at that instant. Doing that shuffle makes the ankle unstable, no different than if you landed on a rock.

4. This one is going to be a little hard to grasp. Believe it or not, the longer your stride is the faster you will take it, at least to a point. You will see many advanced pitchers striding out almost the edge of the circle. And if you watch closely the ball does not come forward from their hip uptill they are already into their stride.

Glad your using my foundation method from my book. As I suggested, drop her stride length to 5' 6" and work on the timing of the ball and stride foot coming forward of the hip at the same time.

Tell Mad Coach Hal says Hey!

HS/ks

 

[Madsdad]

Thanks Coach,
We have been working on getting it all together. She has shortened up the stride and is back to 5'6" She does come down on her toe but like everything else she is working on it. I think it is more a level of comfort. Some of the diamonds are like skating rinks around here and rather than slide, she would come down on her toe first. I have introdued metal cleats for the off season and she is getting more comfortable with stopping more solid. The way she points her toe, would really throw things off. I guess I know what I have to explain to her next. The nice thing is that the older they get, the easier the explaining gets.

Thanks Again Coach