Toe Drag Issues with Push Foot

[jdavitsky]

Hi everyone,

I am trying to figure out how to address an issue by daughter is having with her push foot and can't figure out how to go about it. When she pushes off, she has a good stride length and starts by dragging the inside of her toe. As she brings her knee forward, she turns her foot inwards and drags the outside of her foot. From what her pitching coach and I have observed, she dips her front foot and head slightly and loses some of her power as some momentum is lost in the downward direction. I am not sure if the soft landing foot is causing the ankle roll. Is there anything obvious I can do from a drill perspective to correct this?

I will upload a video if my description isn't entirely obvious.


Thanks,

Jason

 

[Amy in AZ.]

What I do (and your problem isn't unusual), is have the pitcher do the motion in slo mo, dragging the toe. Also, I look at her overhand throw and show her how the foot work should be similar. I bet she doesn't do that with overhand throw. She can practice the correct drag over and over in the house. It may take 1000 times, doing it correctly. Good luck.

 

[jdavitsky]

Thanks Amy...it seems weird to me.

Anyway, I included a video clip...

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Well, you got me. That is weird. Some girls drag their whole foot, but on the other side.
That would hurt, if she does that continually.

 

[jdavitsky]

I am hoping the same logic of repeating the same correct motion applies...

 

[cmustangsfp]

One of my DD's had a bad habit of turning her landing foot too far in and she was hurting her hip because of the violent stop the turning in caused when landing. I am with Amy on the "it might take 1000 tries", We had to work several months to get it out of her.

 

[FrozenRope]

Maybe she's too busy worrying that something is going to fall on her...... JK. That just looks painful! How about the old progression drill? No Ball...have her leap and drag concentrating only on the footwork. Get it right 5 times... Then one with a throw...4 more dry L&D's then throw one, then 3 L&D.. throw one... you get the gist... when she gets to one and one... keep alternating. If she reverts back to the funky outside foot drag at any point.....start over on 5 in a row with no ball.

 

[Softballs]

Is she doing the same thing in the dirt? Maybe the combination of sticky tennis shoes and astroturf is making her foot stick.

 

[starsnuffer]

I wouldn't worry about her feet right now. She's stepping, she isn't pushing and driving. You will find that a lot of the footwork mechanics fix themselves out of necessity when the proper forces are applied. Put the ball and glove down and teach her how to do a broad jump.

This kid has huge feet for her size (or her shoes are too big) and doesn't have the skeletal and muscular strength to control her own appendages. Guess what? Most kids are like that. If it bothers you, have her pitch barefoot, she'll fix it fast.

-W

 

[Ken B]

Role of arm motion in the standing long jump. [J Biomech. 2002] - PubMed - NCBI