video critic plz

[statetruepur]

Just wondering if I can get some critics out of these videos. I wasn't able to upload the edited ones with the program I have for some reasons and can't figure out why but if you guys could help me out until I can get this program figured out it would be much appreciated.
I recently noticed something going on with her right arm which almost looks like a chicken wing but its not. The side video view shows a close up of it but isn't as prominent as when she throws in a game. Seems like she is going to throw harder than she does as she starts off hard but its as if something is holding her back. She throws 60mph (clocked by U of M) but seems like she can throw harder. She throws two double headers a week, but finishes the second game with the same speed and general accuracy as the first game and at times when she gets mad, she starts throwing harder during the second game when the batters are able to get their timing down.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE-exUf_Org
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQoUlAAkHCs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_fUPEEJMdw

 

[sluggers]

You have to go to youtube and change the privacy settings for the videos. The videos are private. We can't view them.

 

[statetruepur]

ok, I changed it over. sorry about that.

 

[tojo]

Your DD looks the best in the game video. Is she throwing a drop or drop curve in this clip? It appears to be. The clip of her pitching in the gym needs clarification on what pitch she is working on. No pitch uses the same throwing motion. It appears to be maybe a change up or drop curve. I don't see any pitch approaching 60 mph in either clip. The 2nd video shows her shoulder closing too soon and throwing her elbow out on a couple of pitchs.In the game video, notice her right shoulder is more open when she gets to release.

 

[sluggers]

Well, you got a legitimate speed gun on your DD, and you can tell from the video why she throws 60 MPH. (Don't get me going on clowns saying their 1OYOA pumpkin is throwing 60 MPH, when Jenny Finch was throwing 55 at 12YOA...but anyway, I digress.)

Your DD is throwing at about 95% efficiency, so I'm not sure that you can eke out another 2 or 3 MPH out of her. You are running into physical limitations that you and your DD don't have control over. You can work for the next 3 years and perhaps pickup 2 MPH. She'll pick up 2 more MPH just by getting stronger as she gets older.

Technically, she gets her weight over her front foot a little at release, she closes a little too early, she pulls her right arm down after release instead of just "letting it go", and perhaps she needs a little more "dip" in her right shoulder. If you are looking for more speed, perhaps her right shoulder needs to come down a little bit at release. I've attached shots of Osterman and Finch, and you can see that their right shoulder is down more than your DD's at release.

But, IMHO, you are wasting time trying to pick up another MPH.

If she is getting hit in the second game of a DH, it is because she is throwing not "pitching". Does she change speeds? Does she intentionally vary her fastball between 55 MPH and 60 MPH? Can she paint the corners of the plate? Is she analyzing the umpire's strike zone? Is she evaluating batters? Is she trying to throw to a specific spot around the edges of the strike zone or is she trying to blow it by batters?

In other words, is she mentally engaged in the process of getting batters out, or is she just a windup toy on the mound?

With that form, she should be working like a dog on accuracy, change-ups and breaking pitches.

 

[statetruepur]

Your DD looks the best in the game video. Is she throwing a drop or drop curve in this clip? It appears to be. The clip of her pitching in the gym needs clarification on what pitch she is working on. No pitch uses the same throwing motion. It appears to be maybe a change up or drop curve. I don't see any pitch approaching 60 mph in either clip. The 2nd video shows her shoulder closing too soon and throwing her elbow out on a couple of pitchs.In the game video, notice her right shoulder is more open when she gets to release.

In the game video I'm not positive but i believe she is throwing a fastball. I am gonna try and get some more, better videos. The clip in the gym is a fastball but the way she ends doesn't look like it. It almost seems as if she is doesn't finish it hard. Her fastball was was clocked many times at the university of michigan at 60mph by their coaches but I know the game video she wasn't throwing good because of the way she starts off. Her normal approach is like the one in the gym. Her breaking pitches are slower and I have noticed lately that if she doesn't try and throw those breaking pitches as hard, she has better movement.
When she throws her elbow out, does it mean she isn't 'tight' than or she doesn't have enough bend in the elbow when trying to snap at the elbow? If you could give me a little more clarrification on this I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

 

[tojo]

In the game video I'm not positive but i believe she is throwing a fastball. I am gonna try and get some more, better videos. The clip in the gym is a fastball but the way she ends doesn't look like it. It almost seems as if she is doesn't finish it hard. Her fastball was was clocked many times at the university of michigan at 60mph by their coaches but I know the game video she wasn't throwing good because of the way she starts off. Her normal approach is like the one in the gym. Her breaking pitches are slower and I have noticed lately that if she doesn't try and throw those breaking pitches as hard, she has better movement.
When she throws her elbow out, does it mean she isn't 'tight' than or she doesn't have enough bend in the elbow when trying to snap at the elbow? If you could give me a little more clarrification on this I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

The best way to show the elbow out would be to have your DD keep her shoulder at 45 degrees at release. Hold the position,then have her bring the shoulder forward while holding her release and see where her elbow is pointed when she gets to her closed position.It will be pointing between 3rd and home.

 

[statetruepur]

I mentioned her throwing faster because she was throwing faster before the season started back in november and december. I catch for her and when she was throwing faster I could see a clear tunnel of her throwing. It was more accurate and she picked up speed. Her pitching coach and I also noticed she turns her right foot sideways when she pushes off instead of straight and you can tell a difference in her speed and accuracy. In the game video, she starts off with not a lot of movement when she begins to pitch because she realizes she is off and changes her begining because of it. We keep practicing trying to keep that foot straight but are still having issues. I'm wondering if she needs a new approach to start her pitch because of it. She recently changed her approach to the one shown in the gym video because her ASA travel team rules must have her with two feet on the mound.
Physically she is a very strong girl and sometimes I think she overthrows because of the lack of defense she has behind her and her feeling she needs to get the outs. She doesn't have a real catcher as we had to have our short stop become catcher and I don't know how many third strike drops she has had among other things. We come from a very small school where we had to bring up eighth graders just to make enough players to play on a varsity team. She is a 16yr old junior and has been throwing on varsity since she has been a freshmen. Honestly she doesn't practice that much and I think she does very well considering the lack of practice she does. It gets me a little angry or disappointed because reading all these posts and seeing how much others practice and comparing her to other pitchers as far as the practicing and her success compared to them, she could be an acceptional pitcher. I know the time and dedication it takes but she gets very discouraged with her high school team and doesn't wanna practice because of it. She plays volleyball and basketball also so softball is the only thing she does and our school is the type where the same athletes play all the sports so busy schedules are a factor also. sorry for the lil rant of background info.
To get her weight back more, would she need to get a bigger stride than? She does have breaking pitches. She throws a very good curveball, backdoor curve, change, off speed, and working on her rise. She can throw a drop at times but she is having a problems adjusting to her new pitching approach and the fact that her catcher virtually misses them all. She throws at the inside and outside corners and never down the middle unless its a mistake or full count. Her fastball has natural movement on it also. Another issue is going back to the catcher and her not being able to catch the breaking pitches well. I call her pitches and evaluate the batters stance, swing, ect. I know she does need to throw more off speed and change ups but usually the batters are always behind on them so I'm afraid to call them and than have the batters hit them. When a batter does hit the ball its usually a pop up in the infield or one right in between the first and second basement and right field.
'With that form, she should be working like a dog on accuracy, change-ups and breaking pitches'..her form is good than? sorry for the long post but I just want to put everything out there so I can get the best feedback for this and understand it. This is my younger sister btw and i try all these things myself to get a better understand of it as I wanna try and practice what I preach to an extent. If I would of known all this stuff when i played ball in high school and college, I woulda been a damn good pitcher. lol.
Thank you everyone for your feedback and any additional tips you could bring to me.

 

[sluggers]

Honestly she doesn't practice that much and I think she does very well considering the lack of practice she does.

This is going to sound harsh--but you can't make her a great pitcher. *SHE* has to make herself a great pitcher. She already looks better than 95% of the girls pitching. For her to get better, she has to work her buns off. If she doesn't want to do the work, she won't.

She does have breaking pitches. She throws a very good curveball

No, she doesn't have a breaking pitch. If she doesn't have a pitch that moves vertically, she doesn't have a breaking pitch.

In baseball, a curveball breaks down and away. A curve that doesn't break down is called a "hanging curve"--it is a pitch that is usually hit over the left field fence.

In softball, all curveballs are hanging curves. They are going to be crushed by good hitters. (I'm not talking a curve drop or a curve rise--I'm talking about a simple curve.)

I call her pitches and evaluate the batters stance, swing, ect.

So, she isn't playing the game, you are. Exactly when do you think she'll be old enough to handle this critical decision of whether to throw a fastball or a change?

Your DD has to learn to think. You can teach her how to approach pitching, but she needs to get out there and figure it out for herself. It is *HER* game, not yours.

E.g., you don't throw off speed because you're afraid they'll hit her. (So, I guess you don't throw a fastball either, since they might hit those too.) She hasn't learning how to throw off-speed. Throwing off-speed is a skill. Location is everything with off-speed pitches.

her form is good than?

Are you kidding me? She has some minor problems in her form that can be easily fixed. But, there is no major flaw. My DD was a D1 all-conference pitcher. Your DD has better form than my DD ever had. Your DD has better technique than most D1 pitchers.

The reason my DD was a better pitcher than your DD is:

(1) I never called her pitches, ever. So, she knew how to get batters out without someone holding her hand.
(2) She had a tremendous drop ball.
(3) She changed speeds on every pitch.

Finally: Stop making excuses for her. Don't blame the catcher, the outfielders, the shortstops, whatever. It diminishes her. As good as she is, she can win the games by herself. She has to believe she can win the game.

 

[sluggers]

This is going to sound harsh--but you can't make her a great pitcher. *SHE* has to make herself a great pitcher. She already looks better than 95% of the girls pitching. For her to get better, she has to work her buns off. If she doesn't want to do the work, she won't.



No, she doesn't have a breaking pitch. If she doesn't have a pitch that moves vertically, she doesn't have a breaking pitch.

In baseball, a curveball breaks down and away. A curve that doesn't break down is called a "hanging curve"--it is a pitch that is usually hit over the left field fence.

In softball, all curveballs are hanging curves. They are going to be crushed by good hitters. (I'm not talking a curve drop or a curve rise--I'm talking about a simple curve.)


So, she isn't playing the game, you are. Exactly when do you think she'll be old enough to handle this critical decision of whether to throw a fastball or a change?

Your DD has to learn to think. You can teach her how to approach pitching, but she needs to get out there and figure it out for herself. It is *HER* game, not yours.

E.g., you don't throw off speed because you're afraid they'll hit her. (So, I guess you don't throw a fastball either, since they might hit those too.) She hasn't learning how to throw off-speed. Throwing off-speed is a skill. Location is everything with off-speed pitches.



Are you kidding me? She has some minor problems in her form that can be easily fixed. But, there is no major flaw. My DD was a D1 all-conference pitcher. Your DD has better form than my DD ever had. Your DD has better technique than most D1 pitchers.

The reason my DD was a better pitcher than your DD is:

(1) I never called her pitches, ever. So, she knew how to get batters out without someone holding her hand.
(2) She had a tremendous drop ball.
(3) She changed speeds on every pitch.

Finally: Stop making excuses for her. Don't blame the catcher, the outfielders, the shortstops, whatever. It diminishes her. As good as she is, she can win the games by herself. She has to believe she can win the game.

Did she have a pitching coach? Or is this the way she has always thrown the ball?