Video review - the Need for Speed !

[fpmama]

Hello ! You guys on this board are great...you seriously helped me with both of my nieces quite a while back - but that's another story. I've had to start a new account on here since I haven't posted in so long and since then I've changed email addresses, etc. Anyway....long story short....I have 2 girls that I said I'd post...this is for the first:

16 y/o girl in our org has been pitching about 3 yrs, over the last yr or so she transitioned from step style (?) to Leap and Drag style. Of course she got slower before she got faster...but eventually the style change did add about 5 mph. THat was about 6 months ago I would say. Here we are 6 months later, and her speed has not improved AT ALL.

Will you guys/gals take a look at her video here and let us know any changes that might help. Apologies in advance, the video was a spur-of-the-moment idea and we took it with our regular camera. I have no idea how to slow this down or capture stills on it to make it easier for you guys to analyze. (hopefully I remember how to embed the video itself)!

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[tojo]

She does not utilize her resistance on her left side or her right side. She appears to be a mixture of step style and L&D. Is she still taking lessons from the L&D coach? She is off her powerline, lifts her throwing arm shoulder and her right side closes too early and too much. She needs alot of work if she is going to increase her speed.

 

[BoardMember]

She'll never get there if she keeps "pulling the ball" with that big reach-out for the target finish high stuff..........

I'd suggest you read the I/R thread and teach her to "throw the ball" and bust it off at the bottom against some decent lead leg resistance........

She has no "GUN"........She doesn't "fire it" at the bottom.........."Snap it off" so to speak........

She's throwing "mud pies"..........

 

[asurock]

BM,

You have an email...though it may be stuck in your junk folder again.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I agree with all that has been said.

This young lady should be throwing much faster than she is, but we need to take into consideration that she has only been pitching for 3 years.

I would find a wall that she can pitch against and then, work until she can move back further and further, while still catching the ball after she pitches it.

"Drill baby drill."

 

[Lozza]

Main thing for me is that she's not moving straight ahead. She loses a lot of speed by doing that little jump to the side.

Best thing I've ever seen is a bit of board that is straight. Start with something that is only an inch off the ground. Its small enough that when she's pitching and doesn't end up on it, its noticable to her. Her goal is to stay on that board the whole pitch. When she gets better and more comftable with that, make the board slightly higher off the ground. It's a great tool that helps her self correct.

 

[sluggers]

The idea behind pitching is momentum transfer. The pitcher gets all her body motion gowing to home plate, and then stops it with her plant foot. If her body continues to move forward after release, then that is momentum that is not being transferred to the ball.

E.g., if you have brick on your seat in a car, what will make the brick go through the front windshield? Slamming on the brakes and coming to a screaching stop, or gradually reducing the speed? Obviously, slamming on the brakes.

Any body parts that are continuing to move forward at release reduce the speed.

The attached shows a comparison of DD (I know she is your niece) v. Osterman at release. Your DD's upper body is almost completely over her front foot. Osterman's upper body is probably one or two feet behind her front foot.

The other thing is notice that your DD is almost completely closed (90 degrees) at release. Osterman is at about 20 degrees or so.

Your DD also needs to really work on leg drive. She is leaping 2 inches, maybe.

I'm with Hal about the follow through.

 

[fpmama]

She'll never get there if she keeps "pulling the ball" with that big reach-out for the target finish high stuff..........

I'd suggest you read the I/R thread and teach her to "throw the ball" and bust it off at the bottom against some decent lead leg resistance........

She has no "GUN"........She doesn't "fire it" at the bottom.........."Snap it off" so to speak........

She's throwing "mud pies"..........

BM,

I lOVE the "mud pie" analogy...it really fits - we will use it ! Oddly, she seemed to really have decent IR AND a good arm snap going for her from the beginning. If she had maintained that, I think she would have seen a great improvement. This was about the same time she really started throwing in more of her travel team games - so my gutt instinct is telling me THAT is WHEN she starting aiming and throwing the mudpies ! But, the problem is that now even at practice we can't get her to start "firing" it from the bottom. Any ideas?

Sluggers,

Thanks for adding the still shots, I think they will help give her a visual. Technology is such a big help, especially for getting through to stubborn teenagers ! She is over her left leg at release for sure...she USED to be more than a foot in FRONT of it and "WALK" after it too...so although an improvement, she still has a "foot" to go. I know that she has used the "stork" type drill (throwing from only right leg on the ground, left leg up)..I guess it has helped, but anything she can really add to get the weight back even more....

TOJO,

I agree and can see what you are saying as well...the one part i didn't get was "lifting her right shoulder"..do you mean before the windmill?
and perhaps more leg drive (as mentioned above) will assist her in losing the "combo" look?? ..because I do agree with that. any thoughts?

you guys are a great help. I look forward to more insight - and I will be trying to post the other young girls video tonight for your review as well.

 

[tojo]

She is lifting and tensing the shoulder going into release. The shoulder should be relaxed and down moreso during release.

 

[fpmama]

The idea behind pitching is momentum transfer. The pitcher gets all her body motion gowing to home plate, and then stops it with her plant foot. If her body continues to move forward after release, then that is momentum that is not being transferred to the ball.

E.g., if you have brick on your seat in a car, what will make the brick go through the front windshield? Slamming on the brakes and coming to a screaching stop, or gradually reducing the speed? Obviously, slamming on the brakes.

Any body parts that are continuing to move forward at release reduce the speed.

The attached shows a comparison of DD (I know she is your niece) v. Osterman at release. Your DD's upper body is almost completely over her front foot. Osterman's upper body is probably one or two feet behind her front foot.

The other thing is notice that your DD is almost completely closed (90 degrees) at release. Osterman is at about 20 degrees or so.

Your DD also needs to really work on leg drive. She is leaping 2 inches, maybe.

I'm with Hal about the follow through.

I know I already responded and thanked you...started speaking with her today about some of these changes...printed out the above attmt/pic to show her, and only when I looked at it a second time did I realize Cat is throwing righty for you ! ???