wide stance issues

[dmasterson]

I have read a good portion of the IR and Drive Mechanics stickies and have many years in softball coaching and have become a "developing" pitching coach. One particular high schooler I have been working with has developed decent IR and drive mechanics and has increased her speed, improved her changeup dramatically and has the beginnings of a decent riseball. One big issue though is she is terrible at hitting the outside corner. She can pound the inside corner but not the outside with any consistency. I believe the reason stems from the wide stance I taught her with the feet on the rubber. She is moving not backward but leftward to get her pivot foot on the power line which is causing her backswing to go leftward which of course causes her forward swing to go rightward (to the inside corner of a right handed batter). We are having a tough time fixing it and I now am questioning whether I should stop teaching wide stance on the rubber. I am thinking of simplifying it and starting with feet close together (pivot foot ON the power line to begin with) so the kids can go straight back to create the overlap. Is the wide stance really that much of a benefit? I know it creates a little bit more room to go backwards. Thoughts?

 

[dmasterson]

Bumping this to see if anyone has a response

 

[mothgirl]

I think the wide stance is a training tool, it's easier to get that overlap and lean with a wider stance to start out with. Your supposed to start closing the distance when they get better, you make it less wide. This is the way I understood it, anyway.

The slide and wide stance is different (kinda) your supposed to slide which helps create momentum, start wide with the slide and find your center closer to your other foot.

If she doesn't do the slide I would try working her feet a little closer, baby steps don't move to fast with it


I hate tacos- said no Juan anywhere

 

[GunnerShotgun]

I am not sure what the stance has to do with her ability to hit the outside corner.

Have your pitcher start her IR a little later to pound the outside corner. Start it earlier to pitch inside.

A late release will move it higher in the zone. An early release will drive the ball down in the zone (think drop ball).

Between those 4 you have it all covered. It's all covered more eloquently in another thread (boardmember if I recall). My DD has the same stance and same footwork on every pitch (she may shorten up on the drop ball a little bit).

Hope that helps!

 

[javasource]

The width of the stance has to do with finding your own balance and establishing good weight transfer. Those that learn internal rotation properly often need to learn (through repetition) how to miss outside.

Chalk this up to more location repetitions... don't change your stance.

 

[jacman]

A couple things come to mind:

Are you sure she's getting a good whip? If she's turning her hand a little early and essentially pushing the ball, she may not be getting her hand behind it. The ball may be coming more off the side of her hand.

Is she closing her hips a little early, forcing her to create space for her hand by throwing around her hip? it's hard to throw to the left side of the plane when your arm is moving to the right.

Is she finishing her pitch? Does she tend to fall back after her release, or fail to close her hips sufficiently behind the pitch? this can also make it harder to get to the left side of the plate.

 

[JAD]

Any chance for video from different angles throwing inside and outside?

 

[go4fpsb]

I have a pitcher with the same issue. Her fault was allowing her hand to get too far away from thigh at release. Make sure your pitcher is getting good brush below the elbow, on the upper part of her forearm. Does she have good posture at release? If she is leaning forward that can cause them to push the pitch away from them. Also is it with all pitches or just one?