help with pitching speed

[starsnuffer]

Wow, Uneo made that batter look silly!

Isn't she replanting her pivot foot in this clip? Looks like a one step walkthrough to me. I suspect you could gain MPH that way... ;-)

Yeah she's illegal here, but that really wasn't the point of the thread (nor am I advocating Uneo's mechanics). To be honest, most of the Olympic pitchers are illegal. In Uneo's case, she actually fixed this before the 2008 games and was no longer replanting. International rules allow for the back foot to not be on the rubber at the start but other then that the rules are mostly what you're used to.

Here she is in 2008

I just wanted to point out how "slow" her arm is until the very end.

-W

 

[darken]

Point taken. I agree her arm whip from 9 to release is very impressive and is a model for increasing speed.

Apologies for diverting from your point. I won't do it again, except to say the batter in this clip should be out for making contact with the ball while her foot is out of the box

 

[Jojo]

When the catcher jumps out from behind the plate like that with Uneo pitching, I bet that umpire mumbles a quick prayer

 

[Lozza]

Hal I just had a look at your link and is that girl really throwing rises? The first looks like a high fastball and the second is straight down the guts (which I think you recognise as you didn't say anything) She's a damn good pitcher for her age, (and FAST!) but I don't know if that's what I'd call a rise.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Just to be clear, Ueno is not illegal in international play.

Sec. 60. LEAPING (FP ONLY).
Leaping is the act of a pitcher, that causes him to be airborne on her initial move and push from the pitcher’s plate. The momentum built by the forward movement of the pitcher causes the entire body, including both the pivot and stepping (non-pivot) foot to be in the air at the same time and moving towards home plate. The pitch is completed when the pitcher lands and with a continuous motion delivers the ball to the plate. The pivot foot may push off and/or follow through with this continuous action. Leaping is a legal act.

 

[halskinner]

Hal I just had a look at your link and is that girl really throwing rises? The first looks like a high fastball and the second is straight down the guts (which I think you recognise as you didn't say anything) She's a damn good pitcher for her age, (and FAST!) but I don't know if that's what I'd call a rise.

She pitched every game for her team in the NSA state championship tournament that year. She pitched 5 games on the final day. She averaged 14 K's per game with a high of 17 K's in one game. Afterwards, the NSA National UIC complimented her saying she had an amazing riseball and gave the most brilliant pitching performance he had ever seen in his 25 years as an umpire.

What you and I think looks like 'not much' doesnt mean squat to anyone. What the batters and the umpires think is the only thing that counts.

She does not throw a 'high school' rise, 'Airplane rise' or whatever else you want to call a 'Cut' riseball. She was throwing a bent fingered rise, those break late.

You also have to realize that if a pitch breaks late, all it has to come up is the width of the bat.

I "Didnt say anything",, in response to what?

 

[halskinner]

Yeah she's illegal here, but that really wasn't the point of the thread (nor am I advocating Uneo's mechanics). To be honest, most of the Olympic pitchers are illegal. In Uneo's case, she actually fixed this before the 2008 games and was no longer replanting. International rules allow for the back foot to not be on the rubber at the start but other then that the rules are mostly what you're used to.

Here she is in 2008

I just wanted to point out how "slow" her arm is until the very end.

-W

If my arm circle was somewhat fast but, when I released the ball it was at a noticeably slower ball speed than what you EXPECTED to see based on my motions, most folks would call that a 'change up'. it is very effective at disrupting the hitters timing when practiced and done well.

Most folks LIMIT that label of 'Change up' to that, a pitch released slower than the arm speeds tells the batter. I am not one of those folks. What I refer to as a 'Change up' is ANY ball speed produced that is not the speed that the overall motions would lead a batter to expect. Therefore, that description would ALSO include a pitch where the overall motions were slower than the released ball speed on delivery. The exact opposite of what most folks would call a change up.

Slower motions and arm speed but a fast delivery speed, fast motions and arm speed but a slower delivery speed. Do you think the latter will not be just as effective at disrupting the hitter's timing.

There are exact points in the arm circle to change speeds that are the most effective against batters at any competition level.

Delayed rotation pitches. This is tactical pitching at its best. It can be done so subtly that it is almost impossible to detect.

No coach would ever dream of using a pitcher that did not throw a change up, right? Why would you limit a pitcher to just one kind?

sneakysoftballpitching.com

 

[Mrek]

MERK.....you say arm circle in 5 frames....I have 2 question about that

1) are we talking 30fps or 60fps video
2) when do you start the count of the 5 frames

I re-read at my response and I didn't say anything about 5 or any number of frames. The suggestion was about using video to measure, relatively, the "relaxed" arm circle versus the "maximum effort" arm circle in order to see if max effort delivers any difference in arm velocity. 60 fps gives a finer measurement than 30 fps. I have looked at a "full" circle (1 rev from bottom to bottom) or 3/4 circle (from 3 o'clock to 6 o'clock (release). I think the most important aspect of this analysis is that the arm is accelerating till release. So if you break the circle into quarters (for a full circle) the number of frames decreases in each quarter.

As has been pointed out, many elite pitchers have an explosive finish. but I think you'll find their arm is accelerating for at least the final 1/2 to 3/4 of the motion.

Again, it's kinda easy to determine why one girl throws 45 and the same age girl throws 55.

It's get harder to determine why a girl throws 58-59 and can't get over the 60MPH wall.

 

[Ken Krause]

Actually she's illegal before the leap. She lifts her foot off the pitching rubber then sets it back down before she pushes off. THEN she leaps.

 

[PEPPERS]

Does anyone know why a pitcher throws the same speed (58) while not giving a whole lot of effort and then when she explodes off the mound and increases her arm whip speed she still throws 58-59? The object of the drill is to keep that same relaxed feeling of not giving too much effort and carry that into when she starts giving it her all. We are just working with some different ideas to get her speed up. I just found it interesting that she can throw 58 without any effort, but when going full force she stays at 58 or 59. All of her mechanics look good, we are working on leg drive and keeping her arm relaxed. She has a good size muscular frame and very strong legs, 5;8".
Thanks for any ideas or help.

My daughter’s pitching coach tells this story Roger Clemens first time to pitch in Yankee Stadium and the first time in front of the big screens, first pitch 97 MPH on the screen and the crowd gives a big oooohhhh. He thinks the next pitch he will really light it up over 100 MPH. The next pitch 86, 11 MPH slower.

IMO it’s relaxed muscles, timing and good mechanics, I tell my daughter how to throw faster is to throw faster and break through the current barrier where she is and to go farther and beyond.

JMO.