My daughter's big hang-up was that she would just step off the box and fall forward. Getting her mind to push in the back while holding that leg in the same position to take flight was a real challenge. Your kid does a good job of covering distance, but it's more air-split than taking-off.
Looking for opinions on what to work on at this point.
- Thread starter lostcreek1
- Start date
Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch
Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.
My daughter's big hang-up was that she would just step off the box and fall forward. Getting her mind to push in the back while holding that leg in the same position to take flight was a real challenge. Your kid does a good job of covering distance, but it's more air-split than taking-off.
- Jun 8, 2016
- 16,118
- 113
Wow, impressive. All I know is very few MLB players (know of one only) only starting playing baseball in HS.
It honestly bothers me that the cheerleader picked the game up so late (10th grade). Her older sister had always played, and was very solid, but the cheerleader is just pure, fearless athlete. I believe she had three OTF her first season. I think if she had started playing even just a few years earlier and got with higher level competition to learn from, she'd be writing her own ticket. There's a small part of me that thinks it's not even too late to get a scholarship SOMEWHERE. Loves the game, too. This is her senior year and I'm looking forward to my kid sharing the field with her for her last season.
There is a lot of good things happening here, but one big thing that needs to be worked on.
Her shoulder are closing, which I assume makes her pitch low inside pitchs and high outside pitch to a right hander. In any case, this needs to be corrected.
Her glove is part of the equation and keeping the glove in plane with the catcher is important to keep her shoulders open. This will correct some of the left/right accuracy issues.
Overall, she looks good for her age, but she needs to fix the shoulders/glove issue…it will help significantly.
Her shoulder are closing, which I assume makes her pitch low inside pitchs and high outside pitch to a right hander. In any case, this needs to be corrected.
Her glove is part of the equation and keeping the glove in plane with the catcher is important to keep her shoulders open. This will correct some of the left/right accuracy issues.
Overall, she looks good for her age, but she needs to fix the shoulders/glove issue…it will help significantly.
- May 13, 2021
- 651
- 93
I take that to mean keeping the glove more in front of her. Eliminating or at least lessening the amount of swim she has with her glove arm.
With a girl this young I don't know how much progress you're going to make by directing her attention to various technical flaws. I think you might be better off having her do something which is going to change her approach. Right now she is very much a 'bowler', she squares up to home plate. I would have her do a lot of sling shot to get a feel for getting open (sideways), leading the downswing with the elbow and whipping into release. Show her this clip and ask her to mimic the pitcher's action.
Last edited:
Yes, it means keep the shoulders open by keeping the glove in the plane with the catcher. It shouldn’t be in front of her, it should be to her side because her chest should be facing the 3rd base line like this. Truthfully, the glove doesn’t have to be perfect, but the shoulders need to be in this position.
- May 13, 2021
- 651
- 93
I understand what you are saying about getting that front shoulder open. Would like to see a video of that. To see how that foot drags. Looks like she is leaping also.
- May 13, 2021
- 651
- 93
She is a 2014 playing her first year of 10u, and is one of those kids you have to tell her we are quitting for today and going in the house. She has plenty of speed for her age just trying to get more accuracy, and that is slowly getting better each week.
