We are making some changes to my 10 year olds form. She went through a really rough patch and we are taking a close look at her form from start to finish. So I ask you this: I see some pitchers are ball up at 3o clock or close, some are ball facing 3rd base at 3 o clock. What do you suggest for a starting point? What are advantages to each?
Ball position at 3 o clock.
- Thread starter John 800
- Start date
Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch
Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.
Right hand pitcher from first base.
I guess it would make more sense to veiw a rhp from 3rd but thta is how i have usually heard it referred to is a 3 o clock, or a T position.
I guess it would make more sense to veiw a rhp from 3rd but thta is how i have usually heard it referred to is a 3 o clock, or a T position.
Just for reference, the terms here describe coming out of the glove or backswing as 3:00, coming over the top at 12:00, pulling down into release at 9:00, release happening around 6:00 for a right-hand pitcher.
The answer is a little more complicated than it appears, but at its most basic, any degree of the ball pointing up more than towards third is preferable. Ideally, in a perfect world, the ball would be facing the sky with the palm underneath at the 9:00 position.
Confusion creeps in when looking at stills. Some pitchers will have the ball pointed toward third at the 9:00 position, but will continue to "load" coming into release, ultimately ending up with the ball up position at 7:00 or thereabouts. Still photos are a great tool, but often a series of still photos is needed to get the complete picture of what it happening. There are a number of elite pitchers that will show the ball pointed toward third at 9:00 (Fouts comes to mind). But viewing slow motion video or a series of still photos shows these pitchers load the whip sometime between 9:00 and release. Best practice when it comes to teaching a young kid is ball to the sky at 9:00, backchaining to "show it, throw it" with the ball pointed at the catcher at 12:00, and finally leading with the knuckles coming out of the glove or backswing at 3:00.
The reason you want the ball pointed up at 9:00 rather than pointed toward third at 9:00 is to create the lag that results in the most efficient whip. The elbow leading the ball in essence. The more the ball strays over toward third, or worse, the hand getting behind the ball, the less efficient and powerful the whip becomes.
