How to stop monkey butt during landing and ball release

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Nov 29, 2009
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Hi all, what is a good drill or drills to correct monkey butt at landing and ball release? Tia……
Monkey Butt is usually the result of poor timing during the pitching motion chain starting with the drive off of the rubber. If the drive is weak it throws the foundation off. It doesn't allow her to get fully to the open position. Often times (Using RHP) a pitcher will try to swing her left hip like a hinged door. The left hip takes the long way around and ends up being late to get to correct position. . What she needs to do is to imagine her body is a revolving door. Her spine is the center of the door. Both hips spin in the same direction clockwise at the same time. Her landing foot should be on her power line at a 45 degree angle at touchdown. The right toe should be pointed back and slightly down. One of the ques I use is to tell the pitcher the catcher needs to see the side of her left butt cheek.

This is on one thing to look at. There are other drills that can help with keeping her weight back, front side resistance and becoming fluid in her motion.

Have her do the pitching motion without the ball. Start at half speed to she can concentrate on her body position. As she get more comfortable and looks smoother have her speed up the delivery in slight increments until she is at full speed. Have her do a few reps at each level so she can feel her body without any other inputs.

She's developed improper mechanics over years. It will take time to reprogram her body's muscle memory. You'll get a lot of "This feels weird." at first.
 
Nov 7, 2022
70
18
My girls both use “the perfect circle” wraps around their thigh on their pitching arm side and sticks out just a bit.

The idea is to hit it on the backswing, the forward swing and eventually the release.

They use it always at lessons and during practice at home.

There’s definitely more to her mechanics I’d say, based on your description, but if she’s worried about hitting herself, this will help.


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