Need some help with 14 year old DD

[tritonfastpitch]

We've recently hit a plateau with my 14 year old DD. She's dedicated to getting better, I just don't have the knowledge myself to get her there. I've read through a ton of posts here, including the stickies. Some makes sense to me, some doesn't. She throws 47-50...but has been for the last year, even with regular practice/games/lessons. So I thought I would throw ourselves to the wolves in hope of the smart people here helping to point us in the right direction.

Things I can clearly see......side drag on her right foot, posture at release, glove hand flailing out.

Thoughts...comments...concerns?

https://photos.app.goo.gl/hAeta8JVssGiZhGr9

 

[marriard]

We've recently hit a plateau with my 14 year old DD. She's dedicated to getting better, I just don't have the knowledge myself to get her there. I've read through a ton of posts here, including the stickies. Some makes sense to me, some doesn't. She throws 47-50...but has been for the last year, even with regular practice/games/lessons. So I thought I would throw ourselves to the wolves in hope of the smart people here helping to point us in the right direction.

Things I can clearly see......side drag on her right foot, posture at release, glove hand flailing out.

Thoughts...comments...concerns?

https://photos.app.goo.gl/hAeta8JVssGiZhGr9

Going to start with the good. She is tall and athletic with long arms and legs. She works it all out there is going to be some fun speed to come.

Ok - now onto some things...
She has a REALLY, REALLY straight arm.... So she is bowling rather than whipping. There is no looseness or power... check her arm at 12 and then 9. It should be bent and whippy through release and the entire motion. It just isn't. Watch the Amanda Scarborough slow-mo - it is the best for showing where you should be in each part of the pitch. She is getting all her speed because she is long and lanky.

No leg drive... basically her drive out gets nothing from her left leg. Her foot basically just pivots in place instead of pushing. It only moves forward because it gets dragged by her momentum. Her right leg is driving all 'out' and it needs to have some 'up' to it (higher knee) and she is over striding so she is losing a lot of resistance to push against - she could do with landing at least 12" shorter if not more. All of this is contributing to her digging a deep trench with her anchor foot.

Body completely collapses - but it is everything else before she gets there that is doing that. Her timing and technique is all off.

Where to start.... W's, ball on the floor, pushing from bucket... I am sharing a video below which has very mixed reviews here (because they discuss '2nd push' which sounds like they are advocating replanting) however some of the drills here will help. It is well worth a watch to see the drills even if you ignore some of what they are saying.

I have set it with them discussing the 'W' position. It may be an over emphasis, but you can see how different it is from your DD's straight arms. Doing drills from the W to release really gets the whip concept going. The bucket/ball on the floor and even the hop drills help get into the legs better and keep you balanced and upright.

https://youtu.be/g0SPGPS9bWQ?t=7m7s

I like the bucket drill for my DD - it helps her get into her legs. Same with 'ball on the floor'.

 

[STRIKE3]

There are alot of good things going on here so don't think you are completely off track. If i had to say the number one miss for most (including myself until I found DFP, and then it took several years) is adduction. Your DD completely uses extension and not adduction IMO. See video below from board member:



Now watch as many high lever pitchers as you can and focus on the upper arm coming into the rib cage and rotating around it.

Here is another that is BM's student from years ago and I constantly look at this video although I can see it in my head I have watched it so many times. Look at her uper arm and how it is pulled into her body, stabilizes, and rotates.

 

[STRIKE3]

Now go to the IR thread that BM started and go the 2nd to last page. There is a google docs link and click on it. Now scroll through and you will find this same girl with 3 GIF's I believe. You can see how her upper arm stablizes against her body allowing the lower arm to whip through.

IMHO, and I will say it again, this is the biggest miss. Everything else has its place but this is Gospel. You have to make this happen! I actually think BM said something similar in the opening statement on the IR thread but I believe it to be true.

As Marriad said above, check out Amanda and her slo motion drive mechanics video and watch her upper arm stabilization. Watch it a hundred times. Then focus on that. Her arm is very straight as mentioned BUT if you work on bringing the upper arm into the body like mentioned above it will create the bend naturally and not something you have to teach IMO.

Lastly, I would encourage you to try this yourself, watch the videos and try to pull the upper arm into your body and rotate it around your rib cage. Then do it a hundred times until you feel like it makes sense. Then teach it.

I am confident it will do wonders for your DD!

Good luck!!

S3