- Jun 24, 2024
- 9
- 3
Background: DD has been playing softball since she was 3.5 she just turned 11. Up until recently she had no interest in pitching. ~9 months ago she decided she wanted to pitch mainly due to lack of successful pitcher's on both her rec and TB teams. She began teaching herself how to pitch watching Montana Fouts videos (her favorite pitcher plus we are Bama fans) & using a cat toy and throwing at our couch. After a few months of her showing she was serious on learning the skill and me attempting to help her in the yard based on this forum and various YouTube videos we decided to get a PC, been seeing the PC 1/week for about ~6 months now.
She was the primary pitcher on her 10U rec team this season with good success and is in a rotation with 2 others on 10U TB. We picked-up with a 12U TB team this weekend and she did well. Complete game (4 innings) with 1 walk, 1 hit batter, and gave up 4 hits, 2 runs allowed. Came in as relief in 2 other games with success as well and only allowed 1 run. 1st time pitching in 12U.
She is now ~5'-7" and 100 lbs. During velo-drills with PC been clocked at 46 MPH with a 11" ball at 35' and 41 MPH with a 12" ball at 40'. Still have a few more 10U games to go so we are bouncing around there. I have asked the PC about her progression and am being told she is doing exceptionally well for the amount of time she has been pitching. I agree but know I am biased.
So to my question, I have been down the HE/IR rabbit hole. We (neither me nor the PC) have changed the way she pitches are far as that is concerned, what you will see is her "natural" arm motion that she has used from the beginning basically. PC says she is using IR (I think I agree) but not so sure. We took a slow-mo video last week in the back yard, see below. Is this IR or NO, what say the Guru's?
Note: We were primarily focusing on leg drive & we did not notice she was stepping out with her drive leg before planting until we watched the video later. Video also clearly exposed some other mechanics issues (drag foot not coming to heel, stepping out to side a bit, not turning hip to catcher, completely leaving the ground).
Sorry for long post, I can be long winded.
Any comments or advice are appreciated!
Jeremy
She was the primary pitcher on her 10U rec team this season with good success and is in a rotation with 2 others on 10U TB. We picked-up with a 12U TB team this weekend and she did well. Complete game (4 innings) with 1 walk, 1 hit batter, and gave up 4 hits, 2 runs allowed. Came in as relief in 2 other games with success as well and only allowed 1 run. 1st time pitching in 12U.
She is now ~5'-7" and 100 lbs. During velo-drills with PC been clocked at 46 MPH with a 11" ball at 35' and 41 MPH with a 12" ball at 40'. Still have a few more 10U games to go so we are bouncing around there. I have asked the PC about her progression and am being told she is doing exceptionally well for the amount of time she has been pitching. I agree but know I am biased.
So to my question, I have been down the HE/IR rabbit hole. We (neither me nor the PC) have changed the way she pitches are far as that is concerned, what you will see is her "natural" arm motion that she has used from the beginning basically. PC says she is using IR (I think I agree) but not so sure. We took a slow-mo video last week in the back yard, see below. Is this IR or NO, what say the Guru's?
Note: We were primarily focusing on leg drive & we did not notice she was stepping out with her drive leg before planting until we watched the video later. Video also clearly exposed some other mechanics issues (drag foot not coming to heel, stepping out to side a bit, not turning hip to catcher, completely leaving the ground).
Sorry for long post, I can be long winded.
Any comments or advice are appreciated!
Jeremy