Pitch speed progression

[DNeeld]

Hip snap or hip use is really a non-teach movement. She'll start doing it naturally and without really thinking about it once she stops flaring out the drag leg. It really is nothing more than using full adduction, driving both elbows and knees into the center of the body. With front side resistance, the front knee isn't going to move, so it is the back knee that is driven toward it. Creates a tremendous amount of core torque.

For drilling she can work on this constantly. My DD still does toe drag drills every practice as part of her warm up routine.

 

[Mike-Coach Q]

I’ve had some luck doing this with my students.

 

[Tatonka]

Hip snap or hip use is really a non-teach movement. She'll start doing it naturally and without really thinking about it once she stops flaring out the drag leg. It really is nothing more than using full adduction, driving both elbows and knees into the center of the body. With front side resistance, the front knee isn't going to move, so it is the back knee that is driven toward it. Creates a tremendous amount of core torque.

For drilling she can work on this constantly. My DD still does toe drag drills every practice as part of her warm up routine.

DNeeld - can you share more about the toe drag drills that you're using? DD has been working on this for years now but still seems to lapse back into this at times during games or when we are working on some other aspect. I've been looking for something to help cement the knee to knee/laces over toe/etc. part of her mechanic for a long time now. Thx!

 

[DNeeld]

DNeeld - can you share more about the toe drag drills that you're using? DD has been working on this for years now but still seems to lapse back into this at times during games or when we are working on some other aspect. I've been looking for something to help cement the knee to knee/laces over toe/etc. part of her mechanic for a long time now. Thx!

Like many things, there aren't a ton of specialized drills for this issue. Mainly you just make it a point of focus in practice with lots of repetition. If it creeps up at random times, its either old habits coming through when she is concentration on other things, or muscle failure due to fatigue.

Personally, I like what we call Power Ks. Typical K-position, take a small step forward and put all the concentration into adducting both elbows and both knees into the body as she throws. For toe drag, we just emphasize a concentration on what the drag toe is doing vs what it should be doing.

How old is your DD and what is her fitness level. A lot of the lower body pitching mechanics (Front side resistance, toe drag and to a lesser degree, proper drive) involve a lot of core strength. The way the hips open naturally leads to a flaring drag leg. It takes core strength to resist that and adduct the drag leg. For front side resistance, it takes core strength to stay back and resist to hinge at the waist and let the nose end up over or in front of the toes.

If your DD is in the 14-16 age range and hasn't spent a decent amount of time on core strength she may lack the physical requirements needed to control an explosive ballistic movement or lacks endurance to continue to control the movements.

 

[Mike-Coach Q]

Maybe you can get some direction from one of my newest players. This is her 1st lesson.

 

[Mike-Coach Q]

After about three weeks of working out. Her goal is to gain 5mph by January. Gained one mile per hour , four more to go.

 

[Tatonka]

Like many things, there aren't a ton of specialized drills for this issue. Mainly you just make it a point of focus in practice with lots of repetition. If it creeps up at random times, its either old habits coming through when she is concentration on other things, or muscle failure due to fatigue.

Personally, I like what we call Power Ks. Typical K-position, take a small step forward and put all the concentration into adducting both elbows and both knees into the body as she throws. For toe drag, we just emphasize a concentration on what the drag toe is doing vs what it should be doing.

How old is your DD and what is her fitness level. A lot of the lower body pitching mechanics (Front side resistance, toe drag and to a lesser degree, proper drive) involve a lot of core strength. The way the hips open naturally leads to a flaring drag leg. It takes core strength to resist that and adduct the drag leg. For front side resistance, it takes core strength to stay back and resist to hinge at the waist and let the nose end up over or in front of the toes.

If your DD is in the 14-16 age range and hasn't spent a decent amount of time on core strength she may lack the physical requirements needed to control an explosive ballistic movement or lacks endurance to continue to control the movements.

Thx DNeeld - we've been doing all that for several years, I'm probably searching for closer to perfection every pitch and have just been too focused on certain little things that bug me. Honestly I think it's just a matter of making it so automatic that her muscle memory won't let her do anything different. We've focused on knee to knee, thrust the hips forward, laces to the catcher, etc.. I think it was Java who gave her the cue to file her toenail (lightly grazing the big toe). She's 19, going in to her 3rd yr of college ball, had a great season last year as the starting pitcher and made it to the Conference Championship. Very strong and fit, with great FSR. She has a great understanding of pitching mechanics and is working really hard to improve on this aspect.