Pitching - Where to start?

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Feb 7, 2013
3,188
48
Part of my challenge is going to be finding a place to practice at home. My yard doesn't have much in the way of flat, unpaved ground.

You might have to move! Andre Agassi's dad would only buy a Las Vegas house with a yard big enough to put in a tennis court:)
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
You might have to move! Andre Agassi's dad would only buy a Las Vegas house with a yard big enough to put in a tennis court:)

I talked to a buddy today that has access to a Bobcat. He said he'd be happy to help me do a little grading. I can see that this is going to go off the deep end in a hurry.
 
Mar 19, 2009
946
93
Southern California
IR is the way to go and here are some things I've experienced with my younger pitchers as I was working with them on it.
1. They will try and copy someone they have see pitch, like H.E., making a fist, or reaching for their shoulder with their hand.
2. As you try and get her to IR snap at the bottom of her circle, she will turn her hand way too early and end up pushing the ball.
3. Some will try and throw side arm from the elbow.
4. An even later snap will look like a change up.
5. Don't try and over explain it. The more I tried to explain it the harder is was for my student to understand and do.
Showing her clips of boardmember demonstrating the drills and snap should help give you and her a visual. Take your time and when you or she starts to get frustrated stop and work on something else.
I've worked with several girls from SMGSA over the years it's nice place. Eric I hope this helps.
 
Jul 1, 2012
10
1
Thank you for this post and the replies. My daughter is also wanting to learn how to pitch. She has one more year of machine pitch 8U but wants to start learning now. I appreciate all of the knowledge on this board.
 
Jul 17, 2012
1,091
38
Hillhouse DVD on order!
I know I'll get tarred and feathered for this one....but don't get your hopes up too high. The hillhouse video is VERY high level. When I first purchased it... I couldn't wait to put it in the DVD player and see what it was all about. It's not quite the recipe book you may be expecting. He does a good job explaining the pitching motion at a very high level, but it's likely not going to be your primary resource for teaching your daughter the very basics. Boardmember's IR in the classroom thread does a great job of defining the very basic motions of the underhand throw. As for the "Too Techy" comment... I disagree. In fact, it's dumbed down to simplest form.... what the arm needs to do to throw the ball underhand. Once your DD can throw the ball underhand, introduce the rest of the pitching motion....which is where Bill's DVD will be helpful.

One more thing, and this is probably the best advice I can offer.... Don't set her up 35 or 40 feet away and sit on a bucket or squat in the stance expecting a "pitch". It will be discouraging to you and to her. Have her throw at a tarp, or a carpet remnant, no farther than 10 feet away. Work on teaching her the motion. It will be foreign to her, which will cause her to doubt it and try to throw the ball the way she thinks it should be done to get it to you.
 
Feb 3, 2010
5,752
113
Pac NW
Frozen Rope,
I'll be the first to say I needed to hit a dictionary to make sure I understood "proximal" and "distal." I'm low tech and proud of it!

First of all, I/R is a "motor skill". Whether natural or learned, it is a skill that can either be taught or enhanced by focusing and training the bio-mechanics and physics that cause the motion to occur, in sequence.........

One of the first things that has to happen for a proper I/R delivery, is that the upper arm (bicep) must be trained that it is the stability point for Internal Rotation. It rotates AND stabilizes vertically. It must be properly positioned in close to the body and vertical in order for the forearm to internally rotate on the tightest radius possible. It ALSO must be trained to pass kinetic energy from the proximal to the distal parts of the sequence. IOW.........The energy must be passed from the arm circle, through the upper arm (proximal part), to the forearm (distal part) and down through the wrist into the fingers and ball.

Ken
 
Jul 21, 2013
7
0
We went straight to a PC, the expensive way. We didn't have any experience with pitching and did not want her to develop bad habits b/c of it. Seen others spend many, many lessons unlearning bad habits developed by pitching on their own. We spent the first lessons working on wrist snaps and T's. Just know it is a long road. Took about three months to throw strikes consistently enough for rec ball and you must practice several times a week.
 
Feb 3, 2010
5,752
113
Pac NW
bogart1091,
I'm hoping the wrist snaps your DD are being taught are not these: WRIST SNAP DRILL - YouTube Otherwise, the next PC will need to help her unlearn, setting her back and you back in $ lost.

Notice that when they demonstrate the drill, the wrist gets cocked back, palm faces down and the elbow is locked? As they execute the drill, the palm faces forward the entire way through the motion. Now scrub forward to the full motion demo at :28 and this "wrist snap" disappears. During the downswing, you see elbow flexed and pointed down and the palm up all the way down until the elbow contacts the side of the torso, then the lower arm whips loosely through with the hand rotating from palm up to palm facing the torso?

Watch the below videos, (one is Yukiko Ueno--one of the world's fastest pitchers,) and see if there is a cocked wrist and palm forward in the downswing though release?
Japanese Softball - YouTube
Softball Power Drive - mechanics in slow motion 1000 frame per second - YouTube

There have been informal studies conducted where the subjects are clocked pitching: with and without wrist braces. Suprisingly, those with wrist braces were not much slower...

FWIW,
Ken
 
Jul 21, 2013
7
0
bogart1091,
I'm hoping the wrist snaps your DD are being taught are not these: WRIST SNAP DRILL - YouTube Otherwise, the next PC will need to help her unlearn, setting her back and you back in $ lost.

Notice that when they demonstrate the drill, the wrist gets cocked back, palm faces down and the elbow is locked? As they execute the drill, the palm faces forward the entire way through the motion. Now scrub forward to the full motion demo at :28 and this "wrist snap" disappears. During the downswing, you see elbow flexed and pointed down and the palm up all the way down until the elbow contacts the side of the torso, then the lower arm whips loosely through with the hand rotating from palm up to palm facing the torso?


FWIW,
Ken


Thanks for the info. I Just asked DD about it and to pitch in slow mo. The same thing happened as in the video, the wrist was never cocked like is done in the drill. I guess I will bring this up at her next session with the PC. Thanks. Like I said have no prior knowledge just learning as she progresses.
 

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