Hello All, New to forumn this looks like a great site and am looking forward to receiving help/feedback and contributing to site also. I am the father and coach of a just turned 12u girl. She is a pitcher and we have been working on a lot of things to get her more power andf drive in her pitches. She is a skinny girl so she has to work hard at generating power from her drive/legs. I see these power drive and pro power drives on the market and wonder what anyone can advise on them. The power drive is 200 bucks and the pro power drive is 125 or so and the pro has sides so her foot can be trained to stay straight on rubber instead of turning to early which is what we are working on now. Any help/feedback would be greatly appreciated.
power drive and pro power drive for fastpitch players
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- Aug 20, 2013
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Watching this thread for feedback. I love the super slow motion video on it, but it doesn't really demonstrate how it clicks or offers correction, so I can't figure out how it helps.
We use the Powerdrive and we like it. I use it to help teach and understand the weight transfer to my DD's. If the unit "clicks" before you are pushing and driving off the pitching plate, then the timing of you're weight transfer is off. The unit should "click" at the moment you are bringing your hands and weight through and pushing off the plate to get in your "K" position. When it "clicks" you should be exploding off the plate like a sprinter would do in a starting block.
When you are driving off the plate, try to eliminate a lot of "up" direction...keep your body kind of level and straight down the powerline. You will naturally have a little "up" movement, but you should not be projecting out and up at a 30 or 45 degree angle, like one might throw a javelin. The powerdrive plate is angled up, but you shouldn't use that as a guide for the direction your body should be projectiling, if you did you would be driving out and up at 30-45 degrees (like a javelin)...if that makes any sense at all to you.
I bought it used, so do some looking before you pay full price. It also comes with a password for access to training videos which are good too.
The powerdrive gets a thumbs up from me.
T J
When you are driving off the plate, try to eliminate a lot of "up" direction...keep your body kind of level and straight down the powerline. You will naturally have a little "up" movement, but you should not be projecting out and up at a 30 or 45 degree angle, like one might throw a javelin. The powerdrive plate is angled up, but you shouldn't use that as a guide for the direction your body should be projectiling, if you did you would be driving out and up at 30-45 degrees (like a javelin)...if that makes any sense at all to you.
I bought it used, so do some looking before you pay full price. It also comes with a password for access to training videos which are good too.
The powerdrive gets a thumbs up from me.
T J
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I have not seen the one with the side guides. Keeping your drive foot pointed straight is recommended, so if your DD is struggling with this then the guides might help her. However, there is a pushplate on the market and one you could easily build yourself that helps with this issue. See pic....
Personally I think I would be happier having the two separated.
This thread also has some good stuff on it...
http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-training/15852-homemade-diy-training-aids-2.html
- Jul 26, 2010
- 3,553
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There's been a few threads in the pitching forum on the power drive.
Personally, I find it to be an extremely well made device that serves its intended purpose. That said, I don't recommend a parent buy one for their pitcher. It is a device that makes more sense for a pitching coach or softball organization to own, as it is not something that the pitcher needs to use every day. Also, the pitcher can get many of the same benefits from simply pitching up and down an incline (find a hill). I also recommend working with a track coach in the off season focusing on triple jump, standing long jump, and sprinter starts.
-W
Personally, I find it to be an extremely well made device that serves its intended purpose. That said, I don't recommend a parent buy one for their pitcher. It is a device that makes more sense for a pitching coach or softball organization to own, as it is not something that the pitcher needs to use every day. Also, the pitcher can get many of the same benefits from simply pitching up and down an incline (find a hill). I also recommend working with a track coach in the off season focusing on triple jump, standing long jump, and sprinter starts.
-W
- Feb 7, 2013
- 3,186
- 48
One of the things I love about Boardmember is his excellent observation skills. A while back he discussed what the pivot actually does just prior to the leap. Guess what, most elite pitchers actually turn their pivot foot (in fact that is why it is called a "pivot foot"!) a little bit sideways not straight down the powerline like sprinters do. Sprinters keep their shoulders square to the finish line during and after the push off which helps them get power and speed for running, whereas good pitching mechanics require the immediate opening of the hips and shoulders to get "open" during the leap and stride, which is not the goal of running.
So the question is, do you want to spend hundreds of dollars on a device that keeps the pivot foot straight (like the sprinter blocks in running) or do you want to use a device that allows the foot to pivot like what actually happens during pitching? The second device is something called a "pitching plate" and can be used for free on most softball fields or if you want to splurge can be purchased for about $25
So the question is, do you want to spend hundreds of dollars on a device that keeps the pivot foot straight (like the sprinter blocks in running) or do you want to use a device that allows the foot to pivot like what actually happens during pitching? The second device is something called a "pitching plate" and can be used for free on most softball fields or if you want to splurge can be purchased for about $25
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Thansk I have seen others in past recomend the hill can you advise what that is actually going to do for my daughter and her pitching mechanics? I hve a few on my land so could deem useful. Tks!
- Jul 26, 2010
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Have her pitch as she usually would at first up a slight incline. Don't worry about where the ball will go. What you are trying to do is get the pitcher to load her hips over her toes. Most kids don't really understand load, and will stick their butt out and put their nose over their toes, without ever actually shifting their weight. Pitching up a hill forces them to shift their weight over the balls over the feet, or they'll fall over backwards.
After this, the pitcher has to get comfortable using gravity to let them "fall" to begin the pitch. Why waste energy when physics is going to do half the work for us? The pitcher wants to put their hips over their toes to the point where they are actually going to "fall" forward, forcing them to take a step to catch themselves. Of course, instead of actually taking a step this is where they begin their push off and stride. Pitching down a slight hill will help them understand how this feels.
For both of these drills, they don't even need a ball necessarily, although some pitchers understand better with a ball in their hand.
A pitching coach on this forum posted a great video demonstrating what you want to happen here. Ignore the kid on the far left. What you don't want is the vid on Carly in the middle. What you do want is the vid of Carly on the right:
Good luck!
-W
After this, the pitcher has to get comfortable using gravity to let them "fall" to begin the pitch. Why waste energy when physics is going to do half the work for us? The pitcher wants to put their hips over their toes to the point where they are actually going to "fall" forward, forcing them to take a step to catch themselves. Of course, instead of actually taking a step this is where they begin their push off and stride. Pitching down a slight hill will help them understand how this feels.
For both of these drills, they don't even need a ball necessarily, although some pitchers understand better with a ball in their hand.
A pitching coach on this forum posted a great video demonstrating what you want to happen here. Ignore the kid on the far left. What you don't want is the vid on Carly in the middle. What you do want is the vid of Carly on the right:
Good luck!
-W
