Why your DD cant throw 60mph by Coach Charlie Dobbins

Why your DD pitcher can’t throw 60 and whose fault is it…….
I was asked to write this article about the level of pitching currently seen in the State of NC. Please understand that I am a hard and fast believer in right and wrong when it comes to pitching and the mechanics required getting to the elite level. A lot has been said about our great sport and how there is getting more and more parity at the 18U travel ball level. There used to be 3-4 dominate travel ball teams that always seemed to be competing for state titles and regional births. (No need to mention them by name, everyone has a list) That is not the case anymore. Anyone can beat anyone on any given day.
Blame it on 43 feet, tell everyone the hitters are getting better (they are), poor defense, poor coaching (heard that one before)…but true fact is that we are not preparing our pitchers for the next level.
I am gonna breakdown and talk about several specific areas that every young pitcher or parent of a pitcher should read. These thoughts are totally my opinion, formed from 30+ years within the sport, in the circle, and coaching people in the circle. Some of you are gonna laugh, some get mad, and some may tell me to kiss something that is impossible. The proof is in the results, and if you as a pitcher, have hit a ceiling, where the velocity is topped out at under 60 mph, you still struggle with your spins, and your K/BB ratio is not better than 5/1, this might provide some insight as to why.
First of all, there is no difference from the men’s game and women’s game as it relates to mechanics. People that struggle with this do not understand the difference between styles and mechanical absolutes. Jenny Finch and Lisa Fernandez have different pitching styles, but they both have the same mechanical absolutes within those pitching styles. Every great pitcher will develop their own style, but the absolutes MUST be there.
Commitment to Improvement
To compete at the highest level, besides a lot of hard work, you must be able to learn from mistakes and correct them. Understand that it takes time and commitment. Observe and ask questions as to HOW to do certain things and WHY. The pitching circle is the greatest place on earth when you know HOW and WHY. When you don’t, it’s the scariest place ever. Your only chance to get the correct information is from within. You need to learn to coach yourself in the heat of battle. Absolute mental toughness! This is where a lot of kids don’t get it. They don’t work at improving; they work at maintaining their current level, which in a lot of cases is not good enough.


Common Mistakes
1. Bad drills Drills should be used to correct, not teach a specific pitching function. When we teach hitting, we hit. We do drills (tee work, bunt stations, etc) to correct failures within the swing. To teach pitching, we need to throw. Pitching drills produce slow moving, robotic and over-thinking pitchers. They spend time worrying about whether they are doing the drill correctly, instead of moving their bodies explosively towards the plate.


2. Emphasis on wrist snap instead of fingers the wrist snap is the first drill I see so many kids do as they start their warm up process and it does the most damage to their “muscle memory”. Fingers are what turns and shape the ball, but so much emphasis is put on the wrist snap at an early age. It is like the old hitting term, “Squish the Bug”….. It took years to get that out of the mindset and vocabulary of most coaches. This why very few kids these days throw true rise balls. Everything they throw is “forced movement”


3. Strength and Conditioning is over emphasized Pitching velocity and control is about improving mechanics from the mound. I focus on 75% mechanics and practice, and 25% conditioning. Clinics that do not focus on mechanics and video evaluation will not help a kid improve their overall pitching performance.


4. Arm strength vs Core movement an instructor that emphasizing the development of additional arm strength should be a red flag. Arm strength is only a small component of the process as it related to velocity improvement. The latest sports science research has proven that velocity comes from momentum and speed of movement of the pitchers entire body from the rubber down the mound. These studies actually prove that pitching velocity is created before the arm starts to move into acceleration. Velocity is created by putting as many muscles of the body into a fully stretched position quickly as the pitcher moves from the rubber to landing. Stride should be 100% of the pitcher’s height. A slow body creates a slow arm and a short stride.


5. Velocity improvement velocity is produced before the arm starts to move toward the plate. This means that when the pitchers front foot lands, she cannot produce more force. All she can do is transfer the forces from her lower body to her core area which them whips the arm through. Other key is holding on to the ball as long as you can. Releasing the ball early within the motion, does not allow for proper sequencing of all components. To throw with maximum velocity pitchers must throw as late as possible in their delivery. This gets more energy to the ball later, thus more speed.


Pitching Coaches: This is a very delicate subject, and I am gonna speak in very general terms. Our sport has created wonderful opportunities for our girls, but unfortunately there is a dark side. I am gonna use a term coined by a friend of mine. His name is Bill Hillhouse and he is a member of the USA Men’s National team. (Yes, there is a men’s national fastpitch team)
He has coined the phrase, Pitching Coach Mafia…or PCM for short. It is a name he uses for people who know absolutely nothing about pitching, act like they know everything and proclaim to be experts. Would you have someone teach your daughter to drive a car that doesn’t have a license? This is the biggest problem in softball right, and the cause of allot of heart break and the main reason for the lack of pitching development and the increase of injuries. Kids are very visual learners... if your pitching coach can’t throw the pitch, how can they teach it? You are paying good money for this instruction. Demand value!!!


Check list for finding an instructor:
1. Teaches a simple approach, where proper mechanics are taught first and emphasized.
2. Understands that velocity is not a strength issue, but momentum and speed of movement issue into the stride.
3. Teaches ball rotation on a breaking pitch, not forced movement.
4. Emphasizes lower body mechanics to produce energy for arm speed.
5. Utilizes video to evaluate
6. Uses common sense as it relates teaching and injury prevention
7. Teaches and emphasizes 3 pitches (Rise, Drop, change-up) everything else is a variation of these three.
8. They must have the ability to demonstrate the pitch. Adds instant credibility...

Hopefully, this will generate some discussion as it relates to our sport and specifically, the development of our pitchers. Mechanics are the first set of absolutes in the development of pitchers. You are never gonna throw a correct rise ball spin (for example), if your mechanics are wrong. Velocity is gonna top out at 58-60 if you don’t emphasis your lower body mechanics to produce the energy needed. These are just a few of the issues that impact the development of our pitching DD’s.

Understand, I am talking about players that want to get to the highest level. Very few will achieve that, even ones with good work ethic, great support, and instruction….
So whose fault is it….or is anybody at fault.

I sure some / many of you will question or disagree with me as it relates to what your specific DD is doing or what her pitching coach is teaching. Bottom line is results. Love to hear your thoughts, questions.
This is what this board is for… Play nice…

 

most know that this is a deep subject for me. i cant teach pitching, I'm not an expert, but with my dd throwing all those years, i know poor mechanics when i see them.

two of my favorite questions to parents whose daughters are taking lessons are: "can your instructor throw the pitch they are trying to teach?" and "where did your instructor learn to pitch?"

it has become a "cash cow" for quite a few people. In the last two or three years, i've witnessed knee injuries, elbow and shoulder injuries and wrist injuries all from what i believe are poorly taught mechanics.

in the last tournament i watched, i saw a girl trying to throw from 43' with no leg drive, saw one who's lead foot was a good 20" off of her power line to the left (knee injury coming her way) while throwing a fast ball, and more elbows flying than a room full of women at a belks sale.

in my opinion, if your dd has wrist, shoulder, elbow or knee pain after throwing the ball, you might want to look for the cause or find someone who can tell you whats wrong, because after we corrected the poor mechanical problems my dd had been taught, she experience none of these in her last three years of pitching.

jmho and i hope i dont get jumped on too much.

 

good point