Need Help!!!

What is the best way to break my DD from hooking her back leg after she releases the ball?

 

back leg?? She has front legs?

Her pivot foot? Why do you think it is bad? Is she off balance left or right? Is she pushing at the end with her non-pivot foot?

 

when she's pitching. when she finishes her pitch she looks like a bowler.

 

I'm not sure that's a bad thing...

 

Back Leg

That is a good thing, great actually. If she is balanced on her land/front foot after releasing the ball, and not falling over to the right or left leave her alone. I am saying all this assuming her land/front foot is at a 45 degree angle across the power line, not at 90 degrees. If her foot is completely sideways (90 degrees)then that needs to be fixed and the hook will compliment her balance.

That movement / hook with the drag foot is counter-balancing and helping her stay on the power line instead of falling to the right or left during release. Best of luck

 

....thats funny.

Fish

 

Like others here . . .

I'm not sure its a bad thing. It is bad if she finishes low like bowler. Staying tall is a critical element to sound mechanics. If she's staying tall, balanced and closing her hips behind her pitches then it's probably OK. If she's finishing low and/or not able to 'slam the door shut' behind her pitches then it's problematic.

 

Try this...

when I have a pitcher that exagerates her drag or digs too much with the side of her foot I will put a 1/4 full water bottle just to the right side of the power line (if she is a righty...left for lefty). Place the bottle so that when she strides the bottle is about a foot or foot and a half short of her stride mark and have her follow through with the right foot until she knocks that water bottle over.

I try to get my pitchers to allow their drag foot to come to the heal area of their plant foot so that they stay balanced and their toe or the side of their foot doesn't drag as hard; it has to maintain contact...not dig a ditch. This simple drill helps them visualize the foot coming to a proper position that allows them to be taller, balanced and able to throw all the pitches from the same motion. Have her try it without actually pitching a ball so that she can concentrate on her feet.

 

I have seen a lot of successful pitchers that kick there pivot foot up as you described and coaches teach it different ways. I wouldn't say either technique is wrong, it's just a matter of preference.

With any girl I work with, I stress the fact that as soon as the ball leaves their hand, they are just another infielder, and oh by the way, your the closest infielder to the batter as well.

I prefer for them to follow through by dragging the pivot foot forward off the rubber and planting it in a position which will enable you to field a ball hit back to you.

I watch their drag marks on the dirt, and I like to see their marks create the shape of a banana. Starting at the rubber on or near the power line (depending on what pitch they are throwing) with a slight bow through the drag and the pivot foot should end up planted to the right of the power line (if they are a righty). At that point, they are in a nice athletic position ready to make a play.

If they are kicking and off balance, I explain and show them the banana I'm looking for in the dirt, then have them focus on trying to create the banana. Having them check their drag marks after every pitch.

Not to say this is the only way, but I've had pretty good luck with it.

 

Hope this doesn't offend anyone

I have sat here and watched the responses to this thread, and except for DukeDog, no one that has commented in this thread, has a clue what is truly the mechanics that effect success as a pitcher in this sport.

If you are teaching a kid to drag her push foot on the side so they end in a figure 4 position behind her, then you might as well attach a parachute to her waist, because she is never gonna throw hard. She will never reach her potential.

If you look at any top level pitcher ( Fernandez, M Smith, Finch, Osterman)
they all explode off the push, and drive their hip closed at release.
Some of them end in a figure 4, but after the ball is gone.

Pivoting open and dragging a banana peel, with a kick out, REDUCES SPEED.

Lower body mechanics for throwing a ball overhand or underhand are the same. You stride, You Push, You Close......

I dare someone to tell me they teach a kid to drag and kick out behind their stride foot when throwing overhand.

This thread is read by allot of people.... half of them kids trying learn something....

There is allot of good information disseminated by the patrons and posters of this board, but there is also allot of bad information. The original poster asked for advice on how to stop his DD from hooking her stride foot.
They knew enough that it was not correct. guess what, they were right, it's not!