DD is 12U and has been struggling to not lock her elbow in her windmill as her velocity has gradually increased. Of course the result is less elbow whip, wrist snap and a more across the body follow through. She's completely frustrated, she works on it in her warmup drills but falls back into bad form as she speeds up her pitches.
Has anyone got any tips how to correct or retrain this muscle memory. What we're doing isn't working.
Kerri
Fastpitch Discussions
No ideas or no experts? Oh well.
- AUbie
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Sun May 18, 2008 5:59 am
From 12:00 to aprox 4:30 or 5:00 in her windmill, she should be pulling the elbow down, thus leading with the elbow...this will cause more arm whip and wrist snap...have her practice this first do the K drill or pendulium drill or whatever you want to call it, basically pitching without the windmill motion...then have her practice slowly doing the windmill and at 12:00 make sure she pulls to lead with the elbow...
- 2bucketdad
- Posts: 186
- Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 3:19 pm
- Location: VA
Thanks! That is easy to understand and makes intuitive sense.
Based on your explanation I'm guessing that she's lately been pushing/pulling more with her hand. I keep thinking she's going to try and muscle the pitch and hurt her rotator cuff.
Based on your explanation I'm guessing that she's lately been pushing/pulling more with her hand. I keep thinking she's going to try and muscle the pitch and hurt her rotator cuff.
- AUbie
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Sun May 18, 2008 5:59 am
it is hard for her to generate much arm whip or wrist snap with her elbow locked...her speed should increase pretty dramitically and control should improve by just fixing this...
- 2bucketdad
- Posts: 186
- Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 3:19 pm
- Location: VA
Yup, speed and control are what she's been inconsistent with, especially as she's gotten stronger this year.
I appreciate the help.
I appreciate the help.
- AUbie
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Sun May 18, 2008 5:59 am
No problem, if you have questions and don't want to post just e-mail 2bucketdad@verizon.net
- 2bucketdad
- Posts: 186
- Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 3:19 pm
- Location: VA
I'm not the most qualified here to give pitching advice but I'll take a stab anyway (isn't that what message boards are all about? 
). What I'm posting is basically what I've learned from watching DD's lessons with her pitching coach. Getting her a good pitching coach would be the best bet for your DD as a good coach has seen all the mistakes newbies make and can correct them while explaining the concepts behind them.
The trick is to make something that initially feels as unnatural as possible to a newbie such as the windmill pitch and relate it to a natural part of the game. Can your DD make a good, fundamentally correct overhand throw? If so, the 12 o'clock to 5 o'clock position in the downward portion of the windmill pitch is largely just an upside down overhand throw with the finish being the snap against the hip which one can't do when throwing overhand. At DD's first lesson with her coach, he had her warm up throwing overhand and then told her to freeze in the finish position. Then he told her to slowly stand upright and bring her throwing hand back to the finish position of a windmill pitch explaining the similarities between overhand throwing and windmill pitching.
I say this because to simply tuck in your elbow at the 4 o'clock position may not help your DD understand the concept as to why she should do it. When throwing overhand it's the throwing shoulder that generates the throw and the elbow is simply along for the ride and to help snap it at the finish. The same thing is true with a windmill pitch, the elbow doesn't generate the mechanic it's role is largely to be the hinge for the snap and release. Try alternating K's with overhand throws when you practice w/DD to reinforce this concept.
Good luck to you and your DD, I hope this helps.
Dusty
). What I'm posting is basically what I've learned from watching DD's lessons with her pitching coach. Getting her a good pitching coach would be the best bet for your DD as a good coach has seen all the mistakes newbies make and can correct them while explaining the concepts behind them.The trick is to make something that initially feels as unnatural as possible to a newbie such as the windmill pitch and relate it to a natural part of the game. Can your DD make a good, fundamentally correct overhand throw? If so, the 12 o'clock to 5 o'clock position in the downward portion of the windmill pitch is largely just an upside down overhand throw with the finish being the snap against the hip which one can't do when throwing overhand. At DD's first lesson with her coach, he had her warm up throwing overhand and then told her to freeze in the finish position. Then he told her to slowly stand upright and bring her throwing hand back to the finish position of a windmill pitch explaining the similarities between overhand throwing and windmill pitching.
I say this because to simply tuck in your elbow at the 4 o'clock position may not help your DD understand the concept as to why she should do it. When throwing overhand it's the throwing shoulder that generates the throw and the elbow is simply along for the ride and to help snap it at the finish. The same thing is true with a windmill pitch, the elbow doesn't generate the mechanic it's role is largely to be the hinge for the snap and release. Try alternating K's with overhand throws when you practice w/DD to reinforce this concept.
Good luck to you and your DD, I hope this helps.
Dusty
- dustyshoes
- Posts: 257
- Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2008 8:48 pm
I have yet to find anything better to teach arm whip than throwing LONG TOSS with the SLINGSHOT motion. PM me with your email and I'll send you a video clip.
Keith
Keith
- FPdaddy
- Posts: 83
- Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:19 am
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