catchingcoach said:
[quote author=bohica link=1214853061/0#6 date=1214917065][quote author=catchingcoach link=1214853061/0#2 date=1214868074][quote author=bohica link=1214853061/0#0 date=1214853060]My DD is a catcher(12U) and I would like to know if anyone knows of some drills or exercise to help her with having a stronger throw! She get about one out at 2nd a game but only if the girl get a late start or if the girl isn't that fast. ?Thanks ?
Bohica,
While a getting a stronger arm is important and doing a regular regiment of Long Toss drills can help, I always direct coaches and parents to look at the actual throwing mechanics.
The time that elapses from when the ball hits the catchers glove till it leaves her finger tips is called the release time. Every 1/10 of a second that you reduce the release time is the equivalent of close to a 5 MPH velocity gain.
Just shaving 2/10 of a second yields an equivalent of close to a 10MPH gain.
I see catchers from all over the country and I see more issues related to mechanics hindering throwing performance then actual velocity.
When your daughter throws does she release the ball behind home plate or in front of home plate.?
Let me know that answer first,
The link below will take you to a clip of a 12U catcher using the mechanics I teach to get the ball in the air as fast as possible. She is starting the drill with the ball already in her glove to just work on the throwing mechanics.
http://s115.photobucket.com/albums/.../?action=view&current=Throw-2nd-Front.flv
Coach Weaver
New England Catching Camp
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Thanks Coach for your response, My DD throws from behind the plate. ?I reviewed your video several times. I have never watched her from that view but I know she is lower in the squat and her release doesn't look as high as the girl in the video but she isn't as tall either. ?We try to have her release just above her head but I think that has her with her weight more in front of her instead of behind her. ?We do tell her to use her legs and hips but I think she want to get the ball out quick and just uses her arm.
Thanks to all others that have responded as well. :
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One of the issues I am working with this young lady is to get her to get her weight more evenly balanced between her two sides. She tends to get her weight back too much and that keeps her release a little higher then we want. She is so quick to release and her feet are so efficient, (which is what I really wanted you to see) she is extremely difficult to run on at the 12U level.
If your DD is lower in her crouch that can be a place where she is loosing time. I want the catchers set up so the top of their thighs are parallel to the ground when runners are on base. If they are in a deeper crouch this can cause a delay in the throw as they "stand up".
Also, where is her throwing hand when she is in her runners on stance. If she keeps it behind her back then that is another area where time is lost. As you can see from my clip that with the hand behind the glove all that is needed is to turn the glove towards you and imediately remove the ball from the glove.
This allows a more direct path up and to the back for the throwing arm/hand. When the throwing hand starts out behind the catcher we tend to see the hand swing upwards toward the glove and then back on a downwards path as the catcher gets her arm back to throw. Morelike an outfielder would exchange the ball.
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I went back and looked at the clip several more times and I see what you mean about her feet. Is the what they call a " jab step"? This might be a dumb question but by having her up so high, does that effect the glove position?