Thoughts, ideas, tips, and general musings on the game of fastpitch softball.
Leaning into the drop ball
This entry was posted on Sunday, November 25, 2007 1:07 AM and is filed under Pitching.
One of the adjustments normally recommended for throwing a drop ball is to shorten the stride so you can lean out over the front of it. This sets up a somewhat downhill angle that helps get the ball to break downward. There are certainly those who say you shouldn't change the stride length or body angle when throwing different pitches, but the truth is for most of the world these small adjustments make it possible to get the proper movement.
Getting the proper lean, however, is tougher than it might seem. Often times instead of leaning out the pitcher will bend at the waist. She feels like she is forward and over the front foot, but really her weight is more centered. A cue I've found that works is to tell the pitcher to look down at her T-shirt. If there's something written on it, tell her to get the first word or words out over her front foot.
The effect is to help her get her upper chest out over the front. If she does that it will set up the proper angle. Then (if she hits the release point) she will be able to get the sharp downward break.
Ken Krause has been coaching girls fastpitch softball for 12 years. Some may know him as a contributing columnist to Softball Magazine, where he writes Krause's Korner -- a regular
column sponsored by Louisville Slugger. Ken is also the editor of Marc Dagenais' "No BS Softball Performance Newsletter." He is currently a One Star Master Coach with the National Fastpitch Coaches
Association (NFCA), and is certified by both the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) and American Sports Education Program (ASEP). Ken coaches the Mundelein Thunder 16U team and is a private
instructor specializing in pitchers, hitters, and catchers. He teaches out of Grand Slam USA in Spring Grove, IL and is Head Softball Pitching Instructor at North Shore Baseball Academy in
Libertyville, IL.
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