Increase pitching velocity, reduce arm stress, shorten the hitter’s reaction time… all by more effectively using leg drive!
But how?
When I give pitching lessons to young pitchers including 8-year-olds or 10-year-olds or even some 12-year-olds it is not always easy to simplify certain parts of the explosive pitching motion into words that young pitchers easily grasp, and I would say that one of the concepts that is the hardest to translate for students is the idea that a lot of pitching speed comes from using their lower half, their legs.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said the phrase “drive out, don’t step out”, but when I look down at their young faces, I can tell in their eyes that they don’t fully understand what I’m saying. And I know for sure as with most other technical learning opportunities for athletes that when they feel it, they understand it. What I mean is: I can say to a youth pitcher, again and again, to “use your legs”, “use your legs”, “use your legs”, but until they feel what I’m trying to communicate they usually don’t actually understand how to do it correctly. Continue reading “Queen of the Hill: Softball Leg Drive Product Review”