Are You Addressing the Real Issue?

We see a constant barrage of tools, tricks, and videos that deal with symptoms, but few deal with the real problems. Let me give you an example. This week I was working with a kid from another part of the country and I noticed the front foot landed heel-first.

When that happens, it causes the landing knee to crumble slightly, taking away a lot of resistance. If she lands on the ball of the foot, several tendons stretch and recover causing a bouncing effect, which helps the back leg come forward quickly and eliminates a host of problems. So we want that correct landing on the ball of the foot!
In order to get a quick reaction, I simply selected a small gravel from the parking lot, had her remove the shoe, and put the gravel between her sock and heel. Immediately the landing was corrected as she fired forward onto the ball of the foot in order to avoid pain. Had we fixed the real problem? Not at all, but we helped her become aware of it so she could move forward with confidence. Before you can fix a problem, you have to go back and find the actual cause. The gravel showed her the final goal.
So, what was causing her to land so heavily? Well, she was launching forward with the front leg, but leaving the back leg behind. That caused her to land heavily on the entire foot. So, that’s the cause, right? Back foot is lagging and lazy? Someone who did not understand the biomechanics of a pitch would just attach a band to the ankles to try to keep the legs together. Not very original and definitely not very smart. If her push is soft, the back leg gets stranded, so with a band attached she will just shorten the stride to try to avoid fighting the band, and be just as tentative with the push. So, what else could cause the issue? This is where things get exciting. At the risk of boring you with details, let me say that you are still three stages from getting to the real cause of the entire issue. Once the kid actually got to the final stage it was a “lightbulb” moment and she fixed the entire sequence easily.
This is why we love our job and our group. One of the exciting things about our organization is that we have 60 of the best minds in softball pitching, mostly former college pitchers, with one goal in mind: to change pitching in America. The group includes Strength Trainers with advanced degrees, a Doctorate in Physical Therapy, a Sports Psychotherapist, a nurse who specializes in movement, education specialists, and a whole lot of people committed to doing an amazing job with each and every student. The research is ongoing, the results are pretty amazing, and the techniques are next generation.
And, we are just getting started. If you are a former college pitcher, we are looking for people who can contribute to our group and help us take it higher, faster, further. So, come join us. See our website for details on the kind of people we seek. Experience is huge with us. Then, contact Denny for more information.