kmrobins03 Posted July 9, 2009 Posted July 9, 2009 I have a couple of new rifle members who have horrible pitch when tossing. Their dips are fine, but when they release they twist their left shoulder forward and lift their left arm far away from their body. How can I help them correct this? I have tried telling them: - to pretend they are tossing to someone behind them - to stand with their back next to a wall (to keep their shoulders flat) - to try skimming their left arm close to their body None of these things are resonating.. Does anyone have any other suggestions? Thanks! Quote
ATXguard Posted July 9, 2009 Posted July 9, 2009 (edited) First - figure out why the problem occurs. It sounds to me like two possibilities 1) They are SCARED of tosses so they throw the rifles away from their bodies 2) They are trying to power out the toss by using the toss hand rather than the push hand, so they feel the need to dip the shoulder to try to get the toss higher. the pitch problem comes in when they try to compensate by pulling (or pushing) the palm/wrist to adjust for pushing the rifle forward when they toss. How to solve this? Work technique with lower tosses-- singles, doubles. If they are doing the shoulder thing with these smaller tosses, then there are other issues to address. (In this case it's most likely fear of tossing the rifle-- or catching it after a toss.) Tell them to do a "hi mom" not a "heil hitler" when they release. Hand goes up following the line of the hip/shoulder and ear (or face)--dependent on the technique you teach--and not forward. Have them FACE THE WALL to toss (two or three steps from the wall). Who wants to toss a rifle into a wall and have it come bouncing back at them? Reduce the interval between the performer and the wall as they get more comfortable. If your school allows it - have them do pushups (or laps, crunches, etc.) when they toss incorrectly. Reward them when they do it the right way (popsicles, praise, etc.)-- everyone in the line needs to participate in either case, though! These are just a few simple steps that have worked for me. I'm sure there are tons of other suggestions. Edited July 9, 2009 by ATXguard Quote
kmrobins03 Posted July 9, 2009 Author Posted July 9, 2009 Thanks for the tips. I will try them out tonight. Quote
HornsUp Posted July 9, 2009 Posted July 9, 2009 I have a couple of new rifle members who have horrible pitch when tossing. Are their rifles pitched in G, or Bb ??? Quote
Musical_Spinner Posted July 9, 2009 Posted July 9, 2009 Check their foot alignment as well. If their feet are not even with each other (if tossing from second) then the pitch will be bad no matter what the dip looks like. Also check to see if the right arm is pushing down (and through) the butt of the rifle. The right arm plays a crucial role in getting the rotation correct and getting the toss out cleanly. If they follow through then there will be no need to try and get extra OOMPH by torquing or rotating the left shoulder like many young people tend to do. Quote
byline Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 Tell them to do a "hi mom" not a "heil hitler" when they release. Hand goes up following the line of the hip/shoulder and ear (or face)--dependent on the technique you teach--and not forward. Great advice. Wish I'd known this trick back when I was teaching. It would've solved a lotta problems! Quote
G-horns Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 Are their rifles pitched in G, or Bb ??? LMAO Quote
kmrobins03 Posted July 21, 2009 Author Posted July 21, 2009 Any luck? Yes. Thanks for the tips. Now, rifles do all of their basics (spins, tosses, ect..) next to a wall. That has helped a lot! Quote
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