But once you get the basics, it will give your pitching game an edge. To up the intensity, add weight to your arms or speed up each set of 10. Keep your arm relaxed and far from your body. Throw to the catcher, staying in the open position through the entire throw. With 99% of your attention devoted to catching the ball and not getting hit,it is very hard to try and focus on the pitchers feet to see exactly whereshe is on the power line. These pitches are not thrown from the pitching stance. Pitching when you are hurt will only make your injury worse.7. Sports performance training is the physical and mental process of working toward specific athletic, performance or fitness goals through a regimented program. The Power Push will prevent leaping as it reinforces getting the heel up and pointing the toe down. Next, larger and smaller circles (15 secs each). TAKE AIM WITH YOUR GLOVEMany coaches and players overlook the importance the glove hand plays in the ability to control the ball when pitching. Continue moving back and increasing the arc of the pitch until you cannot get it across the plate anymore. Do 5-10 riseballs, peel drops, and roll drops.4. Having a thin and bright colored power line behind the pitcher will give youan exact reference point and you will see exactly where the stride footcomes down in relationship to the power line and any inconsistencies withthe feet. Note: Your younger girls are not going to be . Slowly lower the leg, maintaining the same distance between it and the leading foot. Every now and then, the pitchers hit Mickey on purpose. Figure out a routine for yourself to follow for practice and games. Put a pile of single sheet newspapers in an area you would normally walk by the most times during the day. I find that many young pitchers have their weight too far forward, even bending at the waist on delivery. #2. So if you were a .500 hitter before, now you are a .500 hitter with two strikes on you and, by being patient and pickier, you are a better hitter with one strike and a much better hitter with on strikes. Set-up: make a starting point by measuring six of your own foot lengths and mark the distance. Dont mean to nit-pick, but is she leaning at release, or after release? In order to do this drill, the pitcher should be throwing at maybe 75%. Move both shoulders in circles: one clockwise, one counter-clockwise. Place a runner and a fielder both on third base. In this guide, well look at some warm-up drills for softball pitchers. Unfortunately, many pitchers make two common mistakes that limit the speed and velocity of their pitches. Start with a full wind-up, then switch to a, Take two steps forward and release the ball. Find drills on hitting, pitching, defense, as well as drills for catchers. These drills were taken from an article written by Duffy ONeill, Pitching Coach of the Ohio Emeralds. A lot of pitchers get lazy, overlooking this mechanic, and then wonder what happened to their control. Otherwise you just might be waving goodbye to the ball as it leaves the park. Each time, roll through the shoulders, hips, elbows and wrists. You should be able to catch the returning ball without stepping left or right. A: It is recommended to practice softball pitching drills at least three times a week. This exercise will help improve stability, posture, and balance while pitching. Core strength drills are crafted to help pitchers increase power, accuracy, and speed. See how they can boost your playing skills! This is the kind of exercise that you hardly notice doing after awhile. While you are doing this, notice what it does to your forearm. Measure your distance and next workout, try to beat the mark. This way you give yourself a better chance for success even if the pitch you choose to swing at is not necessarily a good one. Swing arms from side to side. Bend at the hips and knees to push off the mound like you would push off to sprint or steal a base. Whether you want to add power to your swing, speed on the basepaths or explosiveness in the outfield, youll need to start with lower body and core workouts designed specifically for baseball players. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and do an exaggerated windmill motion with your arms. You cannot deliver a quality pitch if you are tense.2. SQUEEZERI have been pitching mens fastpitch now for almost 20 years. The forefinger (the middle one) will be along the seam and the index finger under the forefinger ( basically the same grip as the rise). To do this drill, stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Point one arm out in front. Make sure you are using the correct form when throwing and practice frequently to build muscle memory and accuracy. These pitches are not thrown from the pitching stance. 2023 Softball-Spot.com. Softball Pitching Need some drills or suggestions for 12yo DD BradB41 May 13, 2012 Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web. Then in this position throw a minimum of 30 full-blast fastballs. If she is not willing to sacrifice this time and effort, find another pitcher. Through STACK, youll find the explosive workouts, conditioning and full-body strength training you need to get bigger, faster and stronger on the lacrosse field. Check out these 3 killer softball pitching drills for accuracy that we have compiled! I hold my glove at a certain location and the pitch has to hit it without moving the glove. Put your palms on the ground and bend your knees at 90 degrees. PITCHING HOOK KICKI was having a hard time breaking a bad habit of HOOK sliding the trailing foot on my 10 year old pitcher (who happens to be my daughter). When done correctly, each pitcher can throw 50 pitches in a very short time. Do not let pride stand in the way of producing a Great Athlete. If they hit these locations in the 10 pitches or less, they are done, if not, they must go to the end of the line and try again. Windmill drills help with key fundamentals like using core muscles, arm motion follow-through and form. Practice slowly to embed the mechanics into muscle memory. They allow for your body to finish the motion. She hates them!!! Put your weight on the inside balls of your feet. Ueno might have one of the best motions, best mechanics. PITCHER INJURIESInjuries are part of the game, but in a pitcher they are nevitable. Then move back to the last sucessful toss and toss 3 more. Then I have them move in ten foot increments back until they are throwing from as far back as 60 feet. USING THE POWER LINE FOR FINE TUNINGIf you are working with a pitcher and you are the one catching for her, itstough to see exactly what is going on with the stride foot when it touchesdown. Assistant Coach Sara Griffin, was working with the pitchers and she had them do a drill that I thought was really good. The glove allows the pitcher to grip the ball and, with some decrease in stride. I use an inflatable toy in pitching practice a lot. Take deep breaths and relax your muscles. I told her all the technical stuff on power and control but she kept doing that old bowlers hook kick during her delivery. Stretch your thumb back so it is in line with your middle finger. Try these drills to help learn change-up mechanics: Perfecting your softball pitching motion? This is the position your body is in when you have taken your stride toward the plate, your glove hand is pointing toward the target and your ball hand is at its highest point. It is OK to take a strike; hitting the pitch just because it is a strike lowers your chances of getting a hit because the pitch was not what you were looking for. In the normal delivery, the hands separate and the ball hand moves back and up in a rocker motion. The pitcher should fall back along the straight line of force. The majority of control problems I see are directly related to 2 areas. Maintain good posture, no bending at waist or bottom out in back foot during kick. I find that combining the short and long distances works on two things at the same timearm stength (speed) and accuracy. TEMPOI like to start each pitching practice with the players playing the 3-ball game. As I coach younger girls, I used 1 1/2 finishing nails and used every other seam (84 nails). Judge the stride length of your pitcher and you can extend that section ofthe line closer to the rubber than 10 feet but make sure it does not get soclose she lands on it or gets her feet caught up in it. The reason for this is that the pitcher is not waiting for a ball to be thrown to her. Thanks to Duffy ONeill for the article and the tips. There are two ways to avoid doing this. 33.5K subscribers Former Texas A&M softball player and two-time All American Amanda Scarborough talks about the 3/4 pitching drill. This [tag]softball drill [/tag] helps pitchers realize the importance of staying balanced and in line upon release of the pitch. There is a lotof room for error. Set up your top rope approximately 25 inches off the ground, and a second rope 6 inches lower. Follow-through drills will help! Then I have them move in ten foot increments back until they are throwing from as far back as 60 feet. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. While you are doing this, notice what it does to your forearm. After that, we do one I call Reach For The Sky. Drop elbows and deepen circle radius, doing this periodically during practice. Rewind the tape and watch it a few more times and you might also discoverthe pitcher leaning at the waist to the opposite side of the power line totry and compensate for the error and still hit reasonably close to thetarget. -I then stretch the twine taught to the nail in front of 2nd base and tie itoff there. The front upper arm should be close to the chest, with the elbow bent outward. Youll find the basketball workouts and drills youre looking for to take your game to the next level. (The percentage is not accurate but I will use this as an estimate for arguments sake). This emphasises the full arm extension. WEIGHT BACKWe do a lot of drill work, along with pitching. The only true way to get accuracy is to have the pitcher throw pitches, pitches and more pitches. Proper pitching technique and core strength are must-haves for mastering softball pitching. Finally we put the whole thing together and throw 8 balls incorporating all the drills above. You still have one more strike coming. It will take a while to get the accuracy down. What I enjoy most about the sport is that its so versatile there are endless possibilities when it comes to tactics and game-play. Learn best practices from athletes who have achieved success and the experts who have helped them. They will have to depend on watching the ball travel from the pitchers hand to determine exactly how fast it iscoming. Try this drill to improve follow-through accuracy and smoothness: Pitching practice done? It helps secure the idea in their memory and their accuracy improves immediately. MOVEMENTTo work on movement pitches, I have my pitchers stand in a line a short distance from me in a power position (stride taken) and softly toss the ball using the proper rotation for peel drop, roll drop, and rise ball. For added resistance, hold a weight or medicine ball in front of your chest. Hold the position for 30-60 seconds or as long as you can keep the form. I have been pitching mens fastpitch now for almost 20 years. Try very hard not to walk her.2. If you want to become a better football player, regardless of your position, youll need to develop a high level of conditioning. Repeat this ten times. 173 Likes, TikTok video from @elitesoftballpitching (@elitesoftballpitching): "Softball pitching drill to help stay tall @elitesoftballtraining #Totinos425 #softballpitchers #fastpitchsoftball #pitchingcoach #softballmomma #howtopitchsoftball #softballdad". Learn how elite athletes supercharge their performance by following scientifically-supported nutrition strategies. Have the pitcher throw her fast ball, the pitch she throws with her fast ball grip. The motion of the hands going forward as the stride is being taken helps move the body forward and helps elongate the stride, but the important job here is the aiming. . Try not to play slow stuff because that tends to slow down your workout pace. You want the distance to be where the ball may or would be hit by the batter, about 1 foot in front of the plate. Squash the Bug and Other Softball Batting Tips That Dont Work, Fastpitch Softball Pitching Tips for Beginners, Fun Basketball Drills That Improve Court Skills, The New Procedure Thats Revolutionizing ACL Surgery and Recovery, The Responsibilities of Parents in College Athletics Recruiting. To power workouts and games, and to ensure a strong recovery, elite athletes take care to eat properly and to hydrate before, during and after workouts and competitions. If running is not your thing then you can ride a bike, kick box, aerobics or swim doing these for 30 minutes to one hour. All Rights Reserved. Most have their weight back and, when throwing a rise, almost falling or stepping back. I went back and viewed old game tapes, Michele Smith, Susie Parra and other instructional tapes. This is the most important aspect of throwing a breaking pitch. Find a concrete or foundation brick wall (preferably with no windows). After 10 to 15 pitches from this distance, we move back to about 25 feet and throw at about 50% speed. Everyone waits for you. cvsoftball said: I have spoken to a lot of coaches who have had players experience this injury. In some situations, athletes gain an edge with prescribed use of safe supplements. The reason for this is that the pitcher is not waiting for a ball to be thrown to her. And often, if they do get a hold of one, its nothing more than a foul ball. These drills will increase muscle memory and create consistency. I have my pitchers pitch from approximately 20 feet, 10 balls. From what I have seen, most outs in the course of a ball game are due to swinging at the wrong pitch. Now, with two strikes, you must hit anything that is a strike, but dont panic, look at it this way in the past you were swinging at this pitch on the first strike. 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The following speed drill also works for accuracy, while building arm strength. The release of the ball is incorrect due to the pitcher working on the riseball, (that is another discussion for another time), and the pitcher not using her glove to aim at the target. Try this drill. It will increase forearm strength also. To be a successful pitcher, you must take thatadvantage away form the batters. PITCHERS WALLOne of the drills that I have the pitchers do is: Stand next to a wall, approximately 4 to 6 inches away, feet angled at a 45 degree, then go through the motion of either slingshot or windmill. The following 30-day challenge will correct these issues and help you generate more power and spin on your pitches. Check out STACKs workouts and drills tailored specifically for hockey players. Lastly try side planks with single arm reaches and oblique twists for further multiplanar movement development. Extreme Catch. Next, measure the distance from the wall to the point of what would be the regulation throwing distance for the pitchers level of play, then subtract two feet. Looking for more awesome softball pitching drils? Your pinky can be tucked or lightly resting on the side but not actually gripping the ball. I like to start each pitching practice with the players playing the 3-ball game. This will impart some incredible rotation to the ball and will create remarkable movement. In addition to STACKs wrestling workouts, we also provide plenty of nutrition advice to help wrestlers make and maintain weight throughout their training. Windmill drills are great for arm strength, technique and pitching velocity. Keep momentum going and, Grab a batting tee and place it near home plate, about. Repeat this activity, but each time, the coach moves a distance farther from the pitcher. I place a stripe right down the middle of the ball and use them in close rotational work to insure the proper rotation is being imparted to the ball. During this drill, the player snaps her wrist as quickly and violently as possible. Keep a steady tempo, doing 10-15 reps. Take a few moments to stretch your arms, shoulders, pecs and traps. I recently attended a clinic at Arizona State University that Linda Wells and her staff put on specifically for our team. 2a) Same as 2, but from a pitching motion. Shoulder rolls are essential after softball pitching sessions. I strongly suggest consulting a doctor before installing a weight program for your pitchers. Here are two simple drills we do every day to keep weight back, have a firm front leg, drive the back leg and stay on the line of force (all in one drill). What is the Supplement Inositol and What are its Benefits? I have the pitchers throw 8-10 of these weighted balls into a net,concentrating on the spin of the ball, then move to 40 feet and throw the movement pitches. During batting practice, you will swing at hundreds of pitches, as opposed to the four that you swing at in a game. Basketball is a fast-paced sport that requires explosive strength, top speed, agility and fine-tuned on-court skills. Research shows that to significantly improve sports performance, overall athleticism and physical ability, athletes must complete training sessions in addition to playing their sport. No shifting forward or backward. Throughout, keep eyes focused on a target ahead. Extend your glove side leg while dragging the toe of your throwing side leg. Her landing might not be off by much and she might not be leaningmuch to compensate for it, maybe not enough to be evident from 40 feet awaywhen you are concentrating on catching the ball. Sequence the riseball mechanics and locate the position when the wrist turns over. Arm circles Arm circles are []. You are around 40 feet or so away and, lets face it, you have a ballcoming at your nose at 45 to 60mph. Once she can do this and come pretty close to the correct speed/line, she is ready to try it on the batters. I leave the twine lying on the dirt in that straight line. Once warmed, work on locations. 3 KEYS TO PITCHINGThe secret to an effective softball career is muscle memory, which is obtained with the constant repetition of proper mechanics used in playing the game. Have the pitcher throw at the top half of the zone at 100 percent full speed. Imagine a line from your feet to home plate. Running 20 to 30 minutes three times a week will help to build a strong mind and body. You cannot have your pitcher throwing pitches that cause damage to her arm or elbow. HAVE FUN! They help stabilize pitching motion and focus on refining technique. Measure off the same distance you use at your level of play, from the pitchers rubber to home plate, then subtract 2 feet. After all, most pitchers in NCAA D-III are very successful without a rise ball (though this is changing). Once we have maxed out the comfortable accurate distance for the drill, I have them move to the rubber, and throw 20-50 hard pitches. Ok that was a bit harsh. When a pitcher is experiencing soreness or pain stop immediately! Register Log in 1 2 3 Next May 13, 2012 #1 B BradB41 May 31, 2011 129 16 My DD made some dramatic progress this past off season. Read our softball catching skills, drills & training tips to improve techniques and be the star player at the next big game! Note that for this drill, it might be too advanced for some 8U players. Cocking the wrist: Cocking the wrist also takes away power from your pitch it should stay relaxed and neutral. Injuries are part of the game, but in a pitcher they are nevitable. Instead of the ball facing the batter when it is at the hip, the hand should be palm up to the sky and the ball laying in the hand so if you were to stop the motion the ball would stay in the hand. Have someone hold a shield to create resistance. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'softballtutor_com-box-4','ezslot_1',107,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-softballtutor_com-box-4-0');JOES LONG TOSSThe following speed drill also works for accuracy, while building arm strength. In addition to following a healthy diet, athletes must pay particular attention to gaining muscle and losing fat, which together improve athletic performance. It will increase forearm strength also. Result? As an example (R/H pitcher). To do a plank hold, start in a push-up position. They help the body to stay balanced when throwing a pitch. Begin as if you were on the mound with your feet staggered and your throwing arm foot slightly in front. This drill builds proper pitching mechanics and can be used by pitchers of any experience level. Catching Tips - Stance with Ashley Holcombe of USA Softball. Throw 5 change-ups, then throw fastball-change, fastball-change. A Power Push can help greatly to assist with correcting foot position. If she is not willing to sacrifice this time and effort, find another pitcher. 1a) Same drill, but when the pitcher drives the back knee to the front, she stays there, on balance, until the catcher throws the ball back. I got this game from ASU Head Softball Coach Linda Wells. Log in Find My Team. What I found by this, is that when they do actually pitch, they do not drop their shoulders and make that swooping motion. Take a piece of chalk and draw a strike zone box on the wall. The speed will come as a result of the force, but focusing on speed will actually slow down your movements! For more lacrosse training, nutrition and gear advice from the nations top coaches and players, see our lacrosse training videos. FOREARM STRENGTHHeres a tip a coach told me about quite a number of years ago. A lot of pitchers throw very good floaters that are tough to hit, but why not have one the RIPS?? Members online 6 Guests online 124 Total . To become a successful pitcher you must practice at least every other day. Now have the pitcherreturn to the 100 percent mark and throw from there. Enough said here!! If the line looks solid, the rotation is probably correct. If it crosses the plate, move back 5 feet and toss another one. Two myfavorites came to me from Doug Gillis, US National Mens team member. Now measure the distance between the 40 percent mark and the 100 percent mark. But I digress. In addition, many dont use their back leg by driving it forward. Latest sports news, for all pro sports, college sports, high school sports, and more. This starter program should go for 5 to 6 months for maximum results and convert to sprint training during season. If so, stop and reset. The right knee stays on the ground. The same body parts used in pitching are engaged when throwing a medicine ball: hips, chest, arms, and shoulders. Do 5-10 reps each way: forwards, backwards and side-to-side. Here are two simple drills we do every day to keep weight back, have a firm front leg, drive the back leg and stay on the line of force (all in one drill). If you are working with a pitcher and you are the one catching for her, itstough to see exactly what is going on with the stride foot when it touchesdown. Finally I give the pitchers 10 pitches to hit 8 spots. The intent is for pitchers to transfer the importance of that direct step and balance when they pitch from the pitching rubber. One of my favorite ways to beat a big hitter is to throw hard and at the hands with inside pitches. Raise the leg in a fluid motion, as if in an actual pitch, until parallel to the ground.
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