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. They loosen the shoulder and get the blood flowing. Push through with elbow joint until full extension is achieved and snap your wrist down for whip action. 5 Things Every Parent Should Know Before Their Child Joins a Sport. Spread feet apart in an athletic stance. Partner drills can also help. Imagine a line from your feet to home plate. I will use a roll of bright colored construction twine and stretch ittightly from that nail at the back tip of home plate, to the front of 2ndbase. Maintain good posture, no bending at waist or bottom out in back foot during kick. In some situations, athletes gain an edge with prescribed use of safe supplements. In most cases, the pitchers are merely sliding their hand under the ball to give the proper rotation for the riseball, however, if you want a riseball that RIPS, try this. Windmill drills help with key fundamentals like using core muscles, arm motion follow-through and form. You dont need a catcher, a coach or even a softball park to practice your pitching. Make sure you are using the correct form when throwing and practice frequently to build muscle memory and accuracy. Place your mitt in a position where you can conceal your pitch signals. Have the pitcher throw the same pitch several times and focus only on thelegs and especially the feet. Then have her throw to the different lines on command. Of course he was right, and I knew that intuitively. Softball Practice Drills for High School + College Players | Academy A Power Push can help greatly to assist with correcting foot position. 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. Mark that spot. Do 5-10 reps each way: forwards, backwards and side-to-side. Practice slowly to embed the mechanics into muscle memory. The results have been remarkable!! Again, the 100 percent distance will be accurate, the others are estimated distances. Softball Pitching Drills - Hands-on Guide - International Softball Forcing them to do that reduces the amount of time they have available to around 40 percent of normal. I feel that every pitcher has to do some sort of weight training to increase her speed. While it can do these things, the main job of the glove in pitching is to aim the ball. Here are some drills you can use: High-leg kick drills are key for any softball pitcher. Give them a go! This stretches shoulder muscles and helps them move freely when you throw. Drop elbows and deepen circle radius, doing this periodically during practice. What's a good drill to teach young pitchers to stay tall after a pitch/release, DD started to lean after pitch was released, she wasn't doing it now she's starting to . The reason for this is that the pitcher is not waiting for a ball to be thrown to her. Now with one strike, your zone should expand a bit. CURVEBALLAs far as drills for a curve the most useful is having the pitcher throw from the slingshot position. Dont mean to nit-pick, but is she leaning at release, or after release? The Power Push will prevent leaping as it reinforces getting the heel up and pointing the toe down. Too much weight transfer will mean not enough force behind the pitch, making accuracy suffer. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Weight should be directed towards the power line, as this will help with accuracy. Extreme Catch. They loosen up the shoulder area and strengthen small muscles with precise movements. Members online 6 Guests online 124 Total . The only way for her to do so is to properly drag her toe through the delivery. When done correctly, each pitcher can throw 50 pitches in a very short time. If you cannot locate the problem, ask one of your assistant coaches to watch or take your pitcher to another coach. Next, take three to four giant steps back, mark your next line, do your 10 from there. As Doug worded it to me when I first worked with him, think about most really good pitchers youve seen. I have to remind my pitchers who are just now learning how to throw a rise ball, that the lower body mechanics for a rise ball should not be carried over to a fast ball. Well-rounded programs also include Sports Psychology training. #6. It will not take long for her to figure this out, as she will catch on to this quickly. Find drills on hitting, pitching, defense, as well as drills for catchers. Try this drill to improve follow-through accuracy and smoothness: Pitching practice done? Maximize your performance with workouts, drills and advice from coaches and athletes from some of the top college wrestling programs in the nation in our wrestling training video library. These can be long toss, speed circles, triple-arm circles, etc. I recently had the privilege of trying out a really cool pitching tool called the Queen of the Hill! It will increase forearm strength also. Pitching when you are hurt will only make your injury worse.7. The front upper arm should be close to the chest, with the elbow bent outward. Then you will do the windmill motion. HAVE FUN! Im a keen athlete myself; I like to train regularly and spend time socialising outside of softball too. In addition, many dont use their back leg by driving it forward. This will impart some incredible rotation to the ball and will create remarkable movement. These pitches are not thrown from the pitching stance. If the line wavers or is non-existant, the rotation is incorrect and more rotational work is needed. I have my pitchers pitch from approximately 20 feet, 10 balls. Train for wrestling with workouts that provide the explosive strength and power you need to take down an opponent. If you do have a video camera, also try to get shots from the left, rightand front views too. Keep your arm relaxed and far from your body. Measure your distance and next workout, try to beat the mark. 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. I am certain it will work for other pitches also. Whats a good drill to teach young pitchers to stay tall after a pitch/release, DD started to lean after pitch was released, she wasnt doing it now shes starting to . Batters rely and depend on timing the pitchers motions to make that big decision when to pull the trigger and start their swing. Learn how to execute them precisely: Balance drills are must-have for any softball pitcher. Spin and velocity are the lifeblood of a softball pitcher. Then I have them move in ten foot increments back until they are throwing from as far back as 60 feet. Register Log in 1 Nov 10, 2020 #11 S Stxdad Jun 24, 2019 162 28 So that's her style of finishing the pitch ? **Pro tip**: Coordinate arm circles while hopping on one foot or both feet this enhances coordination between arms/legs when producing power. For this drill, the pitcher should only throw to the top half of the zone. Do warm-up drills for softball pitching. Start with a full wind-up, then switch to a, Take two steps forward and release the ball. In this guide, well look at some warm-up drills for softball pitchers. After that, we do one I call Reach For The Sky. Each time, roll through the shoulders, hips, elbows and wrists. 7. 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. Get a demo; Features; Pricing; Tournaments; FAQs; Coaches or Team Managers. A: It is recommended to practice softball pitching drills at least three times a week. This is OK and itwill help the pitcher, however, it seldom gives the person catching a goodpoint of reference to see EXACTLY where the foot comes down. Thanks to Duffy ONeill for the article and the tips. After 10 or 15 pitches (depending on the age of the pitcher) at full power, back up 5 feet. Then I bought her a pair of mid-high shoes. While doing this, emphasize the proper weight distribution. You can adjust the size and weight of the medicine ball to your skill level. Queen Of The Hill Review. Finally we put the whole thing together and throw 8 balls incorporating all the drills above. Have someone hold a shield to create resistance. The pitcher takes a bucket of balls and moves to a point just behind pitchers rubber. The straight drop (peel drop) is released off the birdie finger and the rotation is clockwise as viewed from 3rd base. You want the distance to be from the rubber to where the batter would hit theball, usually around two feet in front of the back tip of home plate. Softball Drills: Batting, Pitching, Fielding Pitchers need short memories. 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. Gradually speed up until you can complete the move without hesitation or inaccuracy at full speed. This tool is specifically meant to help your pitcher feel a good load and get a really STRONG push and glide off the rubber! Training refers to the workouts, exercises and drills they perform outside of organized practices to improve their Strength, Speed, Conditioning and Flexibility, as well to rehab and prevent injury. Pitching Drills - Fastpitch Power Tip #3Training during your noncompetitive season?Pam Newton, ASA Junior Olympic Coach. Do 10-15 full loops of each arm in clockwise and counterclockwise directions. Now the 5 series outside hitting drills: Feet Facing Forward - Upper Body Facing Plate: have your hitter use a batting T and a home plate, and start with her feet beside each other (spaced out) and facing forward while her chest faces the ball on the T. She works on hitting the ball off the T without moving her feet. This exercise will help improve stability, posture, and balance while pitching. Put your weight on the inside balls of your feet. To be a successful pitcher, you must take thatadvantage away form the batters. Do 10 sets each leg with 1 minute rest between sets. Softball Drills On Hitting, Pitching, Defense, Catching & Coaching As a coach, it is your responsibility to find that flaw and eliminate it. This drill is my favorite drill and it has really helped me. Softball Pitching Drills - Softball Tutor #8. When youre balanced, move to an overhead position. Coaching Young Pitchers in Softball - Keep It Simple cvsoftball said: They are walk-ins, meaning that they are thrown while walking into the pitch. In addition, many dont use their back leg by driving it forward. International Softball is a fan-led softball blog and forum, sharing the latest tips, tricks and info to improve your game. Using this exercise really helped me in my pitching. As I coach younger girls, I used 1 1/2 finishing nails and used every other seam (84 nails). The athletic recruiting process is a lot like dating, with college coaches/scouts and high-school student-athletes sizing each other up and searching for the right match. Increase rotation speed. In addition to off-season lacrosse workouts, youll find plenty of on-the-field drill for all lacrosse positions. Be careful not to get under the ball that will cause it to rise. The harder you throw, the closer the ball will return to you without hitting the ground. In this guide, well look at some warm-up drills for softball pitchers. 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. If you look at the body from the third base side, it resembles the letter K. Q: How can I improve my pitching accuracy? Dont use I couldnt find a catcher as an excuse not to workout your pitching arm. Throughout, keep eyes focused on a target ahead. 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. Drill correctly to boost arm strength, accuracy, power, and control. Hold the position for 30-60 seconds or as long as you can keep the form. Now measure the distance between the 40 percent mark and the 100 percent mark. Keep your arms loose and relaxed. Therefore, a leaping-style pitcher musthave a strong, fast push-off This drill builds proper pitching mechanics and can be used by pitchers of any experience level. When a pitcher is experiencing soreness or pain stop immediately! Learn best practices from athletes who have achieved success and the experts who have helped them. The play does not start until you make a pitch. Check out hockey drills and workouts from goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere, defenseman Duncan Keith, the University of Michigan hockey team and others. 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. 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. Enough said here!! Move back to 40 feet and throw 5-10 riseballs, peel drops and roll drops.5. Next is stride. Warm-up with snap drills (3 ball drill) Do 25-50 snaps2.