Balance drills may seem difficult at first. Core strength drills are crafted to help pitchers increase power, accuracy, and speed. This helps create more power and teaches you to adjust mechanics in any situation. 5 Things Every Parent Should Know Before Their Child Joins a Sport. 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. This will enable you to field your position and protect you from line-drives back at you.3. The pain is almost always due to a mechanical flaw in their motion. 1) From an open-hipped position (front foot toward the target/catcher), the pitcher does a snap drill, driving the back knee in to the front knee. Do 10 sets each leg with 1 minute rest between sets. During this drill, the player snaps her wrist as quickly and violently as possible. Measure off the same distance you use at your level of play, from the pitchers rubber to home plate, then subtract 2 feet. Here is Ashley Holcombe's, a former catcher for Team USA, stance tips. 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). Make sure your pitcher is pointing her glove at the target with the wrist pointing up, which will in turn point the glove webbing straight up. Hitting Drill - Homerun Derby by the . It will require a solid concrete wall, a piece of chalk and a tape measure. Partner drills can also help. This drill builds proper pitching mechanics and can be used by pitchers of any experience level. Windmills are great for softball pitchers looking to get better! Former is an issue, latter could be preference / style, but may also be indicative of issues further up the chain. If you look at the body from the third base side, it resembles the letter K. Measure your distance and next workout, try to beat the mark. Im a keen athlete myself; I like to train regularly and spend time socialising outside of softball too. Start by standing with your arms down and palms inwards. End Game 2 Drill By Jill Today we are bringing you the next video in our "foundational drill" mini series! It almost has the feeling of falling back. 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). The same body parts used in pitching are engaged when throwing a medicine ball: hips, chest, arms, and shoulders. Post a video. In order to do this drill, the pitcher should be throwing at maybe 75%. Come back daily for basketball training videos and drills from some of the nations top basketball programs and advice from professional coaches and trainers. Focus your best on the first batter of every inning. Continue moving back and increasing the arc of the pitch until you cannot get it across the plate anymore. Do not move the twinewhile sitting or kneeling. 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Do 10-15 full loops of each arm in clockwise and counterclockwise directions. 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. #5. Sequence the riseball mechanics and locate the position when the wrist turns over. The only way for her to do so is to properly drag her toe through the delivery. Throw some heavy balls or close rotation drills to perfect rotation of the ball for certain pitches. This [tag]softball drill [/tag] helps pitchers realize the importance of staying balanced and in line upon release of the pitch. The forefinger (the middle one) will be along the seam and the index finger under the forefinger ( basically the same grip as the rise). MICKEY MOUSEThe only true way to get accuracy is to have the pitcher throw pitches, pitches and more pitches. Enough said here!! Finally we put the whole thing together and throw 8 balls incorporating all the drills above. Every pitcher has one problem in common; sometimes you need or want to practice your pitching and cant come up with anyone to catch for you. Have someone hold a shield to create resistance. If you are hurt, TELL THE COACHES. As an example (R/H pitcher). Have her practice that until she can consistently throw it to where the ball comes off the wall and lands on, or very near, the 60 percent line. Check. This drill can increase your strength in the hand, wrist, and especially the forearm. Therefore, a leaping-style pitcher musthave a strong, fast push-off To do a plank hold, start in a push-up position. RELATED:Squash the Bug and Other Softball Batting Tips That Dont Work. But if youre going to go inside on a big hitter, youve GOT to make sure you get that ball INSIDE and be careful not to hang the pitch over the plate. 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. Softball Skills and Training Softball Pitching "Stay Tall" Texas McE Mar 2, 2020 Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web. I find that many young pitchers have their weight too far forward, even bending at the waist on delivery. When youre balanced, move to an overhead position. That same fast ball can be thrown at say, 55, 45 and 40mph. Each dropped or errant throw costs that team a point the team with the least points wins. If she is not willing to sacrifice this time and effort, find another pitcher. -I then stretch the twine taught to the nail in front of 2nd base and tie itoff there. There are, obviously, many different approaches a pitcher can take to beat a good hitter. Make sure your body is straight from head to feet and back is not arched or sagging. I have had pitchers add between 2 & 4 feet to their delivery motion and end-up distance. Running 20 to 30 minutes three times a week will help to build a strong mind and body. 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. Then be sure to check out Championship Coach Sue Enquists other Softball Coaching Videos! Tip #2Choosing the right pitch (Part 2 of 3 part series)By Michael CisnerosEditor, Softball Today Magazine. I hold my glove at a certain location and the pitch has to hit it without moving the glove. The Power Push will prevent leaping as it reinforces getting the heel up and pointing the toe down. There is no drill. Softball Skills and Training Softball Pitching Staying "tall" Stxdad Nov 9, 2020 Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web. To become a successful pitcher you must practice at least every other day. And that is OK; by hitting bad pitches in practice you slowly figure out that hitting short pitches allows you to drive the ball back through the middle, that in addition to hitting outside deep pitches to right field you can use an inside-out swing to hit inside short pitches down that line as well, or that flat pitches are easy to hit into the corner down the left field line. That samefast ball, thrown at a different speed, from one pitch to the next, forces the batter to have to stop and decide exactly when to start her swing. If the wrist on the glove hand is pointing to one side, chances are very good that they will be throwing to that side of the plate. Batters rely and depend on timing the pitchers motions to make that big decision when to pull the trigger and start their swing. This is the most important aspect of throwing a breaking pitch. If you have just thrown a homerun ball or walked the last batter, Shake it off! Rock back into each foot until you feel level. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and do an exaggerated windmill motion with your arms. Do 25-50 locations3. The front upper arm should be close to the chest, with the elbow bent outward. Your pinky can be tucked or lightly resting on the side but not actually gripping the ball. Pitchers perform their normal pitching motion, without any softballs. This drill helps improve control and accuracy by teaching. When a pitcher is experiencing soreness or pain stop immediately! Keep your arm out till the ball is released for extra power. When a pitcher is experiencing soreness or pain stop immediately! Repeat this activity, but each time, the coach moves a distance farther from the pitcher. This exercise will help improve stability, posture, and balance while pitching. Research shows that to significantly improve sports performance, overall athleticism and physical ability, athletes must complete training sessions in addition to playing their sport. The reason for this is that the pitcher is not waiting for a ball to be thrown to her. Therefore, performing effective pitching drills will lead to more versatile, efficient, and speedy hurls needed to deliver an all-around powerful performance. #7. In some situations, athletes gain an edge with prescribed use of safe supplements. It will not allow the foot to improperly twist before push off. Keep your arm relaxed and far from your body. Rotate outward, then inward. Come all the way around with to your right hand. FOREARM STRENGTHHeres a tip a coach told me about quite a number of years ago. After warming up with 3 ball we go directly to the tempo drills. Even in practice, deliver each pitch from the normal pitching routine. Drop elbows and deepen circle radius, doing this periodically during practice. 33.5K subscribers Former Texas A&M softball player and two-time All American Amanda Scarborough talks about the 3/4 pitching drill. Remember, to give up a handful of accuracy for a pinch more speed, is NEVER a good trade. For drop balls, the weight must be on the front foot at release. What is the Supplement Inositol and What are its Benefits? -I will drive a 16 penny nail into the dirt just behind the back tip of homeplate. LONG TOSSThis drill can be done either with a catcher or against a backstop. Try not to play slow stuff because that tends to slow down your workout pace. Plank holds are a great drill for softball pitchers to boost core strength. These drills were taken from an article written by Duffy ONeill, Pitching Coach of the Ohio Emeralds. But once you get the basics, it will give your pitching game an edge. The secret to an effective softball career is muscle memory, which is obtained with the constant repetition of proper mechanics used in playing the game. She has to throw 100 to 150 pitches every night, PERIOD!! It will increase forearm strength also. Then I bought her a pair of mid-high shoes. Set-up: make a starting point by measuring six of your own foot lengths and mark the distance. This is the kind of exercise that you hardly notice doing after awhile. They will have to depend on watching the ball travel from the pitchers hand to determine exactly how fast it iscoming. You know, you squeeze them with your hand to increase your grip. This will place the twine going over the exact center of the pitchers rubber. Ok that was a bit harsh. The one with two balls throws a pitch to the other, the receiving player must throw a pitch to the first. -Then I drive nails just behind the rubber and just in front of 2nd base. To be a successful pitcher, you must take thatadvantage away form the batters. 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. To make it harder, increase the duration or use hands held ab sliders. I have my pitchers pitch from approximately 20 feet, 10 balls. When doing a windmill drill, focus on body position: Use these tips for successful softball pitching drills! To 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. Make sure that at each distance, the rotation and weight distribution is correct. Read our softball catching skills, drills & training tips to improve techniques and be the star player at the next big game! With the line extended you will be able to tell,fairly well, if she is off the line. Repeat this ten times. Take a piece of chalk and draw a strike zone box on the wall. What I found by this, is that when they do actually pitch, they do not drop their shoulders and make that swooping motion. What I found by this, is that when they do actually pitch, they do not drop their shoulders and make that swooping motion. Hi, my name is Sophie and I love playing softball. 3-2-1. Keep these mistakes in mind so you can avoid . She hates them!!! In this guide, well look at some warm-up drills for softball pitchers. The play does not start until you make a pitch. This helps to ensure that the muscles used in pitching stay tuned and develop over time. A handball court wall is ideal. Draw it all the way across the strike zone box you chalked out. I'm super excited to be sharing this video with you all! When you watch a pitcher, a lot of times all you do is hear the slap of the glove on the thigh and think that the glove is used only as a way to make some noise, in order to perhaps distract the batter, or time the release of the ball. This will give the runner the next base. More velocity and accuracy! Draw a strike zone on the wall with chalk, the strike zone representing the pitchers height. . We throw 10 to 15 pitches at this distance. 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. Proper pitching technique and core strength are must-haves for mastering softball pitching. For even more softball training, check out softball video library. Register Log in 1 Nov 10, 2020 #11 S Stxdad Jun 24, 2019 162 28 So that's her style of finishing the pitch ? To practice these pitches, control arm speed and ensure mechanics look like throwing a fastball. They are walk-ins, meaning that they are thrown while walking into the pitch. This pain may also be caused by a muscle imbalance. Then I have them move in ten foot increments back until they are throwing from as far back as 60 feet. After 10 or 15 pitches (depending on the age of the pitcher) at full power, back up 5 feet. coaching youth softball and where you can get softball drills and softball tips. The following youth softball pitching drills are designed to help players master the components of the pitch before putting the whole pitch together. Keep momentum going and, Grab a batting tee and place it near home plate, about. If the pitch is not where you want it but is still a strike, dont worry. The stripe gives instant feedback to the player and is easy for the catcher to see and determine what rotation has been imparted to the ball. Peer pressure works wonders here. The pitcher takes a bucket of balls and moves to a point just behind pitchers rubber. As I coach younger girls, I used 1 1/2 finishing nails and used every other seam (84 nails). Helping. Bend at the hips and knees to push off the mound like you would push off to sprint or steal a base. Concentrating on the proper position of the hand at the hip. 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. Step back slightly with one foot. If the pitcher is occasionally throwing wideto one side or another she might very well be crossing over the power lineor landing way to the left. Hold this position for 13 seconds. They can help ease tension in the rotator cuff, reduce soreness and give more freedom in the shoulder joint. One player has one ball, the other player has 2 balls. Spread feet apart in an athletic stance. 8U, 10U, 12U Softball Drill #2: Jump-back Tee Drill The second drill is a fun softball hitting drill that I call the "Jump Back Drill." Once again, developing body awareness is the critical element for this drill. Now, extend and contract the arms in circular motions like slicing a pizza! After checking out the baseball workouts on STACK.com, browse through the articles and videos below for drills, advice, and motivation from some of the nations top coaches, college baseball programs, and elite athletes. While you are doing this, notice what it does to your forearm. One thing that I believe helped me was one of those squeezer deals. Start with pitches right down the middle and then work the corners (inside and outside) also high and low. For more foundational drill videos, advanced drills, power Take deep breaths and relax your muscles. They loosen the shoulder and get the blood flowing. Now take out a handkerchief (or towel) and have the coach stand directly in front of the pitcher. You are using an out of date browser. Finish up with 5 fastballs on the corners. It is important to continue keeping the wind-up at 100 percent full speed, but gently slow it down at the last moment. Register Log in 1 2 3 6 Next Mar 2, 2020 #1 T Texas McE Oct 11, 2019 38 8 Please help.