Phases to Pitch Speed

There are 3 key things that need to happen when throwing your fastball to maintain your pitch speed.

• Explosive drive off the rubber
• Weight back on the downswing
• Pushback on the stride leg

When you want to have explosive drive off the rubber you really need to focus on "exploding" just like a sprinter does in track. It is how fast a pitcher comes off the rubber that really will tell you how fast her pitch is going to be. A lot of pitchers have been told the longer step they take the more velocity they will have. That is not true, the more explosive the harder you will throw.



When reaching back in the downswing it is crucial to reach toward second base. Although in this picture the pitcher isn't reaching back yet you can still see the conscious effort she is making by keeping her arm straight all the way through to keep good velocity. 

The last step is to finish with a good pushback resistance. Just as a batter does when they are batting a pitcher needs to keep her weight on her back leg to really be able to release and downswing successfully.

5 day routine before a game

The Back Spin Change

The change up I throw is called a "back spin". This change up is one of the most difficult to perfect but also one of the most effective. With all change up's it is key to keep the speed of your motion the same as your other pitches. Lots of pitchers tend to slow down, their bodies sense that since the pitch is slower their body should go slower and this is where teams pick up on it. When releasing this pitch you want to focus on "shaking a person's hand" and just letting it flow. When you try to make your body do too much you will not succeed. You just need to let the pitch work. I hold this pitch like my fastball, just a normal C grip.

The Drop Ball

When this pitch is in motion it can be described as dropping lower to the ground as it crosses the plate. When this pitch is thrown correctly and effectively in result you will see a lot of ground balls and miss hits. The way I hold my drop ball is I grab the seams like a U. I put my thumb directly on the seam to the left and place my middle and index finger on either side of the right seam.

When throwing this pitch you need to focus on really getting your hand over the ball as quickly and sharply as you can. Some pitchers shorten their step because it makes it easier to get your "body over the ball" but teams will pick up on that. So once you feel comfortable you should go back to your normal step.

Pitching Exercises

There comes days when you are practicing but you have had enough of working on your different pitches. Sometimes you just want to work on maybe getting in better shape and doing drills to improve your pitching. Today I will give you some helpful things to do to improve yourself as a pitcher all around.

The first thing that is always good for a pitcher is to have a lot of endurance. The best way to build up your endurance is to run. After a game you should run at least one lap around the field for every inning you pitched. Although it is also very beneficial sometimes to go and take a 2 or 3 mile run when you can. Being a pitcher your legs are everything so you have to keep them strong.

Another good drill to do is to the mound and pitch a fastball. But after you pitch one you run back to the mound and pitch another ball. You contine doing this for as many mintues as you can and try to stay accurate. When you start getting all over the place it is good idea to take a break and do the drill 2 more times if possible.