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.

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Pitching Circle - A Mind Game?

Some people would say pitchers need a circle around the mound so they can keep track of where they need to be at all times. The circle comes into play when there are runners on base. When the pitcher has the ball in the circle, the runner can't really go anywhere. If they do they have to make a decision and stick with that decision. If they change the direction of their desired path they will be called out. When the pitcher has the ball and her arm cocked as if she is going to make an attempt to "get" the runner then the runner has free reign. But if she is covering the ball with her glove the runner has to stay there because the ball is in the circle. Also when there is a runner on base if the pitcher for any reason walks out of the circle when she has the ball then the runner also has free reign. The pitcher needs to remain in the circle to keep the runner where they are supposed to be.

The runner has to stay

The runner has free reign

Pitching Rules

What are all these lines for?


When one sees a softball pitching mound at the beginning of a game one will notice two white lines on either side of the mound.




Photo by POLINA YAMSHCHIKOV, ColumbiaMissourian.com


These lines represent where a pitcher can step when she is in her pitching motion. If a pitcher steps outside of these lines an umpire will call an illegal pitch. The consequence of getting an illegal pitch called on you is a ball on the batter and if there is a runner on they get to move to the next base. This rule has become quite controversial recently because they have been strictly enforcing it. There have been many instances where it has been a tied game and the winning run will be standing on third base. At this point if an illegal pitch is thrown the runner on third gets granted home and if that team is the home team the game can be over and they can win the game simply because the pitcher from the opposing team threw an illegal pitch.

 

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.

The Curve Ball

The curve ball is a pitch that curves away from a right hand batter and would curve inside on a left handed batter. The curve ball can be thrown with the motion of your hand going on top of the ball or the motion of your hand going underneath the ball. I throw my curve with my hand on top of the ball so this is how you would hold that type of curve ball.

When releasing the curve ball you want to focus on keeping your arm close to your body just as you did with your screw ball. The less outer lateral movement you have the more effective your pitches will be. While and after you release the ball you want to focus on "putting your thumb in your pocket". If you remember this technique your curve ball will have a great amount of movement on it.

If you can keep your curve ball just on a small portion of the plate and then have it moving off right after you will be very successful. The curve base is a difficult pitch to hit when it is thrown well.

The Screw Ball

This is the first post of my blog. My blog post will all generally deal with softball. In this first blog I will explain to you how to throw a screw ball. The screw ball is a pitch that curves in on a right handed batter.

This is how you hold the grip for a screw ball. You put your index finger to the left side of the first seem and your middle finger on the left side of the second seem.

When you are releasing the ball you want to focus on keeping your arm close to your body. The idea of this pitch when you are releasing it to is think about turning a door handle. It is also beneficial to take a step out a little bit more than usual.

The screw ball is a handy pitch to have in your arsenal. It keeps batters off the plate and you will always have them thinking.