This fastpitch softball pitching drill is a fun one that we dug up per a request from one of our Softball Clinic members who was looking for a drill for a young pitcher just learning the skill. If you're looking for scientific over exaggerated softball speak about the art of the fastpitch softball pitch here, don't read any further! This drill is designed for fun and maintaining the interest of your young pitcher while you have a game of catch. Oh, and yes, it does serve a purpose in the process!
Girls Fastpitch Softball Pitching Drills
Beginning fastpitch softball pitching drills must be built on the foundation of solid pitching mechanics, this is of the utmost importance when starting out your young pitcher. Learning to drive off of the rubber with the lower body, getting to the correct body angles that will create the proper arm slot, developing the proper arm circle, etc. are the basis you need to build upon. If you're uncertain what these foundations are please work with a pitching coach in your local area that does, as this is critical to your young pitchers success. The last thing you'll want to do is start out with the development of bad habits. While your intentions are good, establishing the right mechanics from the start is significant to their success. This fastpitch softball pitching drill for your beginning softball pitcher assumes that you have the beginning process of these elements in place.
Fastpitch Softball Pitching Drills for Beginners
How the "See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya" pitching drill works is very simple. When working with the beginning fastpitch softball pitcher, it's important to remember that the underhanded throwing motion or the windmill pitching style is about as foreign to them as teaching them to write with their opposite hand, so expecting them to be accurate with their throws initially is expecting a lot.
NOTE: this drill only comes into play once you and your pitcher have an understanding of the correct mechanics. If at any time during this or any other pitching drill you see them getting away from the correct mechanics, STOP and ONLY work on that particular area of the motion! Our muscles remember bad just as fast as they remember good mechanics, do it right from the start!
Now that we're ready for this beginner pitching drill, the first thing we'll do with our youngsters is establish a reasonable target. No, you're not looking for them to paint the outside corner right out of the box dad, we'll get there soon enough! A reasonable starting target for my young pitchers is a target as wide as my arms held straight out from each side down to my knees. The second thing we do is find an area, in the yard, at the park, in the gym etc that doesn't have a wall, fence or backstop right behind you (the catcher.) Now you're ready to begin. Any pitch thrown with the PROPER MECHANICS will be able to find this target, when they fail to use the proper mechanics or rush through the motion they'll begin to miss this target. If you can't reach the thrown pitch and it get's passed you, simply say "see ya wouldn't wanna be ya" and have them chase after the ball. Time them from the time they start, one one thousand etc until they get back and ready to pitch again, this will keep it fun. Trust me after a couple of "see ya wouldn't wanna be ya's" they'll start hitting their spots, or be ready for the track team, one or the other. As they progress start making your zone smaller until you reach the size of the regular strike zone.
This fastpitch softball pitching drill can be used for your more experienced pitchers as well, of course with them you're now making the target area much smaller. Have them throw 10 pitches to a certain location inside the strike zone, say, down and on the inside half of the plate, if they don't hit a minimum of 5 or pitches in this area, "see ya wouldn't wanna be ya" would be in order.
Again, with all fastpitch softball pitching drills it's mechanics, mechanics, mechanics! Do it right from the start! If you found this beginner fastpitch softball pitching drill to be helpful we would appreciate you sending it to a friend or tweeting it to all your friends and let them know about The Softball Clinic.
NOTE: this drill only comes into play once you and your pitcher have an understanding of the correct mechanics. If at any time during this or any other pitching drill you see them getting away from the correct mechanics, STOP and ONLY work on that particular area of the motion! Our muscles remember bad just as fast as they remember good mechanics, do it right from the start!
Now that we're ready for this beginner pitching drill, the first thing we'll do with our youngsters is establish a reasonable target. No, you're not looking for them to paint the outside corner right out of the box dad, we'll get there soon enough! A reasonable starting target for my young pitchers is a target as wide as my arms held straight out from each side down to my knees. The second thing we do is find an area, in the yard, at the park, in the gym etc that doesn't have a wall, fence or backstop right behind you (the catcher.) Now you're ready to begin. Any pitch thrown with the PROPER MECHANICS will be able to find this target, when they fail to use the proper mechanics or rush through the motion they'll begin to miss this target. If you can't reach the thrown pitch and it get's passed you, simply say "see ya wouldn't wanna be ya" and have them chase after the ball. Time them from the time they start, one one thousand etc until they get back and ready to pitch again, this will keep it fun. Trust me after a couple of "see ya wouldn't wanna be ya's" they'll start hitting their spots, or be ready for the track team, one or the other. As they progress start making your zone smaller until you reach the size of the regular strike zone.
This fastpitch softball pitching drill can be used for your more experienced pitchers as well, of course with them you're now making the target area much smaller. Have them throw 10 pitches to a certain location inside the strike zone, say, down and on the inside half of the plate, if they don't hit a minimum of 5 or pitches in this area, "see ya wouldn't wanna be ya" would be in order.
Again, with all fastpitch softball pitching drills it's mechanics, mechanics, mechanics! Do it right from the start! If you found this beginner fastpitch softball pitching drill to be helpful we would appreciate you sending it to a friend or tweeting it to all your friends and let them know about The Softball Clinic.