Coaching Softball Pitching – Making Practice Fun and Worthwhile

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Sometimes the hardest area to coach is your pitchers. Much too often you find that the pitcher’s practice consists of throwing batting practice for the rest of the team or going behind the backstop and throwing to someone else for a half hour. It is no wonder that there is a lack of quality pitchers when this is what pitchers have to look forward to in practice. Let’s face it: Do you coaches spend more time with your hitters and infielders or with your pitchers?

I know there are exceptions out there. They are the teams with the top pitchers. But there is no reason why more teams cannot have outstanding pitchers if they would take a little time to make practice fun for their pitchers.

One thing that we never, ever do is have our pitchers throw batting practice. Batting practice is for the hitters, not the pitchers. If we want batting practice, we use a machine, or I throw to the players. You don’t ask your pitchers in a game to just lay the ball in there for the batter to hit, so why have them do this in practice?

Now, don’t get me wrong. Our pitchers throw to hitters each day in practice, but it is always in game situations. We have a catcher calling pitches and batters get one “at bat” at a time. The catcher calls balls and strikes. The pitcher is working to get that hitter out. Batters do not get five or 10 swings. The get an “at bat”, just like a game. If they walk, strike out or hit the first pitch, they are out of the cage. We usually have two to three hitters rotate in and out during this stage of practice. If we are using the field, they run each hit out. This also works on base running at the same time.

We have developed numerous drills to use with our pitchers that cover each aspect of the game. In this article, I will provide you with practice plans and ideas to help your pitchers develop and increase their speed and control, as well as add different pitches and develop a game plan.

I would also like to state that these ideas and drills have been borrowed from many different coaches and pitching instructors. By attending clinics and camps each year, I pick up new and different ways to teach. I would encourage you to attend as many clinics as possible.

Many of the concepts that I have included are items that I picked up from baseball. As in many areas of the two games, they apply equally to softball as well. Many of the concepts and drills that we use in our practices are picked up by reading baseball literature and attending baseball clinics.

The following are three important firsts to strive for both as a pitcher and as a team.

1) Get through the first inning without allowing a run. If you can shut the other team out in the first inning, it provides a great morale builder for your team. Statistics show that teams that score in the first inning win much more often than teams that don’t. Therefore, it goes to prove that holding your opponent scoreless the first inning is to your advantage.

2) Do not allow the first batter of the inning to reach base. Over the past three years, we have gathered these statistics: On the average, a team will score more than 40 percent of the time when they get their leadoff runner on. Think about that. Consider all the scoreless innings that you have in softball, yet four out of ten times you get your leadoff runner on, you score. As a pitcher, it is therefore very important to keep that leadoff batter off the basepaths.

3) Throw the first pitch to each batter for a strike. When you are ahead of the batter, you can do many more things as a pitcher. All of a sudden, your second and third pitches are more effective, and the opponents can’t sit on your best pitch and tee off.

The above principles have been very useful to our pitchers over the years. I feel that they give us a great base to work from. I have outlined some additional points that I feel, as a coach and pitching instructor, have proved valuable in past years.

Speed vs. Control

In various clinics and camps, I have often been asked what is more important in teaching pitchers – speed or control. To the dismay of many Little League and High School coaches, most pitching instructors and college coaches will tell you to never sacrifice speed for control. Always throw hard.  If you are going to walk somebody, walk them hard. When you let up to try to achieve control, you alter your fundamental mechanics. You will never learn to throw hard with control, which is your ultimate goal. Almost all of the great pitchers were wild when they were young. Every great pitcher has gone through the stage when they struck out 15 and walked 15. Control comes with practice, practice and more practice. Always throw hard.

I very much agree with this analysis and would like to take it one step further. I would add the concept of spin to the debate. I feel that probably the most important aspect to work on as a young pitcher is getting the ball to spin correctly. It does not matter if you are spinning the ball up or down, just that the ball spins, so that when you get bigger and stronger, it will break.

The thing that separates the good pitchers from the throwers is the ability to make the ball break. Plain and simple, that is the goal you should have as pitcher. Make the ball break! There are always people who can throw the ball hard. But the winners will be the pitchers who can throw a ball that moves. That’s what I look for in recruiting pitchers, and this is what our pitching practices are geared to teach. Make the ball break. This is why softball pitchers have ERA’s of 0.50 and major league pitchers are more in the area of 3.00. The ball breaks so much more.

There should be no such thing in softball as the fastball. Our pitchers do not throw a fastball, and it is not something that we teach. We always strive to increase movement. This is governed by the simple laws of physics. The ball will break in the direction that it spins. So make the ball spin as fast as you can; the quicker the spin, the more it breaks.

The following drills are excellent in developing strength in the wrist and forearms. This will increase your pitcher’s ability to make the ball spin faster.

1) Weighted balls. Can easily be made by driving nails (1 inch finishing nails) into the cover. (30 nails = 1 ounce)

I would recommend a ball weigh approximately three ounces for most girls to use. The ball should be thrown to the catcher in a slow, arched manner, concentrating on making the ball spin as fast as possible. Begin at a short distance (15 feet) and increase gradually to about 60 feet.

The idea is to bring the arm around slowly and snap or flip the ball to the catcher in a lob manner, spinning the ball as fast as possible. There should be no-line drive throws. Make the ball spin fast, not go fast.

We have our pitchers throw 10 to 15 minutes each day as a warm-up with the weighted balls. This gets the arm loose and develops strength in their wrist and forearms.

2) Finger-Tip Pushups. An excellent exercise to increase strength in hands, wrists and arms. We have our players do 50 to 100 each day in practice.

3) Hand Grippers. These can be purchased ones or just use old tennis balls, rubber balls, etc. Anything that works the grip and strengthens forearms will do.

4) Wrist rolls. Make a simple wrist roller by tying a weight on a piece of rope and attaching the other end to a stick or bat. Roll the weight up and down while holding your arms straight out and away from your body.

These are just some simple exercises that can be done to increase strength and ability to spin the ball. Further gains can be produced by combining a weight program with your training. Although the description of the total weight program is beyond the depth of this article, studies have shown that a simple, four-station program has been effective in increasing throwing speed. The program consists of the following exercises. Bicep curls, bench press, tricep extensions, lat pulldowns.

Exercises are done in three sets of 15 – 12 – 10 repetitions. Use approximately 75 percent of maximum weight that you can lift with each exercise. Try to increase weight slightly each set. These should be combined with a 10-minute stretching program both before and after you finish. For maximum benefit, the program should be followed three times a week for six weeks.

Practice: How Much and How Long

There has been much discussion as to the appropriate amount of practice. There are no hard and fast rules here. Our pitchers throw approximately 90 minutes each day, five days a week during our practice seasons. This includes about 15 minutes of warm-up with the weighted ball, 50 minutes general pitching and 20 to 25 minutes to hitters in game situations.

They will throw between 200 and 300 pitches during each practice. As with anything, the harder you work, the more you will improve. For the younger pitcher, I would suggest practicing as much as you wish, as long as it is fun. Being forced to practice only leads to frustrated pitchers. If you have plans to develop into a top pitcher, a minimum of three days a week for 60 minutes will be required. Again, keep in mind that as long as you are having fun, throw as much as you desire.

Pitching Drills

Following are a few of the drills that we use with our pitchers and during summer camps and clinics. We have found them to be very helpful in developing our pitchers.

Control Drills

1) Target Pitching: We have made a simple target out of an old bed sheet and markers. This is hung on a brick wall or fence. This will enable your pitchers to throw without a catcher if one is not available. There are many drills that can be used with the target. It is a good idea for you to set up a competition with your pitchers when possible.

a) Low numbers. Throw pitches to each number in turn, starting with No. 1. When this area is hit, move to No. 2, then No. 3, etc. Count how many pitches it takes to hit all the numbers in order. Every pitch in the danger zone counts as two pitches. For more advanced pitchers, throw rise balls to No. 1 and No. 2, curve balls to No. 3 and No. 4, and drops to No. 5 and No. 6.

b) Quick Throws: Give each pitcher 60 seconds to see how many times she can hit a certain number. Pitches in the danger zone count as minus one. This can be used with the different types of pitches, as well. It is sometimes helpful to move a little closer than normal.

All of the following drills can be done with the target rather than a catcher. Be sure that your pitchers, throw hard and do not ease up for each of these drills.

2) Fast-Slow: In this drill, the pitcher throws a change-up or off-speed pitch. It is important when working on off-speed pitches that your pitchers do not throw all change-ups. This will lead to a reduction in their velocity on their fast pitches. Always mix these in with a faster pitch. Any pitch or combination of pitches can be used for this drill. Always have the pitcher throw a good pitch before moving on to the next pitch. For instance, if the change-up bounces in, throw another before changing to a fast pitch. The fast pitch can be fastball or another pitch, such as drop, rise, etc. It is also helpful to designate a location. For example: Fastball, high inside; change-up, low-outside. The change-up is always most effective when thrown low and away from the hitter.

3) Black and White Pitches: In looking a quality regulation home plate, you will notice that each plate has a black area around the border. Basically, what we try to have our pitchers throw are pitches “on the black”.

Black Pitches: Balls that cross any part of the black are considered black pitches. These should be used when even or ahead in the count to batters.

White Pitches: Balls that are over the plate and not touching a black edge. These should be used when behind in the count.

Danger Zone: Down the middle of the plate. Never throw here. Same as Danger Zone target pitching.

During practice, we may have pitchers alternate black-white-black-white, etc. Or, we might ask for three black pitches and then a white. You can design many variations. Use your imagination.

4) Three and One Drill: This drill is designed to have your pitcher work on specific locations. All that is done is to throw three pitches in a row to the same spot, with the very next pitch opposite. For example: Three drops, low-inside and the next pitch must be a rise, high-outside. We get very picky about the locations here. Our pitchers must throw three in a row, perfect, or we start counting over. This is a very good drill if you have a pitcher who has trouble with a specific pitch or location. It gives them extra work developing the pitch. With more experienced pitchers, it is possible to go to a five and one sequence as well.

5) Two Pitch: This is an excellent way to practice your different pitches in a more game-like situation. Pick two pitches that would be a good combination to set up hitters. For example; Drop, low-inside and rise, high-outside. Or go with rise, high-inside on the fists and then change-up, low and away. This gets your catchers used to calling a game and your pitchers used to hitting their spots. This can be extended into three or four pitch sequences, as well. While doing these pitching drills, you should have your pitchers concentrate on the following mechanics.

  1. Hiding your pitches (from hitter and base coaches) by covering up your pitching hand and the ball with your glove.
  2. Correct stride angle (stride foot should be placed upon the ground straight out in front of the pivot foot-back foot)
  3. During the stride, a pivot should be made with back or pivot foot, opening up the hips (right handed pitcher, left hip facing the hitter)
  4. Keep your weight back.
  5. Drive against the stride leg (not on top of it).
  6. Snap the wrist
  7. Drive the body into the pitch (back hip) by quickly and violently closing the hips.
  8. Throw the shoulders around, getting your back into the pitch.
  9. Finish with a well-balanced follow through, ready to field balls hit into your area (left, right, slow rollers out in front, etc.)

These drills have been helpful to our pitchers in past seasons. As in anything in life, you will get out just about what you put in. The level of concentration and commitment that your pitchers have will determine how successful they will be. Please remember that there is no easy road to becoming a pitcher. It takes tens of thousands of pitches to perfect these skills. The major factors in developing a pitcher are desire, discipline, dedication, and determination.