Mastering The Pitching Technique

Are You Ready To Start Pitching?


Here Are The Step By Step Mechanics!

Learn, practice, and develop good pitching mechanics before anything. One thing you don't have to worry about is trying to make strikes so early on. It's important to make sure everything is correct with your basics then you can start practicing on adding speed with your throws. First thing is first.. Concentrate on sharpening your pitching motion, release, and delivery. As soon as you have that, you can work on being accurate and start throwing strikes.

Before You start pitching (at games or practice) ALWAYS start a pre-workout / pre-pitching routine. 

1. Start by Streching Your Arms, Legs, Hamstrings, and your midsection, upper and lower back, and throwing arm shoulder. This should take a few minutes.


 2. Jogging - to loosen tight body muscles.


 3. Loosen The Throwing Arm - by kneeling on one knee roughly at a 6 foot distance starting with easy underhand throws, then gradually work back to longer distance and harder overhand throwing until you can reach normal full-speed pitching.

It is a FACT, pitchers who don not take a good amount of time to get ready to throw the ball not only run a high risk of injuring themselves, but pitch slower with less accuracy. A great preparation should always have all of these involved.

Note for beginning softball pitchers, wait a while before you start practicing with a longer stride. Practice the basic mechanics of pitching first.. you can start lenghthing the size of your step several weeks or months from now. 

Your Stance - Stance on the pitching rubber is part of the Official ASA Rules. standing tall with your shoulders back and feet shoulder width apart where your comfortably balanced. Hands at your side, relaxed with your glove in one hand and ball in the other. Official rules of (ASA and NCAA) require your feet to be placed at the front of the pitching rubber, and at least half of it must be on the surface of the rubber. The rear (or stride) glove-side foot can be behind the rubber. But with most leagues, the toe of the rear foot must be at least touching the rear edge of the pitching rubber.

The Grip - 


Although there is no definite right or wrong way for a beginning pitcher to hold the ball, she should develope habits now in preparation for pitches that she will be developing later. Therefore, it's recommend that every pitcher to start by using a "4-seam" grip, one that will cause the pitched ball to rotate top to bottom, with all four seams cutting the air. For the basic 4-seam grip, place the pads of your fingers on the seams on the side of the "U" horseshoe. 
                                                                    (like this) ⤵

Visualize - As you are standing on the pitcher rubber getting ready to start your motion," take a second to try and see" in your mind the path that the ball will take when you throw it. Although this is not really part of the basic "mechanics" it is a good idea to get used to the thought of you visualizing the path of the ball. From the point that you will be releasing it alongside your hip.. all the way into the catchers Mitt. The concept of creative visualization can eventually also assist you in your fielding, throwing, and hitting.

Bring the Ball and Glove Together - 

This is the part that follows "the presentation" of the ball mentioned previously. Up to this point, your pre-pitch stance has kept your hands at your side. Most softball leagues and associations require that the ball must touch together (for at least one second) before starting motion. It's recommend that you must make the ball-glove contact close to where your hands have been hanging in front of you, and below your waist.

Staring the Pitching Motion - The motion although many pitchers have developed a habit of a lot of extra motion into the pre- pitch routine, bring your hands way above your head or bending over. At this point are extra movements and energy that is being used that will not really effect the speed or control of the pitch. We recommend, especially for beginning pitchers, that you start with your hands low, keep the ball-glove touch below the waist, and then go right directly into your backswing. 

Backswing - The speed or height of your back swing are not the most important. Do what you feel is most comfortable.. Typically, most pitchers will bring the Ball out of their Glove and swing back to a point where the arm is approximately level. If it feels more comfortable take the arm back at a somewhat slower speed. The only time arm speed counts is when it is going forward, especially during the final downswing, just before the release point.

Foward Movement Weight Transfer - After your Arm does its backswing, as it starts coming forward, so will your Body weight from your rear Leg to the forward "push off" foot.

Closed Open Closed - This is the most difficult part of learning to pitch. When you are standing on the pitching rubber facing the catcher, you are in a closed position taking a long step forward approximately halfway through your arm rotation will be in an open position.. sideways to the Catcher. Then as the Arm comes down in the final swing toward the release point of the ball. Then after the release, the Hips will continue to close, allowing the Pitcher to finish in the ready position, facing the Batter.

The Stride - The step that you take with your glove- side foot is often referred to as the "stride". Although there is much disagreement among pitching instructors on this issue, we have found that in most cases, those pitchers who have a longer and faster stride, throw a better fastball.

How long should My stride be? Although this is something that must be right for the pitcher, a typical stride for a leaping-style pitcher is 90% of 120% of her height. We encourage pitchers to stride five inches or more beyond their height. Therefore a 5'6 pitcher will often stride 6 feet or more.

NO LEAPING- 

All pitchers will either take a long step or leap" out to get better distance. However, all organizations sponsoring girls softball do not allow a pitcher to become airborne during the pitch .. it is illegal to have both feet in the air at the same time. That is why pitchers who use a leaping style must also drag" the toe of the push -off toe drag will be on the inside of the toe of the shoe, and will make an arc pattern in the dirt starting at the pitching rubber and continuing toward the side for a foot or more.

ARM ROTATION

as the arm comes forward, keep it relaxed and straight but not stiff. The arm speed should be consistant and fast the whole way around. One thing for sure is do NOT practice the arm whip.. you will develop your own as your  drill becomes better and more comfortable for you.

As your arm making a circle, your body will usually make and open sideways position and then will start closing as you make the release of the pitch.

NO BOBBLE HEAD- during this arm circle and closed open - closed- sequence don't let you head move sideways. as much as you can, keep our head straight.. not stiff. . just straight. We often find that if a right pitchers head tilts left, the ball goes right.

THE RELEASE 


there are several important things that need to happen as the arm swings down toward the release point.. and they need to happen at the same time.

KEEP YOUR WRIST BACK- 

as your arm approaches the release point so it can automatically whip forward at the precise instant you release the ball.

KEEP YOUR ARM OUT STRECHED-  but not as stiff as you release the ball. Do not allow your elbow bend more than 15 to 20 degrees.

SNAPPING- ALthough you might have been told to SNAP the ball. do not try to snap your wrist forward at this point. It can cause timing problems, and often cause you to pitch high. Instead seen #18 above, and whip your arm down through the final part of the arm rotation and through the release of the pitch. YOur hand is at the end of your whipping arm, so it will whip it forward at the precise release of the ball.. consequently giving you a better snap than if you try to do it..and it happened automatically. 

FINGERS BEHIND THE BALL- You can get get better speed and control if your fingers are behind the ball as it leaves your hand.

STAY TALL - at the release. bring your shoulders back as your pitching arm starts its final downswing toward the release point so you can be upright and tall at the finish.

DONT BEND AT THE WAIST -bending slows down pitching speed, and often causes pitches to go high. 

KEEP SHOULDERS LEVELED-  as you release the pitch no dipping, down on the throwing arm side.

The FOLLOW THROUGH- This is another of those areas where pitching instructions often have differing opinions. our recommendation is to the let the arm go where it wants to naturally. at the instant the ball has left your hand, allow your arm to relax, bend and follow through naturally. At the instant the ball has left your hand, allow your arm to relax, bend, and follow through straight ahead.