Free Girls Softball Fastpitch Drills

Free Girls Softball Fastpitch Drills
By guest author: Becky Wittenburg

Any softball coach or player who wants to learn more softball drills can easily find a lot of drills in books and videos and on the internet. Most of these drills cost money but some of them are free. These free girls softball fastpitch drills are very good. Most of the free drills focus on throwing, fielding, and hitting the ball.

Throwing the Ball

The position of a player determines the most common types of throws that player will have to make. For example, a 3rd baseman will need to make hard throws all the way across the diamond to 1st base while a right fielder will most commonly have to make a longer throw from the outfield to a cut-off man near the infield or to a base.

The Before Inning Warm-up Drill

All softball coaches and players know what players do before an inning begins. The first baseman throws a grounder to each infielder while the outfielder stands in their positions and play catch. This is a common drill during games but it should also be performed everyday in practice.

The Relay Throws Drill

The Relay Throws Drill is another one of the good free girls softball fastpitch drills. This drill involves 2 outfields lining up on each side of an infielder. Each player should be about 100 feet apart.

One of the outfielders starts out with the ball and throws the infielder the ball using the crow-hop. The infielder catches the ball, pivots, and uses the crow-hop while throwing the ball to the other outfielder. That outfielder catches the ball and then throws back to the infielder, once again using the crow-hop.

This drill allows all 3 players to practice throwing using a crow-hop. It also helps teach the outfielders to hit the cutoff man. Finally, it helps the infielder practice receiving the cutoff throw, pivoting, and throwing to the desired base.

Fielding

It doesn't matter how well a team can hit and pitch if the team can't play good defense in the field. The key to playing good defense is for every player to be fundamentally sound. A great drill for this the No Glove Fielding Drill.

The No Glove Fielding Drill

Just as the name suggests, this fastpitch softball drill requires players to field the ball without a glove. The drill can be run with bare hands or with a board that is specially made for the drill and worn on the fielders' glove hand.

Players can either field balls hit to them by the coach (more advanced) or they can field balls rolled to them. They need to concentrate on keeping their upper bodies square with the ball (get in front of the ball), bending at the knees, and cradling the ball with two hands into their body.

Once players master the technique of fielding without a glove then they will find fielding with a glove much easier.

Hitting

The only way for a player to get better with hitting the ball is for them to actually hit. Players can either hit a ball off a tee (to work on the basics) or they can hit pitches. Also, a part of hitting that is often overlooked is bunting. Players should be required to lay down at least 3 bunts every time they take batting practice (BP). If possible, players should take BP every practice and before every game.

Look for Free Girls Fastpitch Softball Drills

Softball players need to be drilled on the basics of the game (throwing, fielding, and hitting) as often as possible. Any coach or player who is looking for drills to do can easily find them. In fact, there are a great many free girls softball fastpitch drills on the internet.

Becky Wittenburg has been coaching softball for over 15 years- it is her true passion. She's constantly on the lookout for new free girls softball fastpitch drills. You can get instant access to a sample of her softball practice plans by visiting her website:


SoftballSpot.com

For a limited time, all coaches who visit Becky's site will also get a free copy of her special report: "The 7 Biggest Mistakes Softball Coaches Make". Go get your free copy today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Becky_Wittenburg

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Drills and Activities to Improve Softball Pitching

Drills and Activities to Improve Softball Pitching
By guest author: Marc Dagenais

Softball pitching is one of the offensive armaments in the softball. Most coaches and trainers pay much concentration in the pitching capability of the players because they believe that this added an artillery and fire power to the game. Poor pitching techniques oftentimes results to a bad performance of the team. Worse, it might lead to losing the game. That is why there is a more complexity in the field of softball pitching drills and activities. Softball players should be equipped with the dos and don'ts of the softball pitching process.

Read on and perfect these valuable drills and activities which will help you get an edge over hitter and batting lineup you face:

The pitching all happens with the release. When this is happening just: · Stay Tall · Pull your shoulders back · Have a firm front side · No bending at the waist

For lower body pitching mechanics: · Make a powerful push from the pitching rubber · Build up a strong, fast and long stride · Make a push-back against the stride leg as the pitching arm comes down through the release point

To maximize your pitching speed, you must: · Make sure that your upper body is upright when at the release · You push back against your stride leg · Your shoulders should most of the time way closed · Your hips should be halfway or less closed at the release

The power, the speed and the landing of the stride determines how effectively the pitcher can push back against the stride in order to throw the ball with a maximum speed.

The fastest pitch depends on the lower portion of a pitcher's body. Remember to always improve the speed and control of the leaping styles. The leaping style must have a fast and strong push-off from the pitching rubber in order to drive the stride leg out fast and far.

Always look at the power and the quickness of the stride to allow for a blocking or a hard push against the stride leg at the end of the pitch sequence. Ideally, your pitching strides must be precise and sure so that a powerful pitching technique will be achieved.

Softball pitching requires technique, speed and proper pitching location. The edge to softball pitching lies upon the perfection of the most comfortable techniques you already have or at least bend your softball life on learning more of the existing pitching techniques.

Marc Dagenais, MHK, CSCS, is a softball peak performance coach that helps players and teams hit with more power, run faster, throw harder, become mentally tougher, and be more dominant on the softball field. Visit us and sign-up to get tons of great FREE Softball Pitching tips to boost your game!

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Team Improvements Through the Use of Fastpitch Softball Drills

Team Improvements Through the Use of Fastpitch Softball Drills
By guest author: Troy A Phillips

The quality of your fastpitch softball drills is directly related to your teams ability to perform under a large diversity of in game situations. When coupled with repetition they can prepare your team for whatever challenge they face come game time.

All too often a new team is thrown into a game unprepared for the well oiled team of veterans. This has been known to place the whole group into a loosing mentality. They feel as if they are not as high a quality athletes as the winning team.

Nothing could be further from the truth in most cases. If they had only been given access to easy to implement fastpitch softball drills the feelings of inferiority could have been avoided.

Now I won't go so far as to tell you this is always the solution to the problem. The work ethic of the whole team has to be taken into consideration. This goes for the coaches and assistant, as well as the players.

In twenty plus years of coaching I have saw a lot of games lost because of coaching mistakes. I will not insult your intelligence by trying to convince you that I have never been the reason for a loss.

It is a good idea that all team staff be kept up to speed and on the same page.

This is extremely important when implementing fastpitch softball drills. Nothing spells confusion like a head coach saying one thing and an assistant telling the team something else. A quick team conference is usually a good idea before starting any type of whole team exercise.

Get to practice early and set up anything needed ahead of time. Set things up so that every player gets even time in each station. Any time a drill can be completed at a fast pace it can take some of conditioning's allotted practice time. Going into practice with a strict plan can mean the difference in getting everything needed completed and having to choose between being unprepared or running practice over. With the schedules for practice field time being an issue for almost all teams, unprepared is the usual result.

As you can see, a lot of different variables goes into running a well versed team. With proper communication, planning and the right resources, your team can be the ones that are smiling from ear to ear when it comes trophy time.

Speaking of resources, Make sure that all the information you use is set up and designed for fastpitch. All too often someone has took a standard baseball drill and changed he to she. Proper fastpitch softball drills are designed to work on specific parts of the game that are not related to any other sport.

This game is not a watered down version of baseball. Use game specific fastpitch softball drills and see your team improve dramatically ! That's all we deal with at http://www.bestfastpitchdrills.com/fastpitchsoftballdrills.

Troy Phillips

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Softball Pitcher's Face Mask Should Be Mandatory

Softball Pitcher's Face Mask Should Be Mandatory
By guest author: Jim Moyer

The time has come for the Sanctioning bodies of adult softball and youth fastpitch softball to require all softball pitchers and 3rd basemen to wear a protective softball face mask. While the actual risk of being hit in the face with a line drive is slight, the severity of the injury can be blindness or even death. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1991 reported that more than 100,000 cases of facial trauma occurred in children younger than 14 years while they participated in sports activities with a surprisingly high incidence of female pitchers that are hit with a batted ball.

A couple of real life examples that I have witnessed first hand. A few years back when my daughters softball team was just a 10 year old team, we had the opportunity to play a High School Junior Varsity team. During that game, one of our 10 year old girls hit a line shot back at the pitcher. The pitcher was just able to move her head enough that the ball glanced off the side of her head just above her ear. She immediately fell to the ground and everyone rushed the field to see about her. Fortunately the ball had glanced off of her rather than a straight on blunt impact. She only suffered from a rather severe abrasion on her head, a swollen ear, and a pretty good size knot on her head. Understand that I'm talking about a fairly athletic 14 year old girl only had the chance to react and turn her head about 45 degrees to avoid a ball hit by a 10 year old girl.

Just this season I was watching a fastpitch softball game of 12 year old girls. I was sitting by the father of the 3rd baseman and we were discussing how scary it is that coach's have the 3rd baseman play so close to home plate. Many 3rd baseman now play about 20 feet inside 3rd base and even closer when the coach thinks the other team is going to bunt. Later that same inning, a batter ripped a line drive about 18 inches directly over his daughter's head. She didn't even have time to flinch. Honestly, it was so sudden she didn't have time to duck or move her hands for protection. The dad, relieved that his daughter was okay, said, "That's it. I'm online tonight and will buy a protective face mask. She won't play 3rd base again without one."

One might think a protective face mask is only applicable to girls softball, but that would be naive. Just two years ago, I met a man that played recreational slow pitch softball. He proceeded to tell me that he still plays softball but he can no longer pitch. He had been struck in his right eye socket with a batted ball and could not risk being struck again. Are you ready for this, it took three surgeries and 189 stitches to repair the damage to his eye socket, nose, and cheek. I don't know his exact age, but I suspect he was in his late 20's or early 30's when the injury occurred.

The game of softball is the most participated sport in the U.S. Given this level of participation and the possible severity of facial injuries, it just makes sense that players in high risk positions should be required to wear a softball protective face mask. The unfortunate reality is that most people will not wear safety gear until they are required to do so. A couple of years ago, face masks on batting helmets became mandatory. In the year prior to that rule, my daughter's softball team was the only team in our fastpitch softball league that voluntarily put face masks on batting helmets. That's just one team out of approximately 50 teams.

I'm not sure why more players don't wear the protective face mask. I suspect some parents are not aware that it exists and many other parents don't want to spend the $40.00 because the odds are so slim. Imagine what the cost might be for a trip to the emergency room, a week in the hospital, and two or three re-constructive surgeries. That's just the actual financial cost. Also consider the potential of losing sight in one eye, or the mental damage associated with having scars from 189 stitches. Those costs can't be measured.

Now that you have been made aware of the safety issue, the severity of the injury, the knowledge that there are softball protective face masks on the market, what will your position be? Will you be proactive with your local league? If you coach, will you be proactive with your team? Finally, will you be proactive with your daughter, or with yourself if you play softball?

Slow pitch softball and fastpitch softball are great games. I hope you will take the necessary precautions to ensure your safety and those you are responsible for. For more information regarding softball game face protective masks, please see http://www.mysoftballcoach.com/game-face.html.

Jim Moyer is the author of http://www.mysoftballcoach.com Having coached over 500 youth fastpitch softball games, Jim decided to put the information online to allow parent/coaches to draw on his unique experience.

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5 Easy Softball Pitching Grip Strength Drills

5 Easy Softball Pitching Grip Strength Drills
By guest author: Brad Henks

Pitching in Fastpitch Softball takes a lot of raw talent,skill, knowledge of the game, practice and strength to be an elite pitcher. Many pitchers have the raw talent, they can gain the skills and the game knowledge from practice. To rise from an average pitcher to one that makes the riseball "pop" takes more than just practice, it takes a strong grip. And now a strong grip can be gained easily at home with these 5 easy steps.

This article will give you some simple drills that you can do at home. Most of the items mentioned can be found in your pantry or garage. Just ask your parents to help you find them. These 5 simple drills can help you go from an average fastpitch softball pitcher to a great one.

Drill 1:

Grab a can of soup or vegetables from the pantry. A small 2 lb weight is also good for this. Any small weight you can fit in your hand.

Hold the can in your hand with palms down. Then raise your wrists up and down 15-20 times. (Increase the weight if you don't feel it in your forearm on top.) Rest 1 minute, then repeat this for 3-5 sets.

Drill 2:

This is a modification of the first drill. Simply hold the can with palms up and raise your wrists up and down 15-20 times until you feel it. Then do one more. Rest 1 minute, then repeat 3-5 reps.

(Drills 1 and 2 can be done using a weighted ball just as well.)

Drill 3:

This drill requires a rod about 15 inches long, a length of rope or cord about 24 inches long, a heavy weight aprx 5 lbs.. ( an empty milk jug filled with water works great)

Tie the weight to one end of the rope, then tie the other end to the center of the rod.

Hold the rod with your palms facing down and equally spaced on the rod.

Begin to roll the rod and raise the weight all the way to the rod. Hold it for 3 seconds, then slowly unroll until it is all the way down again.

Repeat this rolling up and down 15 times. Rest 1 minute and repeat for 3 reps. You should really feel this in your upper forearms and hands. Increase the weight until 12-15 raises is all you can do.

Drill 4:

Use the same contraption used in Drill 3. This time turn your hands palms up and roll the weight all the way up and then slowly down 15 times. Rest 1 minute and repeat for 3 reps. Increase the weight until 12-15 raises is all you can do.

Drill 5:

This one is a little different. Take a 2 liter soda bottle filled about half way with water. Hold it by the top and flip it up and catch bottom end in your hand. Grab again by the top and repeat the flips 15 times. Repeat with the other hand. Do 3 reps.

Do these drills 3 times a week and in the off season you will notice a huge increase in grip strength. When fastpitch softball season comes your spins will be significantly faster and it will be easier to grip the ball.

BONUS DRILLS

Do you want to find more bonus drills? You can increase your spin rate dramatically by following these and more. Find pitching grip strength drills that college and pro players use. Some of these are pretty intense, so if you are serious about softball pitching click the link below now.

Even More Pitching Strength Drills

Fastpitch Softball pitchers that want to increase their spin rate or just need to get stronger. Find more articles and bonus drills and videos about pitching grip strength by clicking the links below. Also find lots of good information about fastpitch softball gloves.

http://www.BuyFastpitchGloves.com/articles.html

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Fastpitch Softball - Basics on How Its Done & Fastpitch Softball Pitching Equipment

Fastpitch Softball - Basics on How Its Done & Fastpitch Softball Pitching Equipment
By guest author: Mike Ripley

The game of softball is often confused with the game of baseball and many are often lead to believe that if one plays baseball one can play softball too. Before one discusses what softball pitching is all about it would be worth while to just have a glimpse of some of the differences. Softball as a game has its roots in the game of baseball. In softball the numbers of innings are limited to seven; the ball is thrown underhand and played on a smaller ground. The game of softball has been attributed to George Hancock and since then this game has become increasingly popular. Today it is played in countries all over the world.

Pitching a softball requires quite a bit of practice. It's not just about throwing the ball but instead requires proper hand and body coordination before the ball is pitched.

The whole idea of softball pitching concentrates around the pitchers body position with respect to the pitchers plate, the gripping of the ball in the hand and the proper positioning of the foot. A full understanding of these positions will help a softball pitcher perform better.

While pitching a softball the weak foot is usually placed at the end of the back of the pitch plate with the feet placed apart at around shoulder length. The arms are kept at the sides and the back heel is lifted in the air. This gives more strength to the front foot and greater balance. The weight can be shifted to the back by rocking the arms in a backward position. The arm is now brought forward with the ball in the glove such that the ball remains hidden from the batter. Rotating the ball in the air in the vertical direction and moving it in a circle the ball is released from the hip position. The action finishes by looking at the direction of the catcher. This is the essence of softball pitching where the main softball equipment with respect to the pitcher is the ball and the gloves.

However, there is fast-pitch softball also known as fast pitch or just fastpitch. This term refers to a form of softball played by women, though male and mixed fast pitch leagues also exist. They commonly start at the age of 6 and play it through the college. The International Softball Federation recognizes three pitch speeds: fast pitch, medium pitch and slow pitch. The fast pitch is considered as the most competitive form of softball. This form of softball was played in Olympic Games from 1996 till 2008.

Softball equipment helps a player to perform at the highest level possible. It is important that bats, gloves, cleats, apparel and more, are top notch in performance, quality, and durability at an affordable price. Nokona as a main manufacturer of softball equipment offers great quality and affordable prices. They make bat bags, softball knee leg guards, catcher gear and accessories (such as Nokona wrist saver, Nokona palm saver, Nokona classic glove conditioner, leather lacings, leather bags, NGM Nokona glove mallet).

Nokona athletic company provides softball players with quality gloves. They come in following series, Buffalo. Buckaroo, Classic Combo and Walnut Classic. They also use a wide range of materials to get the best results. Therefore, Buffalo and Classic Combo are made of American range bison, the leather which provides soft and sturdy at the same time. More over, Buckaroo is combination of kangaroo and cowhides to form lightweight gloves. At last, but not least important Nokona built its reputation on famous Walnut 'crunch' leather. For fastpitch, in their rich array they included series such are Catcher's mitts, Elite and Youth.

Fastpitch softball pitching equipment
http://fastpitchsoftballpitching.org
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Excellent Drills For Softball Pitching

Excellent Drills For Softball Pitching
By guest author: Marc Dagenais

It is known to every pitcher that a good hitter won't able to beat a good pitcher. Softball pitching is one of the most difficult positions in a softball game. It is a skill that needs your intense thinking to what would be the best strategy to use while keeping yourself in concentration inside the diamond. It is a must that if you desire to be good pitcher, you should know what are the drills to use in order to improve your pitching skills.

Excellent softball pitching is not innate in us, it is being developed! Why have your drills? First, it is to identify the key parts of motion so that you can concentrate on it. This will also speed up your learning. Second, drill makes you repeat your movement per time. With this kind of training, you would be able to master the pitching mechanics. It is a must that you should get the correct form so as to perfect it.

Here are some of those drills that you can use in perfecting that excellent pitch.

1. Static pitching - you will throw the ball so a catcher should stand by. You should be facing the catcher about 8 to 10 meters (24 to 30 feet) in distance. Throw the ball in windmill motion while the feet remains steady or stay in place. Rotate your body in full motion. You may start at easy pace. Just add more speed gradually as you become comfortable with your motion. This drill promotes upper body rotation increase your pitching power.

2. Dry Pitching - you may begin with the typical pitching position, long step forward, and stride foot in front of pivot foot. At a rate of 1minute per second. Pitch your arm in continuous full circles. You should aim your rounding circles with your target, with your arms close to head at top. Arm must meet your hips at point of release on each repetition. This drill is designed develop a perfect circle and to promote arm-hip coordination.

3. Pendulum drill - begin with a long step forward, with your foot in a stride position in front of your pivot foot. Your pitching hand should be at the top of the down-swing, or half back of the circle. Put your pitching arm down to the release point and hold it tight against body for a second. The weight should be at your back foot. Finish the movement by forcing the body and hips forward by pushing hard with your pivot foot. As your movement becomes natural, allow your arm to swing right through without pausing. Just ensure that the arm continues to brush your hip each time you do it. This drill will improve your throwing skills with your whole body working, not just with your arms.

These are just some of those many softball pitching drills that you can use in order to improve your pitching skills. By continue doing those drill and research some more will guarantee you a best form in doing your softball pitching.

Marc Dagenais, MHK, CSCS, is a softball peak performance coach that helps players and teams hit with more power, run faster, throw harder, become mentally tougher, and be more dominant on the softball field. Visit us and sign-up to get tons of great FREE softball pitching tips to boost your game!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marc_Dagenais

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The Categories they have are: BatAction Hitting Machines, Hurricane Hitting Machines, Batting Cages, Pitching Machines, Jugs Equipment, Game and Practice Baseballs, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, Portable Pitching Mounds, Baseball DVDs & Books, Clearance Items on Sales, NEDCO Bataction Replacement Parts, Baseball Training Equipment, Youth Baseball Training Equipment, Training Bats, Pitching & Throwing Trainers, Defensive Trainers, SKLZ Hurricane Replacement Parts and Much Much More! Visit Baseball2U.com today!

Coaching Softball - Important Points to Keep

Coaching Softball - Important Points to Keep
By guest author: Marc Dagenais


The overwhelming increase and demand for softball nowadays pushes softball coaches and players to think of different methods of how to make their coaching and training more effective and more dynamic. That is why a number of internet resources and guidelines on efficient coaching softball techniques are coming out and being distributed throughout the World Wide Web. It is time for every softball coach to take advantage of the multitudes of effective coaching softball techniques and strategies available online for everyone's utilization and employment.

Coaching softball is not a simple and easy task but with some of these tips, one will most definitely improve the current status and playing softball skills of his or her softball team...

The very basic aspect of coaching softball involves total and complete trust and belief amongst coach and players. Trust and belief in the entire team is the basis of everything. Without trust and belief in each other all efforts of the coach to unite and maximize the player's potential would be for nothing. That is why it is very crucial for all individuals coaching softball to establish and maintain trust at all times not only during practices but in competitions as well.

It is the job of softball coaches to always provide their team with the best softball drills and practice exercises available. When choosing the right softball drills, it is best to consider each of the player's strengths and weaknesses. You would want to eliminate certain weaknesses in your team such as slow running, low focus levels, distractions etc. There are a lot of softball practices and drills that will help solve these problems. Also, try to provide varied and new practice drills to avoid a monotonous and bored team. Keep in mind that as long as the players are excited and eager to learn and practice, they will most certainly improve and advance.

Softball coaching involves being fair and just at all times. Never ever show your team hints of favoritism. That will cause jealousy, riot, and ultimately a low team unity and trust. And as all softball coaches know teamwork and trust between each member is one of the most vital aspects of winning a game. So, it is highly crucial for you to stay unbiased as much as possible. Give each team member the punishment and praise that is due them.

When coaching softball, one has to learn how to identify and work with the player's current level or playing status and adjust from there. Not all players are capable of performing certain high-level drills so it is highly vital to give the players the proper training and coaching that is right for their current level and work your way upwards. Take coaching softball slow and one step at a time. First make a thorough analysis of the entire team and from there, develop and cultivate their strengths and abilities for ultimate softball performance and productivity. Do keep in mind that not every player of the team has equal strengths and weaknesses... asses each player's capabilities and work your way up from there. Never give them what they cannot handle.

Do keep in mind that all good things start small and advances through time and effort just like coaching softball... Remember that these points when softball coaching should be kept in one's heart and mind always for the benefit of the entire softball team.

Marc Dagneais is Softball Peak Performance Coach that helps softball players turn their athletic talent into extraordinary performances and help coaches get more out of their players, turn their struggling team around or get an edge over their opponents. Visit us to access our directory of FREE softball drills!

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Increase Your Pitching Speed - Softball Pitching Drills

Softball Pitching Drills for Increasing Speed
By Geoff James

Believe it or not, increasing your pitching speed is not directly related to how fast your windmill is. The form of the circle and moment of release are more important than one rush of brute strength. Try these drills to increase speed and precision while pitching:

The Bend & Snap!

Trade your standard softball for a weight ball. Bend down on one knee facing your catcher about halfway between the mound and home plate. Flick the ball directly to the catcher using only your wrist. Do this 10-15 times. Back up 5 feet and repeat the drill until you get to the mound, when you will swap to the windmill using a regulation softball. Having practiced precision with the weight ball, your windmill pitch will gain some added oomf when coming off the mound.

Circle the Square.

Stand in your stride position, feet slightly wider that shoulder width. Check that your toes are on the power line, then wind up for your windmill. Make three circles as fast as you can before you release the ball. Taking those extra rotations can help you to increase arm speed before releasing the ball. Do this 10 times, then do 10 more pitches but with only two rotations. By the time you work down to the next 10, done with only one rotation, you should notice that your windmill is just a bit faster than it was before!

Warning: Windmills, especially if your shoulders are not loose or relaxed enough, can be painful. Make sure to take time between pitches as needed to recover. If it hurts, take a break to stretch your shoulder out.

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5 Softball Pitching Drills

5 Softball Pitching Drills
By Marc Dagenais

Drill 1: Fast and Slow

Purpose: To practice changing speeds.

Procedure: Working with her catcher, the pitcher alternates fast and off-speed pitches. The goal is to keep the delivery the same.

Drill 2: Football Toss

Purpose: To develop correct rise-ball release.

Procedure: The pitcher throws a junior-sized football underhand to a partner. Grip it along the seam with all the fingers and with the thumb on the opposite side. The ball should spiral. If it wobbles in flight, the palm has turned toward the catcher at release.

Drill 3: Four-Corner Control

Purpose: To develop control and accuracy.

Procedure: The pitcher throws to the extreme four corners of the strike zone. When she achieves accuracy at one spot, she moves the target to the next corner. A catcher or a target on the wall can be used. To adjust for the in and out targets, the pitcher must adjust her body angle from her normal stance. She turns the toe on the rubber about a half inch in or out from the position she used to throw to the middle of the plate.

Drill 4: Wrist Snap Behind Back

Purpose: To develop the wrist snap by isolating the wrist, which prevents the pitcher from using the elbow to snap the ball.

Procedure: The pitcher stands sideways 5 to 10 feet from the catcher or a wall. The glove side faces the target, and the ball is behind the back. The pitcher flips the ball by snapping the wrist.

Drill 5: Oversized and Undersized Ball Spins

Purpose: To make the pitcher practice throwing a riseball.

Procedure: Using a baseball or an 11-inch ball may help the pitcher make the correct movements to get underneath the ball. The smaller the size of the ball allows the fingers to be more flexible and allows the correct movements to occur with less effort. A pitcher can use an undersized ball when initially trying to create muscle memory for the correct spin movements. An oversized ball is helpful in speeding up the wrist snap because the hand must pass under more area in the same amount of time. The oversized ball can also illustrate the spin to a pitcher who may be struggling with the backward concept. A 14-inch ball seems to be the perfect size because the pitcher can hold on to it comfortably throughout the circle before snapping the wrist at release. The routine used with these balls can mirror the routing used with the Spinner-starting close up without the circle and adding distance as well as the full circle.

Marc Dagenais is a softball peak performance coach that provides softball tips, softball drills, and information on techniques for hitting, pitching, coaching, and training through his blog at http://www.softballperformance.com/blog

He also helps softball players and coaches improves their game by sharing with them the tips and strategies used by the world's best softball players and coaches to achieve extraordinary performances. You can sign-up to get his FREE Softball Tips at http://www.softballperformance.com/softball-tips.html Go Sign-up Now!

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Softball Tips on Five Common Nutrition Mistakes and How to Fix Them

SoftballrUs.com

By Marc Dagenais

If you are serious softball player, then, you may have undergone a rigorous training for the past several weeks, working on tapering and perfecting your performance for the coming tournament. You may know that aside from improving your performance, you need to carefully watch what you eat and drink. And so, you may be eating a lot of foods rich in carbohydrates, consuming a lot of water and loading up on vegetables like broccoli and beans. But is this the right thing to do?

What you eat before the game seriously affects how you perform on the field. But what you may be doing is so extreme that you are not really helping your body to achieve proper nutrition. You may be skipping a meal, consuming too much food and drink or munching on foods that may not agree with your stomach. So, in order to avoid some common nutrition mistakes, here are some softball nutrition tips that you can follow and can help you get ready for your game.

First Mistake: Consuming a Boxful of Pasta

Most softball players think that they need to load up on carbohydrates to achieve optimum energy that they would be able to expend during the game on the next day. But the problem with carbo loading is that your body may not be able to burn all of the carbohydrates that you consumed, which can lead to digestive problems and even cause you to rush to the toilet often during the game.

How to Fix This:

Eat in moderation and do this days before your game. For instance, for breakfast, you can eat oatmeal. For lunch, you can have potatoes. And finally, for dinner, you can eat pasta. Be sure to consume food that is enough to satisfy your hunger so, you do not have to experience indigestion our sleeping problems.

Second Mistake: Consuming Gallons of Water

Hydration is very important but if you are going to drink more water than your body needs, you would have a bloated feeling as well as harm your electrolyte levels. This can lead to muscle cramps and even worse, hyponatremia, a fatal disease caused by exceptionally low sodium levels.

How to Fix This:

Several days before your game, you can drink a variety of fluids that you would normally consume to achieve proper hydration. You can drink water, juice or sports drink. And during the morning on the day of your game or approximately three hours before, you can consume about sixteen ounces of water or other fluids so, your body would have the time for processing the fluids.

Third Mistake: Consuming Too Much Fiber

It is good to eat a lot of fruits, vegetables and other sources of fiber but the problem with eating too much fiber is that if you are not used to eating these, you may experience uncomfortable gas and coupled with pre-race jitters, you would feel stomach pain.

How to Fix This:

Avoid from eating too much fiber a few days before your game, especially when your body is not used to digesting a lot of fiber. You can opt for cereal but be sure to eat small amounts only. You can also eat small amounts of fruits of vegetables.

Fourth Mistake: Missing Breakfast

You may get nervous and jittery on the day of your game that can cause you to lose your appetite. But even so, it is very important for you not to miss breakfast because dong so would mean that your body would not have the energy that you need to perform well and last through all the innings of your softball game.

How to Fix This:

If you have no appetite on the day of your game, be sure to get up from bed a few extra hours so, you can have a slow breakfast. If your stomach has a hard time digesting solid food, then, opt for fruit smoothies that can give you the energy that you need without making you feel overly full.

Fifth Mistake: Attempting to Consume a New Dish

Remember not to eat any new dish that you may not have tried before the game, especially because if the food affects your body abnormally, this may lead to diarrhea or other digestion problems.

How to Fix This:

Be sure to eat what you are familiar with several days before your game. You can eat cereal or any food that you are used to in small amounts.
As mentioned before, it is very important for you to achieve proper nutrition in order to help you stay at the top of your game. So, be sure to avoid the five common nutrition mistakes given above and at the same time, follow the softball nutrition tips that can steer you away from committing these mistakes.

Marc Dagenais is a softball peak performance coach that helps softball players and coaches improves their game by sharing with them the tips and strategies used by the world's best softball players and coaches to achieve extraordinary performances. Visit his site and sign-up to get his FREE softball hitting tips!
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Marc_Dagenais

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SoftballrUs.com/FastpitchSoftballSupply.com is the ultimate online fastpitch softball online store. SoftballrUs.com has Batting Trainers,Pitching Training, Training Bats,Defensive Training Equipment,Coaching DVDs & Books, Softball Pitching Machines, Softball Complete Net & Frame Batting Cage Packages, Batting Cage Nets, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, and BatAction Hitting Machines, and much, much more. Visit Softballrus.com now!