- Jun 12, 2015
- 3,848
- 83
I figure if we focus on good mechanics, the rest will fall into place.
speed v. accuracy
- Thread starter cvsoftball
- Start date
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I figure if we focus on good mechanics, the rest will fall into place.
You want to learn the mechanics while throwing hard. Which is why my students spend considerable time throwing into a tarp. True work on mechanics is best accomplished without a catcher/bucket parent. Try this sometime. Shoot HS video of the mechanics without a ball, then with a ball into a tarp, then throwing to location a full distance. Note how things go downhill from without a ball to, the tarp, then to location. Another is have her throw into her glove. If like most kids you will see some pretty good IR and arm whip. From the exact same position have them throw to a catcher and everything changes.
I didn't go that route with DD. But thanks for posting the process. I think we agree that you always use full motion. Not that I disagree with segmenting... also just didn't do it... we started with ... "up together, down together"
I do have several I'm going to be starting out again with. I'm going to try and condense the best of both. Using a couple things I've learned from the dreaded Tech Hitting.
Slo-mo matrix
*Throw into a mirror with target
*Throw into a weighted glove...then just glove until you can do it with full motion.
*Throw into tarp... I'm going to calibrate their distance needed of the tarp/carpet, and have the release target on it.
*Throw the distance 35' 40' & 43' ... no warm up graduations.... no long toss
*Throw walk-thru's for only about a week... then
*Throw about 6 two steps every warm-up forever.
I do have several I'm going to be starting out again with. I'm going to try and condense the best of both. Using a couple things I've learned from the dreaded Tech Hitting.
Slo-mo matrix
*Throw into a mirror with target
*Throw into a weighted glove...then just glove until you can do it with full motion.
*Throw into tarp... I'm going to calibrate their distance needed of the tarp/carpet, and have the release target on it.
*Throw the distance 35' 40' & 43' ... no warm up graduations.... no long toss
*Throw walk-thru's for only about a week... then
*Throw about 6 two steps every warm-up forever.
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On my daughters 10u team we have a girl who throws slow but is extremely accurate at hitting her spots. Our fielders get a ton of practice, mostly cut-off work as the balls are scorched into the gaps.
IMO, this topic isn't an either/or. You need command AND the ability to throw with velocity. Changing speeds and locations is key. You can't have one or the other you need both. Since command is a product of mechanics, it makes sense, at least to me to teach pitching with a focus on good mechanics with an emphasis on velocity. "Slow it down and throw strikes" is not a lesson I or any of my daughters coaches would preach.
IMO, this topic isn't an either/or. You need command AND the ability to throw with velocity. Changing speeds and locations is key. You can't have one or the other you need both. Since command is a product of mechanics, it makes sense, at least to me to teach pitching with a focus on good mechanics with an emphasis on velocity. "Slow it down and throw strikes" is not a lesson I or any of my daughters coaches would preach.
OK... here is last weekends outing.... I'm guessing
#1 (^> 40's mph)
#2 (^>> mid 40's mph)
#3 (^>>> 50's mph)
#4 (\/ 50's mph)
Hoping to get FFS to tell me what they are.
16U... do you think that's fast enough ? She can do the same with a CB...Of course she needs another pitch... the "65mph" and it will make all this work even better...until then Spot the Spin to win.
<video width="512" height="288" controls="controls">
<source src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/58923514/Pitching/bc-sb.mp4" type="video/mp4" />
</video>
#1 (^> 40's mph)
#2 (^>> mid 40's mph)
#3 (^>>> 50's mph)
#4 (\/ 50's mph)
Hoping to get FFS to tell me what they are.
16U... do you think that's fast enough ? She can do the same with a CB...Of course she needs another pitch... the "65mph" and it will make all this work even better...until then Spot the Spin to win.
<video width="512" height="288" controls="controls">
<source src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/58923514/Pitching/bc-sb.mp4" type="video/mp4" />
</video>
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crvsoftball:
There is a practice strategy for control.
A kid doesn't learn how to "throw strikes". A kid learns how to move the location of the ball from point to point. Why? In softball, the strike zone changes from batter to batter and umpire to umpire. The critical skill is being able to move the ball two to three inches. That isn't a very big difference between pitches...so it is really up to the pitcher to develop a feel for moving the ball.
The drills are more like games. They are challenges and problems for the pitcher to solve. Once a pitcher understands the basics of control, the coach should simply "shut up" when the pitcher is working on control other than offering words of encouragement.
2) Some drills:
a) The basic practice is to divide the strike zone into 4 quadrants (high inside, high outside, low outside, low inside). The pitcher then throws a pitch into each quadrant, working her way around the the zone. The pitcher cannot move to the next quadrant until she throws a pitch into that quadrant. When she can successfully do this a few times in a row, then you start randomly selecting quadrants.
As the pitcher progresses, you tighten what is a "successful" pitch into a quadrant. E.g., a newbie pitcher would be successful as long as the pitch is somewhere in the quadrant as long as the catcher can reach and grab the ball. A mid level pitcher might have to hit the glove. An advanced pitcher is only successful if the catcher doesn't move her mitt.
b) Another drill that is fun is to use bungee chords. You use a couple of polls and then use bungee chords to create square. The pitcher has to throw through the square. After every five successes, the bungee chords are moved and the square is reduced. Believe it or not, super advanced pitchers can throw the ball through a square that is only slightly larger than the ball.
c) Pitchers can throw against a wall. Paint a square on the wall about the size of the strike zone. The pitcher starts at 20 feet from the wall. Each time she hits the paint, she takes a step back. Each time she misses the paint, she steps forward.
There is a practice strategy for control.
A kid doesn't learn how to "throw strikes". A kid learns how to move the location of the ball from point to point. Why? In softball, the strike zone changes from batter to batter and umpire to umpire. The critical skill is being able to move the ball two to three inches. That isn't a very big difference between pitches...so it is really up to the pitcher to develop a feel for moving the ball.
The drills are more like games. They are challenges and problems for the pitcher to solve. Once a pitcher understands the basics of control, the coach should simply "shut up" when the pitcher is working on control other than offering words of encouragement.
2) Some drills:
a) The basic practice is to divide the strike zone into 4 quadrants (high inside, high outside, low outside, low inside). The pitcher then throws a pitch into each quadrant, working her way around the the zone. The pitcher cannot move to the next quadrant until she throws a pitch into that quadrant. When she can successfully do this a few times in a row, then you start randomly selecting quadrants.
As the pitcher progresses, you tighten what is a "successful" pitch into a quadrant. E.g., a newbie pitcher would be successful as long as the pitch is somewhere in the quadrant as long as the catcher can reach and grab the ball. A mid level pitcher might have to hit the glove. An advanced pitcher is only successful if the catcher doesn't move her mitt.
b) Another drill that is fun is to use bungee chords. You use a couple of polls and then use bungee chords to create square. The pitcher has to throw through the square. After every five successes, the bungee chords are moved and the square is reduced. Believe it or not, super advanced pitchers can throw the ball through a square that is only slightly larger than the ball.
c) Pitchers can throw against a wall. Paint a square on the wall about the size of the strike zone. The pitcher starts at 20 feet from the wall. Each time she hits the paint, she takes a step back. Each time she misses the paint, she steps forward.
Those are some of the same drills we used. Especially the 4 quadrant skill challenge. We also used a game I called 3-1 and have expanded it as she has gotten older. The basic beginner game goal is to throw 3 fastballs say low inside and then a change up away. And you have to hit at least one out of 3 before moving to another quadrant. We would do 5 sets so that's 20 pitches. Then the goal was 2 out of three fastballs. The change up is always the opposite side of the fastball quadrant. We expanded it when adding pitches. Like 3 four seam FB, 3 two FB, 3 drops, and 3 CU opposite side. Rise balls for up quadrants. No more than 15 pitches (3 pitches for each pitch she is working on, which is 5 for her) before we reset the game or if she completes the goal of 2 of 3 of each pitch in each quadrant then we move. We break a min between sets so she can chart how she did. Now when we do this its no more than 60 pitches total for the game. That's 15 per quadrant.
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We do a pyramid game. CU in 1 box, FB in 2 box, FB in 4 box; then reverse CU in 2 box, FB in 1 box, FB in 3 box.
Here is our set up. Ribbons are 4' out infront of plate. T-with ball left to remind of meatballs. 
- Nov 29, 2009
- 2,975
- 83
That is pretty much what I tell the girls new to pitching who I work with. I will point to the pitching rubber and tell them and, most importantly, the parents. "When everything is right there, the other end of the pitch takes care of itself." THE hardest part sometimes is to change the parents perception of "success" in the early stages of a girl learning how to pitch from being results driven, throw strikes, to process driven, learning control.
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