halskinner
Banned
- May 7, 2008
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SOME PITCHING TERMINOLOGY
Pitching Styles. There are two types of pitching styles; Step Style and Leap and Drag. Those are the only two styles.
What people often refer to as a pitching style but is NOT a style. Open mechanics and closed mechanics. Either a leap and drag pitcher or a step style pitcher can utilize either closed or open mechanics. Example: A leap and drag pitcher using closed mechanics.
When referring to a “style” of pitching, some people will call it by the name that has been given to the type of windup they use. There are several types of windups that can be used and they each have a different name or slang term they have been called over the years. Example: A leap and drag style pitcher utilizing closed mechanics and a double-pump windup many times is simply referred to as a “double-pump” pitcher.
If someone was trying to describe a young pitcher that was having an issue and they used these terms to describe how they pitch, us old farts would get a much clearer picture of the way the pitcher is pitching.
Not trying to pic nits here but it would save having to ask a whole lot of questions so that the best picture can be painted with words.
Stride length. A pitchers stride length is the distance, in inches, from the front of the rubber to the tip of her stride foot shoe at the instant of stride foot landing or touch down.
Pre-motions, “The Pitch” , “Delivery” and “The Follow-Through”
1. The Pre-motions are whatever the pitcher does with her body prior to bringing the hands together (holding the ball in the glove).
2. The Pitch starts when the hands separate and lasts until the ball is released to the batter.
3. Once the pitcher releases the ball the “pitch” is over and the delivery has begun.
4. The “Follow-Through” is whatever the pitcher does with her body after the ball has been released.
A lot of dads/coaches will refer to the pitcher's circle as the pitcher ‘mound’. There is no pitchers mound in softball, there is only a pitchers circle. I have even heard a few of our former Olympians calling it “the mound” while being a commentator for a game. If you type “pitcher’s mound”, you will look just as silly as they sounded.
This is not everything certainly but maybe it will get everybody pointed in a direction everybody can understand.
Coach Hal
HS/ks
Pitching Styles. There are two types of pitching styles; Step Style and Leap and Drag. Those are the only two styles.
What people often refer to as a pitching style but is NOT a style. Open mechanics and closed mechanics. Either a leap and drag pitcher or a step style pitcher can utilize either closed or open mechanics. Example: A leap and drag pitcher using closed mechanics.
When referring to a “style” of pitching, some people will call it by the name that has been given to the type of windup they use. There are several types of windups that can be used and they each have a different name or slang term they have been called over the years. Example: A leap and drag style pitcher utilizing closed mechanics and a double-pump windup many times is simply referred to as a “double-pump” pitcher.
If someone was trying to describe a young pitcher that was having an issue and they used these terms to describe how they pitch, us old farts would get a much clearer picture of the way the pitcher is pitching.
Not trying to pic nits here but it would save having to ask a whole lot of questions so that the best picture can be painted with words.
Stride length. A pitchers stride length is the distance, in inches, from the front of the rubber to the tip of her stride foot shoe at the instant of stride foot landing or touch down.
Pre-motions, “The Pitch” , “Delivery” and “The Follow-Through”
1. The Pre-motions are whatever the pitcher does with her body prior to bringing the hands together (holding the ball in the glove).
2. The Pitch starts when the hands separate and lasts until the ball is released to the batter.
3. Once the pitcher releases the ball the “pitch” is over and the delivery has begun.
4. The “Follow-Through” is whatever the pitcher does with her body after the ball has been released.
A lot of dads/coaches will refer to the pitcher's circle as the pitcher ‘mound’. There is no pitchers mound in softball, there is only a pitchers circle. I have even heard a few of our former Olympians calling it “the mound” while being a commentator for a game. If you type “pitcher’s mound”, you will look just as silly as they sounded.
This is not everything certainly but maybe it will get everybody pointed in a direction everybody can understand.
Coach Hal
HS/ks
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