Improving the pitchers defensive play

One of the things I like to do with my pitchers is to have them stand at their pitching distance and pitch a wiffle ball giving a full pitching motion. When they start their motion I toss a ball up and hit a ground ball at them forcing them to field a ball hit back at them after delivering a pitch. It's as close as I can make it to a game situation as possible. Most times I have to remind them they need to be a pitcher first and make the pitch. Once the ball has been released then they become a fielder.

maksoftball said:

DD does this too. There were times she was comfortable but one time she threw down hard twice in one game - ever since then, she throws like this (if doable) - she does field and throw bunts though - helps that she plays 1B (and has played 3B before) so the bunt is memorized drill for her.

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My DD 3 used to play SS and 3B, but now plays 1B when she isn't pitching.

One of the toughest things in the world is throwing a ball overhand accurately after countless underhand throws.

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I have witnessed this in both men's and women's fastpitch softball.

I witnessed it this year with Florida at the Super Regionals, where the Florida pitcher sailed a couple past first base after fielding semi-routine balls. I also witnessed it with the Florida pitcher in the WCWS, where the all American pitcher missed badly on a throw to 2nd base during the season that Florida brought home its' 1st National Championship trophy.

My pitching dd got the overhand throwing yips around 16 or 17 years old. It followed her into her 1st year of college softball, where her college coach taught her to toss the ball underhand to 1st base. This wasn't bad advice, if there is no one on base. But, I can tell you from personal experience that it isn't any fun for a bucket dad to watch a game where his dd fields a ball, looks back the runner at third base and throws an underhand toss to first base for the out, yet have the girl on third score because she is tossing a ball to 1st base. I was hoping that a college coach would have the magic answer, but he didn't.

At first, I thought her overhand throwing yips while pitching were mental. Then, I thought it was improper throwing mechanics, but I play overhand catch with her daily, prior to pitching, and she doesn't have a problem. My latest theory is that she doesn't get her legs under her after fielding a ball, and doesn't have a firm foundation to throw overhand. So I've emphasized foot work and getting the lower half of the body connected to the upper half of the body when throwing to a base or person.

And is there some good creative pitcher defense drills to work on.

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My dd still pitches in college. During the summer, this bucket dad does a modified drill of the previous posters on this thread. I have her throw different pitches and after catching a ball, at random intervals, I will roll the ball to a location that she has to field. After I roll the ball, I will take off jogging to the left, towards third, or the right, towards first, and my dd has to field the ball and throw the ball to where I am positioned. Sometimes, I stop, and she has to throw the ball to me, sometimes I get to 1st base and sometimes I am running and she has to throw it to me while I am on the run. I want my dd to throw the ball hard to me, unless she is right up against me and close. I want her to read the bucket dad and adapt to situation.

So next time you walk by a field and see a bucket dad catch a pitch, roll a ball and run or jog away from the pitcher and the pitcher throws the ball hard to the bucket dad, you'll know sleepwalker is working on his dd's overhand throwing after several underhanded pitches. We get a lot of funny looks from people, because it is random grounders.

I never thought about the overhand yips until I had a dd. When I was growing up, we used to play 1 on 1 whiffle ball. Your first option was to strike the kid out with nasty breaking pitches. The next option was to catch a fly ball for an out and the third option was to field the ball and throw it as hard as you could between the runner and the base that he was advancing to for an out. Heck, we even called the guy out if we hit him with the ball and he was off of the base running.

Putting away the South Park "Remember Berries".