Front Toss Batting Practice

[smallball]

but this would hurt a kids timing, so not sure why you would ever front toss.

I don't front toss, I front throw, complete with changes of location and speed. Admittedly, it's not exactly the same as live pitching because I'm 25' away and behind a net, but I do use a full windmill motion so they can time me.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I wear a Gameface, anytime I am on the field. Arrant softballs seem attracted to me.

Tossing marshmallows is a fun hitting drill. Now, if someone has been injured do that, I quit.

SB, soft toss from the side goes against what Howard teaches. I don't use it at all. Well, I had to last night, but the student changed her mind about what lesson she wanted and I had taken almost everything out of the truck. I never see MLB doing soft toss from the side. And yes, I did practice that way for 30 years, so it wouldn't be something I would lose sleep over. There are many ways to teach hitting.

 

[Justanotherdad]

Front Toss to me is pitching from a shortened distance to work on timing and locations. I guess you could call it Front Throw too. Same thing.

Windmill at this point is not an option. Of the 3 choices I presented, what is the best option keeping timing, location and variety of pitch speeds etc in mind.

 

[quincy]

why do you sit on the ground as opposed to say a bucket?

Just to keep the trajectory of the ball lower, a little bit closer to what they see in the games.

 

[softballphreak]

Front Toss to me is pitching from a shortened distance to work on timing and locations. I guess you could call it Front Throw too. Same thing.

Windmill at this point is not an option. Of the 3 choices I presented, what is the best option keeping timing, location and variety of pitch speeds etc in mind.

I do mostly number 1. I can't windmill either but from 20 feet I'm pretty fast and pretty accurate. But I don't always throw fast, depends on what we're working on.

Sometimes I use number 2 for what I call grooming a swing. I just toss it in slow enough that the batter can set up on it and hit it however needed without being concerned about anything else.

Number 3 would work just as well if you are able to throw it better from there. Overhand won't matter. Mix locations, speeds. Give them something to time; it doesn't have to be a windmill pitch. I would keep the release point consistent though, wherever that happens to be.

Bottom line is do the one you do best.

 

[Wellphyt]

I do full windmill from behind a screen when I have the space. I can throw pretty hard from 35 feet if I use a jump step to get myself moving.

When I'm in my basement I sit on a bucket without a screen and front toss underhand. I wear a helmet and a jacket to protect my face an upper body.

I never do side toss.

 

[SBFAMILY]

Amy the way I soft toss from the side is exactly the way Howard and everyone that he has trained soft toss. Howard does not toss while standing in front of the student. He has a special designed chair that he sets on. The main thing is making sure the student looks ahead and not at you. Many are looking at you instead of having the eyes focused where a pitcher would release the ball.. We have something that represents the pitcher they must look at and when we soft toss we toss with a designed sequence to represent the load and then the ball is put in a section of the plate that we are working on. I have watched many soft toss that have no clue how to do it correctly . It is an art, just like feeding a pitching machine has to be done correctly or you ruin a kids timing. I watch many doing this wrong all summer long warming up teams. Timing is critical in softball. Even our pop up net or net should have a target area set up so the hitter or person helping them can spot where the balls are going. I recommend colored ropes be used. Our plates distance is also set up so we can judge where the student is hitting the ball.

 

[RichK]

When I'm in my basement I sit on a bucket without a screen and front toss underhand. I wear a helmet and a jacket to protect my face an upper body.

What are you tossing? I hope whiffles!

Do you have video of this? That would be a hitting video worth analyzing ; >

 

[CobraAssist]

Wellphyt - The voices in my head just told me YOU ARE CRAZY. Just thought I should pass it along.

Josh

 

[Filthy McNasty]

Amy the way I soft toss from the side is exactly the way Howard and everyone that he has trained soft toss. Howard does not toss while standing in front of the student. He has a special designed chair that he sets on. The main thing is making sure the student looks ahead and not at you. Many are looking at you instead of having the eyes focused where a pitcher would release the ball.. We have something that represents the pitcher they must look at and when we soft toss we toss with a designed sequence to represent the load and then the ball is put in a section of the plate that we are working on. I have watched many soft toss that have no clue how to do it correctly . It is an art, just like feeding a pitching machine has to be done correctly or you ruin a kids timing. I watch many doing this wrong all summer long warming up teams. Timing is critical in softball. Even our pop up net or net should have a target area set up so the hitter or person helping them can spot where the balls are going. I recommend colored ropes be used. Our plates distance is also set up so we can judge where the student is hitting the ball.

What is the correct way to feed a pitching machine?