Overcoming the urge to aim in fastpitch pitching

[cvsoftball]

THE biggest problem is usually not the pitchers. Often, it's the mom or dad who is catching for them or watching. The parents need to understand and I tell this to all my parents as I point to pitcher's plate. I will tell them when things at this end is working correctly, pointing to the plate, that end will take care of itself. Often you have to educate the parents on just how hard it is to chain everything together and release a ball perfectly at a high velocity within a few millisecond window. I will tell a young pitcher that I don't care where the ball goes when we're working on something. Then I'll ask them if anyone has ever said that to them. I've yet to have answer with a "Yes."

and 10U coaches, eh

 

[Ken Krause]

I know this is and old post but I am having the same issues with my DD when I catch or somebody else(her team catchers) she’s perfect now once a batter comes in is a different story, she barely started pitching. 3rd game total of 6 innings forgot to add first year of 10u DD is 9

That's not unusual, especially at that age. Lots more pressure on her to perform when she is in a game. Hopefully she is learning good mechanics with a plan. Everyone will then just need to be patient, even if she has trouble for a while. Once she gets more experience with her mechanics she'll be fine. I always tell students (and their parents) that accuracy isn't a goal, it's a result.

At that age they are often afraid of hitting the batter too. Put that out of her head right away. The batter will just need to get out of the way if they pitch comes at her. But also remind her if she just lobs one over the plate and the batter smashed it back off her shin, the batter isn't going to stop to see if she's ok. She's going to run to first. And if no one is covering second she will run there too.

 

[Sparky Guy]

Another thing I do with the younger girls is to have them do their drills and even pitch with their eyes closed. It takes all the visual distractions away and let's them concentrate on how their body feels. Have them get set to throw a ball, find their target, close their eyes and then throw the ball. Again, the emphasis is on the feeling and release. NOT the result of the thrown ball. Once a pitcher has her muscle memory honed they can throw a pitch at full speed with their eyes closed and throw a strike.

I remember watching Michael Jordan on TV shooting a free throw in a game with his eyes closed. He went through is pre-motion, found his target, closed his eyes and made the basket. You could read his lips and he was saying to himself. "Follow through with my follow through." as he was going through his pre-motion.

 

[Stxdad]

Thanks, her mechanics are good she had a little trouble at the beginning but she’s getting there I’ve been taking her to private lessons for the past 6 months, training said that a solid good pitcher takes time to develop, starting this month she probably has 3-4 wild pitches in the whole practice which it impress me cause before she would have a lot of them, and yes she told me before she was scare of hitting the batter, told them no to worry they will move, another thing I always tell her she’s not suppose to go out in the field without the face mask, not even In the outfield..