- Jan 24, 2011
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Does anyone have a good throwing warmup routine that you use for your team before games / practice?
Throwing Routines
- Thread starter CycloneSoftball22
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- Jan 24, 2011
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Nobody? Nothing?
For my 16 yo student that wanted to move from rec to travel (and did) - we warm up with a 16 inch softball, working on turning on our right foot and getting sideways, elbow even to a little higher, than the shoulder. Then, we move back and add a 14 inch softball. Finally, we keep moving back to about 60 feet and move to the 12 inch softball.
The student always says "It feels so small."
The student always says "It feels so small."
- Oct 12, 2009
- 1,460
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This can lead to shoulder problems.
It's best if the elbow is just below the level of the shoulders.
We do three routines for warming up/practice throwing:
When girls arrive they pair up and throw starting at about 20' apart. Every time they both successfully catch the ball one of the players steps back one large step. If they miss they step forward. Coaches wander about talking to players about technique. Simple and easy and a step up in the standard arrive and throw most teams still do. It actually gets quite competitive and some girls have been arriving early to get an early start on the game.
We then have three lines throwing into a bownet @ about 60'. We go do about 2 buckets worth of balls per line. Again - technique discussions continue. We also video this every few weeks and will show the players what we want them to work on for their throws.
We than play 20 throws - separate into 2 teams. One team will be throwing home-1st, one from 2nd-3rd so half of each team at one of their bases. Goal is first to 20 outs (so you when it is your turn you must get the ball and touch the base to make an out - preferably by catching a throw on the base). Girls not in line can provide backup (so on a bad throw they can retrieve the ball and get it to the player who must make the out). We generally play best of 3.
Lots of other drills we use throwing in as a focus, but these are how we start out and generally the first three drills. These drills are also easy to make easier or harder depending on the level of the players.
When girls arrive they pair up and throw starting at about 20' apart. Every time they both successfully catch the ball one of the players steps back one large step. If they miss they step forward. Coaches wander about talking to players about technique. Simple and easy and a step up in the standard arrive and throw most teams still do. It actually gets quite competitive and some girls have been arriving early to get an early start on the game.
We then have three lines throwing into a bownet @ about 60'. We go do about 2 buckets worth of balls per line. Again - technique discussions continue. We also video this every few weeks and will show the players what we want them to work on for their throws.
We than play 20 throws - separate into 2 teams. One team will be throwing home-1st, one from 2nd-3rd so half of each team at one of their bases. Goal is first to 20 outs (so you when it is your turn you must get the ball and touch the base to make an out - preferably by catching a throw on the base). Girls not in line can provide backup (so on a bad throw they can retrieve the ball and get it to the player who must make the out). We generally play best of 3.
Lots of other drills we use throwing in as a focus, but these are how we start out and generally the first three drills. These drills are also easy to make easier or harder depending on the level of the players.
Depending on how old your players are nothing beats the throwing then following the ball around the bases for a complete cycle. The other Team is going to notice your players running around so you better do it perfect. Depending on the age it can be intimidating. So your players are throwing hard, running and getting in the head of opponents.
Our Team has a variety of ability and some players are left out when we try to do this, no one wants to be their partner. Tried this a couple times and never seemed to work out quite right.
I guess you have to decide what you want from this "throwing routine" If its pregame or prepractice and warming up is all you want out of it. I just say let them play catch, start off around 30 feet apart and make sure they are eventually throwing at least the distance between the bases. Once they are warmed up, move on to the next thing.
I have seen many teams with great pre game throwing and hitting routines who lose the game. They are so intent on winning the warm-ups they forget to focus on the right things but boy do they look great before the game.
I have seen many teams with great pre game throwing and hitting routines who lose the game. They are so intent on winning the warm-ups they forget to focus on the right things but boy do they look great before the game.
The throwing warmup I got from our local community college softball coach that I've used is -
We start with wrist flicks ~10' - I know some hate this, feel free to omit this step if you are morally opposed to wrist flicks.
Then at close range ~30' we do "figure 8" throws softly. glove elbow comes past hip, throwing elbow comes past hip in a figure 8 motion and then throw. (hope this explaination makes sense it is a combo stretching and throwing exercise that is easier to demonstrate than type out same for the "shoulder stretch")
We move out to ~45' and do "shoulder stretch" throws. Arms cross over each other throwing hand going over glove hand, kind of like you are hugging yourelf - then arms stretch all the way back the other way, kind of like stretching out airplane wings, before throwing.
Next we do regular throws from 60'.
We gradually move out farther in a long toss progession depending on age and ability of the team. My rec U12s could get to aboout ~100' to ~110' before throws broke down and got wild but a good travel team shouldn't have to worry about that too much and you can go out as far as you are comfortable having them throw.
After a few throws at max distance we walk them in a step on each throw trying to take the arc out of the throws as we close the distance.
When they when we get back to 60' we do quick toss where we work on catch, transfer and throw as quickly as possible.
Then we'll end with a series of partner ground balls - right at, to glove side, to backhand, and short hops.
We start with wrist flicks ~10' - I know some hate this, feel free to omit this step if you are morally opposed to wrist flicks.
Then at close range ~30' we do "figure 8" throws softly. glove elbow comes past hip, throwing elbow comes past hip in a figure 8 motion and then throw. (hope this explaination makes sense it is a combo stretching and throwing exercise that is easier to demonstrate than type out same for the "shoulder stretch")
We move out to ~45' and do "shoulder stretch" throws. Arms cross over each other throwing hand going over glove hand, kind of like you are hugging yourelf - then arms stretch all the way back the other way, kind of like stretching out airplane wings, before throwing.
Next we do regular throws from 60'.
We gradually move out farther in a long toss progession depending on age and ability of the team. My rec U12s could get to aboout ~100' to ~110' before throws broke down and got wild but a good travel team shouldn't have to worry about that too much and you can go out as far as you are comfortable having them throw.
After a few throws at max distance we walk them in a step on each throw trying to take the arc out of the throws as we close the distance.
When they when we get back to 60' we do quick toss where we work on catch, transfer and throw as quickly as possible.
Then we'll end with a series of partner ground balls - right at, to glove side, to backhand, and short hops.
- Jan 15, 2009
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- 0
I have them start in close about 15' apart with dart throws and underhand flips. I see more throwing errors on these in HS ball then on full power throws so I like to reinforce practicing them every time we play,
then:
light toss at 40' for 4 minutes
hard toss at 40' for 1 minute
light toss at 60' for 2 minutes
hard toss at 60' for 1 minute
light toss at 80' for 2 minutes
hard toss at 80' for 1 minute
Then we do the star drill, 2 players at each infield position except pitcher. Throw goes from C - SS - 1B - 3B - 2B - C (repeat) and the kids run behind their throws to the station they threw to. Need at least ten players to keep it running for any amount of time, I will time 2 complete circuits to tell them how they are progressing.
then:
light toss at 40' for 4 minutes
hard toss at 40' for 1 minute
light toss at 60' for 2 minutes
hard toss at 60' for 1 minute
light toss at 80' for 2 minutes
hard toss at 80' for 1 minute
Then we do the star drill, 2 players at each infield position except pitcher. Throw goes from C - SS - 1B - 3B - 2B - C (repeat) and the kids run behind their throws to the station they threw to. Need at least ten players to keep it running for any amount of time, I will time 2 complete circuits to tell them how they are progressing.
