Typical practice session

[chinamigarden]

What does the typical pitching session at your house look like? Not with the team or your pitching coach, but at home.

What do you do for warm ups. How many pitches do you throw in a session (and how often) do you work on everything or on specific pitches each session?

 

[sluggers]

What do you do for warm ups.

We did about 10-15 minutes of warm ups. Usually it was throwing overhand followed by tossing underhand (not pitching underhanded, simply playing pitch and catch underhanded). When she started to feel loose, she would gradually increase the speed of the underhanded tosses up to 50+ MPH. Then, we would start pitching.

How many pitches do you throw in a session

It depended upon the time of year.

In the pre-season (one to two months month before the season started), she would throw for 45 minutes to and hour after she warmed up.

During the season, we had a specific, defined reason for practicing. So, she would throw 30 minutes or so, depending upon what we were trying to accomplish.

During the off-season (e.g., September and October when the games would start in mid-March), she would throw around 100 pitches.

How often

Pre-season: 5 to 7 times a week.
In season: 1 or 2 times a week (note that she would also be throwing during games and at practices).
Off-season: 3 to 4 times a week.

Do you work on everything or on specific pitches each session?

First, if her mechanics ever broke down at practice, we stopped everything and went back to basics. Over the long run, nothing is as important as fundamentals. Nothing.

The three things to work on are location, speed (including off-speed and change-ups), or breaking pitches.

In the off-season, we would work on all three at each session.
In the pre-season, we would either work on speed or breaking pitches, followed by work on location. (The goal is to get your DD on the mound during the season to pitch. If she walks batters, she isn't going to pitch. Therefore, LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.)
In the season, we would work on whatever she was having problems with.

 

[Bishop]

What does the typical pitching session at your house look like? Not with the team or your pitching coach, but at home.

What do you do for warm ups. How many pitches do you throw in a session (and how often) do you work on everything or on specific pitches each session?

Warm ups are over hand throwing for 10 or so minutes. Then show and throw about 60% speed for about 15 throws per pitch. Then up together/down together at about 80% for about 15 throws for each pitch.

Those are the warm up drills we are using right now because they address the problems she is currently trying to fix. Armpath on the down side and correct release/spin for the various pitches, and getting her hips fully open durning the stride so she isn't throwing around them.

Then the practice starts and she throws 50 or so pitches at 100% for all 4 of her pitches, unless something went really wrong with one of them, then she might do 100 of the the one that needs fixed and 25 or so of the others.

Focus right now is correct mechanics and accuracy. Speed is fine and will improve with the mechanics and growth.

Practice right now is 1 lesson with PC and 2 practices at home a week for both pitching and hitting.

 

[joemcq51]

Typical practice when we are not focusing on any particular part of her pitching

Throw overhand until good and loose. Including long tosses
Ground ball drill, just to warm up her legs and get the blood flow
15-20 arm whips from 9 o'clock
15-20 arm whips from 12 o'clock
15-20 full circle whips
10-15 walk throughs
Then we go off the mound. We start with corners and work our way through all of her pitches. Depending on how well she is doing, we could spend between 20-30 minutes.
We would end with either long toss or game simulation for another 20-25 pitches.
Assuming she is focused and not struggling with a certain pitch, we can get through a good practice in 45 minutes to an hour. We seldom throw more than an hour. I usually do not count total pitches. It is usually based on her effort and energy levels. I learned that if her attention is not into practice, making her throw longer accomplishes little. This is what works best for my DD. I am sure everyone has their own routine. Good luck.

 

[redhawkridge]

Pitching Workout
1. General Warm-up
a. Jog for 5 minutes (or around the gym 3 laps)
b. Stretches
c. Loosening exercises for Torso, Arm, Shoulder, Legs
d. Play catch overhand for 10-20 throws
2. Drills
a. Windmill progression drills
i. Standing only
1. Open 90 degrees to catcher
2. 3 or more windmills before releasing ball
3. Throw easy; this is NOT a speed drill
4. Use only your arm to throw the ball - no step, no other motion
5. Objectives:
a. Good quality windmills – relax arm, full extension
b. Windmills directly on-line to target – “power line”
c. Arm and hand close to thigh – swish the pants
d. Hand/fingers behind the ball; thumb pointing at catcher
ii. Stand plus Slide
1. Same as above, except:
2. Start with weight back on rear foot
3. When pitching arm enters lower half of circle (moving forward), slide front foot forward and transfer weight forward
4. Coordinate arm sweep with weight transfer
5. End with
a. Weight transferred to front leg
b. Rear leg pulled up behind front leg
c. Arm/hand follow-thru to eye level
iii. Present, Stand, and Slide
1. Start on rubber in presentation stance (facing batter)
2. With first windmill, take SMALL stride to turn open (pivot on rear foot)
3. Continue to make 3 or more windmills
4. Continue same as Stand plus Slide

b. Walk-thru delivery (for rhythm)
i. Start 3-4 steps back from 40’ rubber; start delivery at 40’
ii. 8-10 pitches
iii. Relaxed motion
iv. Turn full open
v. Full arm extension
vi. End delivery with normal follow-thru (don’t keep walking after releasing ball)

c. Long walk-thru delivery
i. Use the walk-thru delivery
ii. 6 pitches each distance
iii. Increase distance to 46’, 52’, 60’
iv. Reduce distance to 52’, 46’, 40’

d. Stationary kneeling drill
i. From slightly closer distance: 36 to 40’
ii. Kneel on right knee, body is open, stride leg out of way of pitch
iii. Use 1 or more rotations
iv. 12 pitches
v. Relax, don’t force it, keep arm circle in line to target

e. Stationary standing delivery (optional – use as alternative to Kneeling Drill)
i. From 40’
ii. Open stance (approx 90 degree)
iii. Concentrate on using only one rotation of arm to deliver pitch - no step
iv. 12-14 pitches


3. Pitching practice
a. Establish comfort level with routine fastball
i. Normal delivery
ii. 15-20 pitches
b. Change-up
i. Choose Grip: “4-finger”, circle, knuckle, 1-finger, back-flip
ii. Practice release from 25-30’ using Windmill Progression Drill, Standing Only (see above)
iii. Pitch change from 40’ until comfortable
iv. Alternate with fastball for 5 minutes
c. Drop
i. “Turn-over” type
ii. Practice release from 25-30’ using Windmill Progression Drill, Standing Only (see above)
iii. Pitch drop from 40’ until comfortable
iv. Alternate with fastball for 5 minutes
d. Circle change/drop
i. Index-and-thumb make a circle
ii. Release with circle on top of ball
iii. Practice release from 25-30’ using Windmill Progression Drill, Standing Only (see above)
iv. Pitch circle-change several times (never get comfortable with this pitch !!)
v. Alternate with fastball for 5 minutes
e. If time permits:
i. Pitch all 4 types of pitches for 10 minutes
ii. Rotate thru the different pitches
iii. Strive to maintain consistent delivery motion

Remember:
Emphasize proper mechanics of the delivery, and the execution of the release, instead of just trying

 

[jonnypar]

We never work on her pitching for 45 minutes to an hour. Seems excessive to me. (JMO) First she runs 1/2 mile. Then we go through a warm up, then work on every pitch 6 to 10 times depending on how well she's executing. Finish with a fastball as hard as she can throw and then she RUNS. And did I mention she runs! If she can execute the pitches why beat a dead horse. Get the legs strong and build the stamina.

 

[sluggers]

If she can execute the pitches why beat a dead horse.

If she were a basketball player and she made her first free throw, she wouldn't have to shoot any more free throws?

 

[jonnypar]

seems like apples and oranges. She shoots plenty of free throws to ensure her execution will be there when she needs it. Pitches plenty of strikes to ensure they will be there when she need it. Practice does not make perfect, perfect practice make perfect. I agree with working hard but make that work mean something. Please remember, this is only one mans opinion.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I am more along the lines of what redhawk does. Of course, I adapt it, to the age of the child. I want the pitches at the end of practice to be as strong as the beginning ones. Don't expect a girl to finish a game, if she isn't throwing strong and long 4 - 5 days a week.

 

[bobbyb]

This is our work out.

Warm ups
1. Dynamic stretching warm ups (circles with all joints)…then a light jog to fence and back (indoors just where ever we can), followed by plyometric bounding to fence and back…we do more than one time if its cold or chilly or till we are warmed up…Then dynamic stretching leg swings forward and backward.
2. Over hand throwing: wrist toss… to over hand throwing easy for few minutes… building up to throwing hard…till throwing hard.
3. Pitching warmup: open hip wrist flips, knee drill, one leg throwing, 3 oclock drills… then k drills. On k’s we do 8-10 with wrist action on all pitches working on spin.

Technique
1. If there is any technical issues on a pitch, arm path, powerline, wrist, contraction, spin etc… this is where we go over our focus and corrections. I try to have only one main correction focus at a practice. Also where we will discuss what pitch she wants to work mostly that day. If it is something significant with technique we may do this and nothing else.

Pitching practice
1. Minimum of 10 full throws 80% or until warmed up good… always at a spot.
2. Overload-Underload. We do a set (8 to 10 throws) of full throwing with overload 8oz balls, then underload 5 oz ball then a set with regular ball. On some days we do 2 sets here. Again always to a spot.
3. Then we have pitching practice…usually in sets of 30 pitches always at a spot.
First fastball and screw ball and drop. Each about ten throws.
Then rise and curve and change up.

If she wanted to work one pitch more… I lower the reps on others and increase reps on that pitch. Some times we will do only one pitch most of the practice dropping other pitches usually when we do 4 days of practice.

Then one to two sets (depending on if we did 2 sets of overload/underload) of mixed pitches as if in game situation.

Post pitching practice
1. 3 oclock throws…1 lb/ rubber ball for 1-2 sets 15 reps
2. football toss for 1-2 sets 15 reps at least.
3. Long toss here when we are outside.

Strength
We are doing some tubing exercise this year in the form of isometric. She does weights/running at school now and they do core work with TB team.

Static stretches
We end with static stretches, upper and lower body.

We do 3-4 days. If doing 4 days…one is an easier day that is working on just one or two pitches.