halskinner
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- May 7, 2008
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Using Wiffle Balls For Better Accuracy
By Coach Hal Skinner
Many things can contribute to a pitch that is not accurate. In fact, ANYTHING that is not right with the mechanics and timing can cause that to happen.
In the case of a pitcher that is continually throwing her pitches too high, here is a suggestion for you to try. Once in awhile, have your pitcher practice her pitching with a wiffle ball, the kind with the holes in it.
If there is something that is not quite right with the mechanics and timing of her pitch, the wiffle ball will act like a magnifying glass and magnify the effect of the mistake by 10 times. Ex; if the release point is just a little bit late, the wiffle ball will go WAY high vs the softball just going a little too high.
If your pitcher is throwing the softball and it is coming in too high, have her throw the wiffle ball. It will pretty much go straight up to the roof with the exact same mistake. Have her find her strike zone with the wiffle ball. It may take a few pitches but she will adjust quickly. Then have her throw a dozen or two hard strikes with that wiffle ball.
Then, give her back the softball. The first one or two will probably be thrown into the dirt because of the added weight of the softball but she will adjust quickly. Then, watch those pitches stay straight and hit the spot she wants.
Too often pitchers will heavily rely on the weight of the ball to assist them in trying to attain good placement accuracy in the pitch. Take that weight away from them in practice and they have no choice but to rely on what their hand and fingers do to give them their accuracy. Once they get that realization with the wiffle ball, it will carry right over to throwing the softball too.
I have all my students work with wiffle balls now and then at our sessions. This is the best way I know for them to start thinking about the role the fingers and hand play in the pitch.
Those wiffle balls can work miracles if you let them. I have seen many a young pitcher fix their own little mistakes (most of the time unknowingly), by simply pitching the same pitch with a wiffle ball. This is one of the best 'fix it's' I know of when the 'ole pitching coach' is not there.
This is also how I taught my students 'Ginger finesse' for pinpoint accuracy.
By Coach Hal Skinner
Many things can contribute to a pitch that is not accurate. In fact, ANYTHING that is not right with the mechanics and timing can cause that to happen.
In the case of a pitcher that is continually throwing her pitches too high, here is a suggestion for you to try. Once in awhile, have your pitcher practice her pitching with a wiffle ball, the kind with the holes in it.
If there is something that is not quite right with the mechanics and timing of her pitch, the wiffle ball will act like a magnifying glass and magnify the effect of the mistake by 10 times. Ex; if the release point is just a little bit late, the wiffle ball will go WAY high vs the softball just going a little too high.
If your pitcher is throwing the softball and it is coming in too high, have her throw the wiffle ball. It will pretty much go straight up to the roof with the exact same mistake. Have her find her strike zone with the wiffle ball. It may take a few pitches but she will adjust quickly. Then have her throw a dozen or two hard strikes with that wiffle ball.
Then, give her back the softball. The first one or two will probably be thrown into the dirt because of the added weight of the softball but she will adjust quickly. Then, watch those pitches stay straight and hit the spot she wants.
Too often pitchers will heavily rely on the weight of the ball to assist them in trying to attain good placement accuracy in the pitch. Take that weight away from them in practice and they have no choice but to rely on what their hand and fingers do to give them their accuracy. Once they get that realization with the wiffle ball, it will carry right over to throwing the softball too.
I have all my students work with wiffle balls now and then at our sessions. This is the best way I know for them to start thinking about the role the fingers and hand play in the pitch.
Those wiffle balls can work miracles if you let them. I have seen many a young pitcher fix their own little mistakes (most of the time unknowingly), by simply pitching the same pitch with a wiffle ball. This is one of the best 'fix it's' I know of when the 'ole pitching coach' is not there.
This is also how I taught my students 'Ginger finesse' for pinpoint accuracy.
