Your 30-Day Challenge: Compete and Win Big
With softball season on hold for who knows how long, I'm sure you're all searching for motivation. Maybe you've been motivated this whole time but you're running out of training ideas. We're each navigating this new environment a little differently, but we're fortunate that the game of softball can continue to bring us together, even off the field. This 30-day challenge will bring out the competitive juices that have been put on the back burner for the last month or so, while also giving you ideas for personal development in a variety of areas including nutrition, strength, and conditioning, academics.
Not only will you develop your skills and have a little fun while you're at it, but you'll also have the chance to win a Softball Rebellion and Softball Youth prize pack that includes: an LAT90, a swing analysis or pitching analysis, a swag bag from Softball Youth, and a discount to the Softball Youth All-American Games. Print out your 30 Day Challenge BINGO Board by clicking the icon below.
30-Day Challenge Rules
How to Complete Each Square
- Each square will require a form of submission at the end of the challenge, June 2nd. For example, a photo at the end of a workout or a video recording. Do the challenge for each square and record it following the guidelines below.
- For the squares that require 30 days or 7 days of action, it is all based on the honor system. You'll only need one photo or video for each of those squares.
- At the end of the challenge, you will need to submit your BINGO board as well as a random square from each BINGO.
Square Details and Explanations
Row B Squares
B1: Find an Accountability Partner
Find an accountability partner that will keep you on your toes. This could be a teammate, a friend, or a family member. Take a picture of you and your accountability partner or a screenshot of a video call with them.
B2: Post a Video of a Softball Trick Shot
Get creative! We've all seen softball and baseball trick shot videos on social media. If you haven't, check out this trick shot compilation for ideas. They don't have to be too crazy but get inventive. Post a video of your trick shot on social media and tag us. Don't forget to use #SRSYChallenge.
B3: Drink 100oz of Water for 30 Days
Hydration is a huge key to enhanced performance, and chances are, you've been drinking less water than usual while at home. Snap a picture of the water bottle or jug that you're using to help you hit your goal.
B4: Write a Thank you Letter to an Influential Person in your Life
This season of rest can be a great time to reflect on individuals who've made an impact on your life for the better. Take the time to write a hand-written note and send it to someone who has been impactful to you. Take a picture of your thank you letter (you can blur if needed) and post it on social media to give your influential person a shoutout.
B5: Get 7-8 Hours of Sleep for 30 Days
It's no secret we don't always get the amount of sleep needed to recover throughout the week. Take advantage of the extra time on your hands and create better sleeping habits. This one is based on the honor system, so no pictures needed.
Row I Squares
I1: Cook a Nutritious Meal with your Family
Nutrition is another key aspect of performance. If you've never thought about what goes into the meals you eat on a daily basis, now is a great time to learn how to make your favorite dish or try something new. Write down your recipe and share it with a picture of the finished product. Tag us and use #SRSYChallenge
I2: Complete Two Days of Mobility per Week
You play softball all the time, and you train, but do you take the time to stretch and recover those sore muscles? Now is a great time to learn some recovery techniques to keep your body feeling good after a long day at the field. There are tons of mobility resources on youtube and other sites. Below are two that I recommend. Share a video of you completing your favorite recovery exercise.
Foot Doctor Esia Softball Recovery
Yin Yoga - Restoration and Recovery
I3: Facetime 5 of your Teammates to Check-in
Connection with others plays a huge role in getting through these times of isolation. Screenshot one of your video sessions and encourage your teammates to reach out to others as well.
I4: Create a 1 Minute Recruiting Video
Often, Recruiting videos are clouded with music and graphics that bog down and lengthen the video. Get to the point. Try to make this video as succinct as possible while showcasing your skills. It could even be you introducing yourself and why you want to play college softball. Post your video and tag 5 college coaches.
I5: Write Down your Strengths and Weaknesses as a Player
Reflection and self-assessment are the first steps to creating a plan for your development. Identify your strengths and weaknesses so that you can build a plan for your future. Take a picture of your list and save it so that you can re-assess later on.
Bonus: Write down a plan of attack for how you'll strengthen your weaknesses
Row N Squares
N1: 150 Minutes of Planks over 30 Days
This is only 5 minutes per day, so it's not as crazy as it seems. It doesn't have to be 5 minutes in a row either. You could complete 30 seconds at a time throughout the day. The goal here is to complete QUALITY planks with strong positioning. Don't overload the time if your form wavers, but do try to increase your plank time each day or each week. Take a picture of the length of your first plank time on day one and your last plank time on day 30.
N2: Participate in one Softball Youth Zoom Session
Softball Youth has been conducting Team Huddles over the last three weeks where special guests speak about their playing or coaching experiences. You must register for this experience, so check out Softball Youth's social media pages for updates on speakers for each week. Team huddles are hosted each Wednesday at 7:00. Once you're on the call, take a picture or short video of the session.
N3: Complete Three Strength and Conditioning Workouts per Week
Your development can skyrocket if you introduce a strength and conditioning program! If you're already on a program, great! Keep completing it. If you're in need of a softball specific program, check out this free two-day program. For your third day, get outside and create a conditioning workout of your own. Sprint, jump rope, ride your bike, it doesn't matter, get outside and go! Take a video of yourself completing your favorite exercise.
N4: Read 30 Minutes for 30 Days
You probably have plenty of school work, so reading for school does count; however, I encourage you to pick up a new book (fiction or non-fiction). Some of my favorite performance and sports specific books are: Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell, How Champions Think by Dr. Bob Rotella, and Grit by Angela Duckworth. If you love fiction (I DO!) feel free to immerse yourself in a new tale. Once you've chosen your book, post about it on social media tag us!
N5: Tweet at your Favorite Softball Superstar
This one is easy, you just need the courage to do it! Get outside of your comfort zone and give your favorite player a shout out, I'm sure they'll appreciate it! Take a picture of your tweet and (hopefully) their response.
Row G Squares
G1: Follow the Same Morning Routine for 7 Days
It's easy to stay in bed for longer than usual or take some additional time in the morning before you start school for the day, and that's okay! However, creating a consistent morning routine can increase your productivity. Plan out a morning routine that helps you stay on track and reach your goals and follow it consistently for seven days. Write down your routine and take a picture to share with us.
G2: Make a Healthy Dessert for your Family
I LOVE dessert, and brownies every now and again never hurt anybody, but healthy desserts can be enjoyed more often. Take the time to look up a recipe that still has some nutritious value and isn't completely packed with processed sugar. Share the recipe and a picture of the finished product.
G3: Create your Own 45-Minute Practice Plan
Usually, coaches do this for you, but I'm a firm believer in taking your development into your own hands. Use the strengths and weaknesses you wrote down to develop a practice plan specific to your needs. Write it down along with a specific purpose or intention for each drill or section.
G4: Take Groundballs 3 Times in One Week
It's easy to forget about defense if you don't have access to a field. Tennis ball wall drills count for this section, so get in your defensive work however you can. Share a montage video of how you're being inventive and invested in developing defensively.
G5: Self Video Analysis Once per Week
How do you know if you're getting better at the things you're working on without games? VIDEO! Check out this pro video breakdown for ideas on how to analyze your swing. You can analyze your swing, pitching mechanics, or overhand throwing mechanics. Share a video on your social media of your video breakdown and talk about what you want to improve on. Check out more development ideas in our other articles.
Row O Squares
O1: Research and Rank your Top 10 Dream Schools
Even if you're not in high school yet, it can be fun to learn more about different Universities and start to develop an interest in that school or program. This goes deeper than softball, so your research should be based on academic programs, student population, and tuition. Find out the following information on your top ten schools, write it down, and take a picture: undergraduate student population, in-state and out of state tuition, 3 majors that interest you, an interesting fact about the university, and average class size.
O2: Hit 5 Times in One Week
For this, you could also pitch 5 times in one week if you'd prefer. Choose your favorite skill and complete it 5 times that week. There is no time minimum or maximum. Make a plan, and put your work in. Small amounts of consistent practice will make a bigger difference than one long practice per week. Write down the days you practiced and what things you were focusing on each day.
O3: Complete a Hitting or Pitching Challenge
Each week of the 30-day challenge, we will post a video of a hitting or pitching challenge you can attempt at home, so keep watch on our social media pages. Once you see a challenge, you have until the end of the week to complete it, take a video, and tag us in your post. This doesn't have to be done every week, but at least one weekly challenge must be completed.
O4: Write Down 5 Things You're Grateful For
Times are tough for many right now, but we want to try to brighten your spirits. Write down the 5 things you're most grateful for and snap a picture to share on social media.
O5: Juggle for 15 seconds
This is just for fun, but it can really challenge your hand-eye coordination. If you've never juggled before, you CAN teach yourself! Pick up some softballs, rocks, socks, whatever you have, and make your attempt at juggling. Video yourself juggling for 15 seconds, post about it, and tag us.
Final Submission
Hold on to all of your pictures and videos until the end of your 30-day challenge. Yes, this means you'll need to stay organized! As we get closer to the end of the challenge, we will post specific instructions on how to send in proof for your bingo card. Until then, have fun, and get competitive!
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Coping with Disrupted Seasons
The global pandemic of Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on the athletic world. Professional, collegiate, amateur and youth athletes of all sports are all having to cope with disrupted seasons. Some will have to wait months to compete again, others may have had their collegiate careers end unexpectedly. For those athletes, parents of athletes, coaches or fans, here are some helpful tips to cope with recent cancellations:
Grieve the Loss
Allow yourself time to grieve the loss of this season. It\'s important to recognize all the feelings that may arise from this unexpected situation. The faster you allow yourself to feel the emotions that occur, the faster you can process them and move forward. Some may feel anger, sadness, disappointment. Other athletes may experience feelings of relief, and then feel guilty about feeling that way - however you feel, give yourself permission to experience those emotions. Pushing them away or covering them up is not helpful and will only prolong this process. Grieving is different for everyone, be patient and understanding toward yourself and others during this time.
Gratitude for the "Little Things"
Elite athletes love competing, and they love winning. With competition and championships on hold or canceled for 2020, it\'s easy to feel like the work leading up to this point was all for nothing. It\'s not helpful to your mental health to look at it this way. Instead, look at your sport through a non-competitive lens. Consider the little things about your sport that truly make it meaningful; the life-long relationships you\'ve made, the discipline you\'ve developed from going to early morning workouts every day, the dedication you\'ve given to your team and teammates. These are life skills and experiences your sport has given you that no person or virus can take away from you.
See the Big Picture
It\'s easy to get wrapped up in YOU when something so important is taken away from you. Remember that this is more than you, your season, and your team. Recognize that the game you play is a GAME, not life and death. Protecting the public health and vulnerable populations from the spread of this virus - actually is.
You are Not Alone
This is impacting athletes AROUND THE GLOBE and is a historical event we are witnessing. Grieve with your teammates, reach out to opponents you compete against. It can be helpful to connect with others that are in the same boat as you. Thankfully, technology and social media have made this incredibly easy.
The Gift of Time: Use It!
A lot of athletes are having that \"What am I supposed to do now?\" moment. Now is the time to work on things you never had time to put serious time and effort into before. Maybe your core stability is a weakness of yours - get on it! Maybe there is a new pitch you want to master - start some spin work at home! Cross-train to stay in shape, give cycling a try, or trail running. We are always asking for more hours in the day - in a way, now you\'ve got them. Find ways to use them in a positive and productive way.
Write it Down
Research suggests that the practice of journaling can help heal wounds faster. It\'s an easy way to process your emotions. It can help the grieving process move along and can help you practice gratitude in a thoughtful and purposeful way. Not only that, but the ability to look back and see your thoughts and feelings in response to the Covid-19 pandemic is also a pretty invaluable opportunity. Carve out some time each day to put pen to paper and let it flow. No rules, no censorship, for your eyes only. You\'ve got the time, and it can\'t hurt…what\'s your excuse at this point?
A Unique Story to Share
A season-ending GLOBAL PANDEMIC - is quite the story that only a handful of athletes will experience. Use this experience to help other athletes understand that every game truly could be the last. Play like there is no tomorrow, enjoy the little things, live in the moment, and take nothing for granted. Even though there may not be a championship to compete for, live life like the elite athlete that you are; use this unfortunate event to help others and RESPOND in the face of adversity.
Nicole Denes is a performance coach and licensed professional therapist in the state of Oklahoma where she works with professional, collegiate and amateur athletes to help them reach their highest potential. She is a former pitcher for the University of Oklahoma and has been providing professional pitching and softball instruction for 20 years. She founded Be Complete Athletics in Oklahoma City in 2018, a facility that provides elite-level softball instruction and mental skills training in confidence, leadership, and mental game strategies to young athletes.
Nicole Denes, LPC
Founder, Be Complete Athletics
BeCompleteAthletics.com
FB: @becompleteathletics | IG: @becompleteathletics
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At Home Softball Strength Programming
While you're stuck at home over the next few weeks, you're likely looking for ways to improve your game. Although, you might be quick to pick up a ball and bat and get in a little practice, don't neglect the importance of strength and conditioning. You can follow this two-day softball strength program by Nick Esposito of Champion Performance with little to no equipment. For the few exercises that require a dumbbell or medicine ball, you can get creative with household items to provide some resistance.
Generally, strength and conditioning are vastly overlooked in our sport, specifically for younger athletes, so now is a great time to introduce them to this series of bodyweight exercises and stretches. Nick specifically designed this program with softball players in mind to increase their flexibility, mobility, and core strength.
The program comes with videos of each exercise to limit the guesswork as well as specific cues and instructions on each video. Check out the complete two-day program with videos by clicking the softball icon below.
Enjoying the 2-Day Program? Check out the link below for more from Nick: https://espositostrengthclub.com/
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Why is Leg Drive Important?
Learning to utilize a proper leg drive is one of the most challenging parts of pitching. Many young pitchers struggle to feel or understand what creates power through the initial drive off the mound. An adequate drive sets up your body positioning throughout your pitch, so it is something that every pitcher should be aware of and work to improve. If you cannot consistently produce a drive that is both powerful and direct, other parts of the pitch will likely be affected, producing pitches with lower velocities and less accuracy.
Load and Explode - Hip Hinge to Hip Extension
To initiate a great drive, it\'s important to understand how to properly load the legs. Much like hitting, loading the legs requires a hinge at the hips. A hip hinge is achieved by creating flexion in the hip joints, in other words, driving the hips back. A hip hinge can also be coupled with a bend of the knees which helps create a more balanced weight distribution (Fleur, Taco Fleur, & Girevoy Sport Institute Kettlebell 2019).
Hip Hinge
Points of Emphasis
- Maintain three points of contact (head, mid-back, and tailbone) with the dowel rod while creating a hinge pattern.
- Keep your core engaged, allowing your hips to drive back without arching the lower back.
- As you drive your hips back, you should feel a load in the glutes and hamstrings.
Hip Extension
Now that you understand the importance of hinging at the hips and know how to complete that movement, what\'s next? The hinge is the initial loading of the backside of the legs (glutes and hamstrings). After the pitcher has loaded her legs, she also needs to complete her drive by extending the hips forward. To do so, she will have to engage the glutes, creating a thrusting motion that propels the drive leg out and the stride leg up and out.
Below, I've shared one of my favorite drills to teach both a hip hinge and proper extension.
Points of Emphasis
- Our goal here is to learn how to implement a proper hinge while on the rubber and transition that movement into hip extension.
- You will have some freedom within this drill to go through your pre-motion as necessary.
- If you feel your hip crease tighten around the dowel rod and keep your core engaged, you should feel tension through the glutes, letting you know that you've loaded properly.
- Once you're able to create a proper hinge, powerfully extend your hips forward into a drive.
- We are looking to maintain direction down the powerline while completing this drill, allowing the pitcher to land with a slight bend in the stride knee to create stability.
Exercises to Improve Stability and Power
Pitching is an extremely complex movement that requires strength and stability. The drills above will help a pitcher understand the positions she needs to get into; however, it's necessary to complete other exercises to strengthen the areas needed to complete correct movements as well as increase power. Below, I share a few exercises that help pitchers activate their glutes and create body awareness.
Hip March
I like to utilize hip marches for a few reasons:
- This exercise activates the glutes, allowing the pitcher to understand how to engage the backside of the legs while contracting the core.
- Although we're not in a pitching specific position in this exercise, I use it to help teach my students achieve an understanding of how to thrust from a single leg position without arching their back.
- It's also important for a pitcher to control the leg that's driving up without coming across their midline. This relates to pitching specifically, as a pitcher should drive and land with their toes in a more forward position rather than sideways.
Kettlebell Swings
Kettlebell swings are sometimes known as the king (or queen) of all exercises. A proper kettlebell swing requires a hip thrust that uses your glutes and hamstrings. This is similar to the thrust we are looking to create during the drive of the pitching motion. To make this more pitching specific, you could start in your split pitching stance, and transition from a hinge position to extension while using a small dumbbell or kettlebell in both hands.
Anti- Rotation Lift-Offs
Anti-rotation lift-offs are quickly becoming my favorite exercise to incorporate into lessons. By strengthening control through the pelvis and hip regions, we are affecting the ability to control this area while pitching. If a pitcher can't control their hips and core in a standing position, imagine how difficult it would be to control while throwing a softball at a high velocity.
Train the Movement
I wanted to share these drills as a way to bridge the gap between pitching and strength training. These are not the most difficult exercises, but they are helpful to create an understanding of different movements within the pitching motion. It's important to prioritize your stability and body awareness in any activity, and I often find that many pitchers lack the stability to control their movements while pitching. If you want to get better faster, get involved with a strength training program, and at the very least start to incorporate different core strengthening and glute activation exercises at home.
References:
Fleur, Taco, et al. \"True and Clear Definition of the Squat and Hip Hinge Exercise.\" Kettlebell Workouts, Exercises, Courses, and More by Cavemantraining, 13 Feb. 2019, www.cavemantraining.com/caveman-bodyweight/true-definition-of-the-squat-and-hip-hinge-exercise/.
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Off-Season Strength Training: Four Points to Consider
Many families come to skills lessons and want to know more about off-season strength training and running for their youth athlete, daughter or son. I have collected below four points that I touch on when the conversations drift toward performance training.
Stay Athletic
There is such a thing as overdoing the mechanical practice of every pitch, swing, and ground ball, even at the youth level. The best thing we can teach our sons and daughters to do is to move correctly and to keep moving. My next sentence will make some sport specialization proponents squirm. PLAY OTHER SPORTS! Base the sport that the athlete is engaged with, on the seasons. Specialization is for the birds, burnout is very real, and in the end, we are all humans that will grow into adults. Not everyone will be a collegiate athlete, but take faith in that these young ones will absolutely be adults someday who have to operate in their bodies. It is best they find out how to make them work now! Take some time off from the sport of choice, but keep moving!
Good Movement Matters
Should the youth athlete in question wish to participate in only one sport ever (this is truly rare), then my next suggestion is to find someone who knows youth performance training in your area. At Frozen Ropes Hershey, athletes of every age are coached through basic good movement patterns in their warm-up and even within the skills session itself. Athletes are guided through bear crawls, planks, supine bridges, inchworms, burpees, triceps pushups, isometric squats, and instruction on landing properly from a jump. Whether or not the athlete comes to me for pitching, hitting, or catching, I insert a few easy to follow movements in every session, that will not only teach them something about the skill they want to learn, but will also stealthily make them stronger or begin to create good movements patterns. The athletes get stronger and more stable without even knowing it.
Core is Queen (or King)
Your \"core\" (basically everything on your body from the top of your shoulders, to below your butt) holds all your organs in place but it also aids in movement and prevents injury. Your core is also what will hold you upright after the competitive sports are finished. It is the backbone of movement. Because it is so important, it is ok not only to start with core work before your regular skills sessions but also to practice some kind of core work every day. Go for stability at the beginning so pick something that you can hold for a while and with good alignment. Planks and side planks are so very effective in this arena, and even the professionals and collegiate athletes I have coached will do them.
A Little Bit Goes a Long Way
I could hit you with a few more sports clichés, but I\'ll abstain. In youth performance training, we want to make sure that the structure is there before we add resistance. Gravity really does count as resistance, and that should be where many young athletes spend time before loading up a bar and hammering out some next-level deadlifts. I usually start talking about athletes engaging in some kind of guided movement training around the ages of 12-13. Because of the instruction I offer in lessons I can usually tell when an athlete could benefit from hitting the weight room, but also when they are physically capable of handling the added focus of building strength
Final Thoughts
Everyone can benefit from performance training, even adults. It doesn\'t matter if your particular trajectory takes you to the collegiate ranks, professional realm, or just allows you to kick tail in your adult cycling classes. I have had athletes who have come to me for softball skills lessons, were then introduced to the weight room, and ended up moving onto being stars on their track teams instead. The confidence some athletes find in the weight room permeates all other aspects of their lives, not just their sports. I have seen even the timidest of athletes come alive when they set a personal best, or finally get their first full pull-up. It is worth investigating for your youth athlete, but it is worth investigating for yourself as well.
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Speed vs. Accuracy
There has always been this question in pitching, what makes a pitcher great? At a young age, what should a pitcher focus on first, speed or accuracy? To me, this is an interesting question because both of these outcomes are influenced by the same process, learning how to move properly throughout the pitching motion.
So, instead of instructing pitchers based on developing either speed or accuracy, why not teach them to move properly? By doing so, you are now setting the pitcher up to be able to complete consistent movements that then allow them to throw strikes while also moving at full speed.
Movement Over Mechanics
Throughout the years, there have been differing opinions on \"proper pitching mechanics\". Often, instructors may teach based on what they believed they did or what they felt or thought about doing in their motion rather than how they actually threw. Hitting instructors are experiencing the same realization. What we used to believe, is now being disproved left and right. Now that we have various forms of technology, the simplest being slow-motion video, it is easy to see what high-level pitchers and hitters are actually achieving. Does every elite player move the same? No, but we have found that there are optimal ways to move.
Developing Better Movers
Now, much more goes into moving properly than just pitching. Pitching is a complex movement that requires the pitcher to move through multiple planes of motion, yet we expect young pitchers to complete this movement with ease, or even to make adjustments quickly. However, many pitchers at the youth level and even many high school age pitchers, are not able to complete many functional strength movements properly. They lack core strength, shoulder stability and much more, so rather than asking them to consistently complete movements that they are not strong enough to do, why not encourage them to invest in their strength, flexibility, and mobility?
Expanding our Knowledge at SR
There are a variety of ways an athlete can train various muscles and work to gain strength. At Softball Rebellion, we have partnered with Nick Esposito of Esposito Strength Club to provide our athletes with an online performance plan to help them develop the strength and stability needed to move better and therefore pitch better. Nick has also provided our pitchers with an upper and lower body dynamic warm-up that they must complete prior to beginning their lesson. To check out our warm-up routine, click here.
Currently, we\'re in the process of partnering with Upright Athlete, a physical therapy and sports performance clinic in Durham so that we can further develop our pitchers in all capacities. All of these aspects along with our lesson format allows for our pitchers to develop a further understanding of how to move properly and how that affects their pitching.
Incorporating Movement to Increase Speed and Accuracy
Now, let\'s circle back around to our original topic, speed vs. accuracy. Once a pitcher has a better understanding of how to move and is more stable to do so, there are times where we want to train speed and also when we want to create game-like situations that incorporate and train accuracy.
Speed
When training specifically to increase speed, completing speed drills, for example, we can not also expect accuracy. If a pitcher is working on developing more speed but is also expected to throw a strike every time, she will never push past her limits. So, in these moments we work to train speed specifically without focusing on location. If a pitcher\'s movements line-up on time while working on speed, she\'ll still throw the ball with decent control; however, I wouldn't ask a pitcher to hit a specific spot while training speed. The combination of strength and stability a pitcher will develop through functional movement should assist her not only in creating better, more fluid movements but also in increasing speed.
Accuracy
This is where training gets even more fun for athletes who move well. I often find that when pitchers try to \"aim\" or \"place the ball\" they slow down, and they still struggle to throw strikes. Their mind takes over and instead of just throwing, they think about every little thing they need to do to try and throw a strike. Now, they\'re pitching slower AND they\'re inaccurate. Instead, allow your pitchers to complete the task of throwing to different locations while moving at full speed. Encourage them to be explosive and allow them to free their minds from thinking about mechanics and instead work to achieve a task, like throwing through an area in the pitcher\'s pocket or throwing seven strikes out of ten. Challenge them to stay somewhat under control but still stay explosive. Then, they will learn how to create consistency within their motion, develop accuracy, and still throw at their average or top speed.
Combining Speed and Accuracy
Now that we\'ve talked about working on accuracy by giving pitcher\'s tasks to accomplish, it\'s important to understand that we can also shoot for a speed goal at the same time. For instance, I tell my pitchers that I want them to stay within 2-3 mph of their top speed on every pitch. So, if they are able to hit 63 mph multiple times (multiple times being important here), I want them to stay within the 60\'s on every pitch. Let's say that same pitcher has hit 65 once and only once without showing me that they can repeat that speed, I will not ask them to stay within 2-3 mph of 65, instead, I\'ll ask them to try to stay within 2-3 mph of their average speed, which might be 64. So, in the bullpen, I would say, your goal is to throw seven out of ten pitches through the zone, but they only count if they are within 2-3 mph of your average/ top speed.
Creating Athletic Pitchers
Overall, I hope this article has made you question how you or your athlete train. Does your pitcher move well? Could they move better? I\'ll be the first to say, I am still learning. I don\'t have all the answers, but I\'m trying to incorporate important aspects of physical development with our pitchers as often as possible, and I\'m committed to learning more to help put them into better positions.
I encourage you to do the same. It\'s worth investing time and money into a program that will not only make your pitcher better but also keep her healthy. The more you understand the importance of movement and body control, the easier it is to make quick adjustments. Remember, pitchers are athletes and they should be trained like athletes. If you\'re only pitching with little to no outside training, you\'re missing out on development.
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The Importance of Goal Setting
As we ring in the new year, there is talk of new year\'s resolutions and changing mindsets, but I want to talk about the importance of setting goals, specifically pitching goals. See, to me resolutions and goals are a bit different. Resolutions are things that often seem solitary, they\'re set once and never changed. They typically don\'t evolve throughout the year, and they may be forgotten or given up on, but they are a reminder of what you\'d like to become or what you\'d like to focus on. Don\'t get me wrong resolutions are great, but I think goals are better, and here\'s why.
Goal-Oriented Growth Mindset
Goals are ever-changing, once you reach one, you set another, and you continue to grow with and through your achievements. As a pitcher, you should always be evolving, always searching for ways to improve, all while acknowledging that you\'ve hit your goals along the way. Through my lessons, I\'ve had pitchers come in one day and state, \"I\'m going to hit 43 today!\", and then they do it. There\'s something special about setting your mind to an act or a goal, it tells your mind and your body, \"Hey, let\'s do this!\" I\'ve also had other pitchers who typically come in quietly, put their work in, and leave the facility. They, often, are a bit less focused than the pitchers who I mentioned above. Sure, they get better, but it usually is at a slower pace than those who openly stated their goal for that day.
Every pitcher is different, I acknowledge that. Just because a pitcher is quiet doesn\'t mean she doesn\'t have that special fire inside her. When I don\'t hear her state a goal, it doesn\'t mean she doesn\'t have one, but I think it\'s far more powerful when we voice our goals. Then, once she\'s allowed herself to say it out loud, I believe she is more likely to hold herself accountable. The goal is no longer just a thought in her head, something she might like to accomplish. Instead, it\'s something tangible, that her support system (mom, dad, coaches, teammates and friends) can help her accomplish.
Short-Term and Long-Term Goals
So, I hope that those few paragraphs encouraged you to create some goals, or maybe encouraged you to speak to your pitcher or pitchers about goal setting. Now is the perfect time to do so, as most players are typically in the middle of their off-season. Maybe you took some much deserved time off during the holidays and it\'s time to get back on track with your practice schedule. As you set goals, it\'s important to set both short-term goals and long-term goals. This gives you some boxes to check along your journey so that you know you\'re trending in the right direction.
Short-Term Goals
Each of your short term goals should help you reach that long-term goal. These benchmarks will help keep you motivated week to week or even day-to-day. Below are a few examples of short-term goals for pitchers.
We all have those big numbers in mind that we\'d like to show up on the radar. Maybe it\'s 60 mph, or maybe it\'s 45. Those numbers are great, but often your average velocity is more important. This is the velocity that you can rely on showing up consistently, not a number you hit once in a blue moon. To track your average velocity, write down the velocity of every full pitch you throw during that bullpen, or you track your last 20 pitches of the day and divide the total number by the number of pitches thrown.
If you plan to succeed in the circle, you need to throw strikes. You can do that in a variety of ways, through swings and misses, through called strikes, or through foul balls, but you are going to need to throw through the strike zone to have successful outings. This is easier to track in games, but you can at least track called strikes in practice settings. Start out by tracking your strike percentage in your next bullpen, then aim to increase it steadily throughout the week. Will you improve or succeed in every single bullpen? No, but you should see a steady increase in your strike percentage as you go. Use the rough days as learning lessons, and go back over your numbers to see how you can improve during your next practice.
This might not seem like a big deal to some, but to me, this is HUGE! Having a consistent pitch-to-pitch routine is a game-changer, so spending time on this during practice is a must. Anything you do during practice will show up in a game, so why not practice your routine? This might be one of the best short-term goals you can set. Everyone\'s routine will look a little different, so make it your goal to find one that works for you. Aim to get better and better at incorporating and trusting your routine every day.
For ideas on how to improve your pre-pitch routine, check out this article.
Practicing often is essential, but if you\'re consistently putting in un-focused practice you\'re missing out on valuable time. Goal-setting is a great start when it comes to building a focused practice, but it is the pitch-to-pitch focus that will really set your best practices apart from others that are lack-luster. Tracking the first two short-term goals above will help you stay in the moment, as well as developing your routine. My other advice for staying focused during long bullpens - allow yourself time in between pitches to zone-out. A full hour or more of complete focus might seem exhausting at first. The few seconds before throwing the pitch and the execution of your pitch should be your focused time. During the time in between, allow yourself to breathe and reset.
Need help tracking your average velocity and strike percentage? Click on the red softball above for a printable bullpen chart.
Long-Term Goals
I would argue that your short-term goals are the most important, as they will contribute to your long-term success. That being said, it\'s important to set some BIG goals as well. These goals should naturally take a bit longer to obtain, so make sure to acknowledge your small victories along the way. If you see continued progress towards your long-term goals, even a little, you\'re on the right track.
Above I mentioned that your average velocity is the most important, and it is, but we want to reach for the stars (sorry for the corny metaphor). Ultimately, once we hit that big number, you should then aim to make that your average, or at least close the gap. Maybe you want to gain 5 mph this year, or maybe you want to gain more. Depending on your age and your current speed, you may be able to gain 5 or more mph in a year. Set a reasonable but exciting goal, and plan out how you\'re going to achieve it.
I am a huge proponent of commanding a fastball and a change-up, but once you\'ve mastered those, it\'s time to add another pitch. Whether you\'re learning a dropball or a riseball, spend time in the developmental stages. There is a reason I made this a long-term goal. New pitches generally take a long time to perfect, so don\'t give up on a pitch just because it doesn\'t come to you right away. Rather than learning another new pitch right away, stay focused on one and perfect it. The better you can make 3 or 4 pitches, the more effective you will become. Working on too many pitches at once can make it more difficult to develop true movement.
Elite pitchers create swings and misses. Yes, they also pitch to contact, but we do want to create swings and misses as often as possible, so why not make that one of your goals? You can do so by continuing to develop movement and changing speeds. An elite change-up or off-speed is a huge component of creating swings and misses, so I would start there. Next, continue developing your movement pitches by improving your spin direction and increasing your spin rate. Finally, create deception. The more you can disguise your pitches, the harder it will be for a hitter to decide what to swing at. Below, are a few articles and videos on developing a change-up and creating deception.
This is a fun one, as it is individualized to each person depending on your age group, development, and ambition. Everyone should have one HUMUNGOUS goal, whether it\'s fulfilled way down the road or in the near future. Maybe you\'re in high school and you\'ve decided you want to play in college, maybe you want to win a state championship, or maybe you want to make your middle school or high school team. Whatever big goal you have, voice it, write it down, and make it happen. The only thing holding you back is you.
Reaching your Goals
Setting goals is great, but we set goals in order to achieve them, so it\'s important to make a road map or a checklist for obtaining your goals. If you can paint a clear picture of what you need to do to reach each individual goal, it will be far easier to achieve them.
- Start by creating a list of 3-5 short term goals. Think about what it will take to achieve them, and write it down underneath your goal.
- Do the same for your long-term goals.
- As I mentioned before, your short term-goals should help you achieve your long-term goals, so make sure they coincide.
- Finally, create a checklist (make it big) so that you can visibly see the progress you\'re making. Remember to pat yourself on the back.
Big dreams and goals are never accomplished in one day but instead little by little with great investment and attention to detail.
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Dominate on the Diamond with our Christmas Favorites
Christmas is just a week away, and if you're anything like me, you might still have some Christmas shopping left to do. Whether your daughter is at the youth level or preparing for her last few years of travel or high school softball, essential training tools are gifts that keep on giving. Below you'll find our favorite training tools at Softball Rebellion for pitchers, hitters, and even a few fun additions for stocking stuffers!
**Links to each article can be found by clicking the title of each picture**
Pitcher Must-Haves
Pitching essentials are a little different depending on what level your daughter is at, but I'll start with the basics. Earlier this week, I wrote an article featuring three indoor pitching drills, and I mentioned throwing into a close-up net as a great option for offseason training. To do so, it's helpful to know which nets to buy. There are tons of net options out there, but what you'll want to buy will vary based on the space you have to throw in and what your pitcher is trying to accomplish.
Nets and Target Training
Bownet is known for making a variety of easy to assemble netting options. This particular net stands at just 6' tall, making it a perfect net for indoor or outdoor training. You can set it up in a matter of minutes and take it back down after you finish your bullpen. For a visual representation of the strike zone, you can also purchase their Zone-Counter attachment.
If your pitcher is working on commanding her pitches in and around the strike zone, the 9-hole pitcher's pocket is a perfect gift. The 9-hole pocket provides an added visual for locations throughout the zone, allowing pitchers to hone in their accuracy.
This is by far the most extensive location training net I've seen. Although I have yet to use the net myself, I love that it also serves as a teaching tool in relation to multiple zones pitchers should throw to. The Lokator set can also be used in conjunction with their free app so that you can chart your pitcher's practice and review it later.
Developmental Essentials
You may have noticed, most of the balls we use when throwing or doing drill work have a tape-line on them. It's extremely important that a pitcher understands what type of spin she generates on each pitch. This also holds true for overhand throwing. Adding a tape-line makes it easier for a pitcher to see her spin and understand the adjustments she needs to make. Now, you can certainly add a tape-line yourself using electrical tape, but if you're looking for a ball that already has the tape-line, Spin-Line Softballs are the way to go. They also have great seams, and we all know pitchers love great seams!
Even at a young age, arm care should not be overlooked. Set your pitcher up for success by incorporating Jaeger Bands into her pitching routine. If you're looking for a proper arm-care routine, check out how our pitchers prepare to throw in this article.
I recommend the J-band Junior for most pitchers that are just beginning an arm care routine.
The Diamond Kinetics PitchTracker is geared towards more advanced pitchers, but younger pitchers can also use it. The pitch tracker softball provides pitch to pitch feedback on speed, spin direction, and spin rate. These metrics provide valuable information for pitchers working on changing speeds and throwing movement pitches. The best part about the pitch tracker, it's affordable! Starting at just $99 you can purchase a tool that will give pitchers real-time feedback on every pitch they throw.
Homerun Gifts for Hitters
There are TONS and I mean TONS of gifts you could purchase for your favorite hitter. I'm sure a new bat is one of the gifts that seems like it's always on the list, but I'm going to keep the focus on a few other tools that will aid in your hitter's development. Now, I am a little biased, as we sell hitting products at Softball and Baseball Rebellion, so I will add a few of those, but mostly I'll focus on products outside of what we sell.
Blast Motion has been the most accurate and well-known swing analyzer for the past few years. There is no better way to make adjustments pitch to pitch than to see a visual and numerical representation of what is actually happening within your swing. With Blast, hitters no longer have to guess how they got to contact or only go by feel. Instead, they have real data that you can view right on your phone immediately after each swing. It's as easy as popping the sensor on your bat, setting up the app, and swinging away.
One of the tools our hitting instructors enjoy using at the facility is the Line Drive Pro. This tool gives your hitter immediate feedback on their swing direction and is also versatile enough for indoor or outdoor use. This tool can also be used to feed ground balls to players without the use of a softball.
If you're looking for a new tee for this upcoming season, The Launch Angle Tee is our best seller. The tee's angled adapter top allows you to see more of the ball than any other tee out there. If you happen to have any old broken tee's at home that needs refurbishing, you can also purchase one of our adapters.
Stocking Stuffers
I always loved opening my stocking on Christmas morning. It might be filled with much-needed hair ties or quite a bit of candy, but if you're looking for a few softball-related stocking stuffers, I've compiled a few things your softball player could enjoy on or off the field. From colorful bat grips to softball inspired t-shirts, keep the softball theme going with a little added flair.
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Improve your Pitching Technique Indoors this Off-season
Oftentimes when talking about off-season training, I hear that it's too cold to get outside or there just isn't enough time to practice. Although I can't argue that the temperatures have dropped and there's not much daylight left once school gets out, there are plenty of simple drills that you can complete indoors. The fact is, you don't always need to throw full distance to improve your mechanics or your speed. Instead, spend a few days a week completing the following drills to enhance your form.
All you'll need for these drills is eight to ten feet of space and a net or tarp.
Elbow Leading Arm Circles
I don't actually call this drill "elbow-leading arm circles", but it's something important to emphasize for a correct and efficient arm path. Many pitchers have heard the term "whip", but often it's taught incorrectly or poorly understood. You can only create a true whip when your elbow leads your arm circle in the downswing of your motion. If instead, you are pushing the ball down or "palm-down" at the 9 o'clock position your arm will remain stiff and straight, leading to a lack of whip.
As you master your stationary arm-circles, it's important to achieve the same form during your full pitch. There are a few key factors that contribute to arm whip, so keep these in mind as you work on incorporating this arm path into your pitch.
- If you land with too much of your weight forward and your front shoulder drops below your back shoulder, you will have a hard time leading with your elbow. This often contributes to "pushing the ball"
- To combat this, ensure your initial drive off the mound is solid and focus on stabilizing your core when landing. Your head should be aligned with your back hip at landing
- Below, are two great examples of proper alignment prior to landing (Rachel Garcia) and post-landing (Monica Abbott).
Rachel Garcia - UCLA, Team USA
Monica Abbott - Tennessee, Team USA
Stop and Go Variations
Stop and go's have always been one of my favorite drills to help pitcher's understand their body positioning. This is a great drill to work on positional awareness, as mentioned above. You can complete normal stop and go's into a net, or for an added challenge, add a glove snap to finish instead of throwing the ball into a net. Both of these variations are helpful, but I find that an additional glove-snap can help younger pitchers who have a poor understanding of when to release the pitch. I will caution you, young pitchers tend to miss their glove during glove snaps, so it's still helpful to throw in front of a net.
Landing Position Checklist:
- Lower-body positioning
- Hips are underneath you at landing position. If your head is forward, you will have a difficult time creating proper sequencing.
- The front toe should land somewhere between 0 and 45 degrees towards the catcher. You should be able to complete a proper lunge from your landing position.
- Back heel should be up so that you can drag from the top of your toes rather than with the inside of the foot.
- Upper-body positioning
- Arms should be loose and relaxed with a slight bend.
- Palm and ball should be up towards the sky, allowing the elbow to lead the whip.
- Your glove should be in line with your body.
Finish
- Initiate a slight rotation of the hips prior to the arm pulling down. You can initiate this sequence by pulling your front hip backwards (left for right-handed pitchers, and right for left-handed pitchers). This will allow you to start creating proper rotation.
- Maintain a proper whip through your pull by leading with the elbow and maintaining proper posture.
- Go full speed. If you miss your glove, you miss your glove. It's not the end of the world. Learn to make adjustments as you continue trying this stop and go glove snap variation.
Barefoot Pitching
This is something I have seen from a few different pitching coaches recently, and I decided to try it with my own clients, particularly pitchers who struggle with crow-hopping or have a crashing ankle as they go into their drag. Pitching with no shoes on will allow the pitcher to feel which part of their foot they are driving through, landing on, and dragging with. The more a pitcher can feel what she's doing, the easier it will be for her to understand what adjustments need to be made.
CAUTION: Do not throw at top speed while barefoot. You will fall. Trust me, I speak from experience.
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Increase your Run Production with Elite Level Base Running
Base running is an often overlooked aspect of the game. Typically, the only concern coaches and athletes have when it comes to offensive production is how hard or how far they can hit the ball. However, it is important to capitalize on every opportunity presented in the game in order to increase your overall scoring production.
Two main components contribute to making an athlete a good base runner: running mechanics and game awareness. As a former student-athlete, a current certified strength and conditioning specialist, and aspiring physical therapist, I find it important to understand running mechanics in order to minimize injuries and improve overall running efficiency. However, having good mechanics alone won\'t make you a great baserunner. You have to have good knowledge and awareness of the game in order to make smart yet aggressive decisions on the base paths.
What is Speed?
According to the NSCA, sprint speed is codependence of stride frequency and stride length. Essentially by learning to improve both of those aspects, we should be able to enhance an athlete\'s speed efficiency. Speed efficiency is the ability to use proper mechanics in order to get the maximum amount of benefits per sprint. Additionally, the energy needed to propel you forward at a quick rate is a direct result of how much force you can direct into the ground. This is referred to as ground reaction force and basically means in order to achieve higher outputs (speed), we have to increase the input (force in the ground).
Maximize Speed from Home to First
In the game of softball, a player never reaches her maximum speed due to the length of the base paths. With that being said, learning to maximize running mechanics will help to improve base running performance. Having a good first step out of the box, with good arm movements is important for gaining the initial acceleration needed to reach first base. As I help coach teams on base running, the first thing I notice is most athletes tend to take a \'false step\' or initiate a backward movement with their front foot. Taking unnecessary or false steps will slow a player down by increasing their home to first time, which ultimately decreases their probability of reaching the base safely. Focusing on improving sprinting mechanics will help you maximize your overall baserunning production. Take a look at the videos below to see the difference between good and bad movements out of the box.
Good Form
Poor Form
Base Starts
Baserunning is mostly linear speed. Therefore, you should incorporate aspects of a track sprinters start into your lead-off form. From many years of watching and experiencing baserunning myself, I have found the \"track start\" to be the most successful. Essentially, you are taking the initial starting position of a track athlete and using it on the base baths. Take a look at the picture below to see the specifics of what it should look like. The key takeaways from this position are the shin angle, arm position, and head position.
Efficient Starting Position
Inefficient Starting Position
Shin Angle
As seen in the picture with proper positioning, the shin is angled forward in comparison to the ground. This will help you to direct your momentum forward rather than straight up. As the ball leaves the pitcher\'s hand and you begin to come off the base, your first couple of steps should be low. Similar to the speed information described previously, the amount of force you put into the ground, you will get back in return. Therefore, if the shin angle is exerting force at an angle less than 90 degrees then the force will be used to drive you towards the next base rather than straight upwards if the angle is greater than 90 degrees.
Arm Positioning
When sprinting, arm action is just as important as leg drive. Your arms are responsible for the counter-movement of your legs in order to keep your body balanced. With that being said, if the leg drive off the bag is needed to be strong, then our arms are responsible for that same energy potential. In the \"track start\" position our back hand (same side as the lead leg) should be extended behind us while the other is placed on the ground slightly in front of our front foot. We want to make sure our arm action matches our leg drive. You want to use everything you can to gain speed with your arms. Think about \'ripping the ground away\' or swiping the dirt behind you. This shows you are being powerful with your upper body and this drive helps create a change in your acceleration off the bag.
Head Positioning
Finally, your head position in this stance is critical as you have to keep your eyes on the ball. Often times, kids trying to learn the track start and they have their heads practically upside down. You cannot expect to be early or on time with the ball if your view of the pitcher is disorientated. To stay effective as a baserunner, make sure to keep a balanced head position.
Base Leads
As far as base running, you want to put yourselves in the best possible position to maximize your sprint speed between base A and base B. When you take a lead off any base, your first three steps should be hard and fast.
You want to make the opposing team believe that you are stealing on every pitch. By making them buy into your hard leads, you might just catch them off guard when you actually do get the sign to steal. When you take your lead, you want to take three hard steps followed by a stop with our toes still pointing towards the next base. Check out the examples below to see the differences between efficient leads and inefficient leads.
Efficient Lead
Inefficient Lead
You should never square your feet up to the field. Your feet should be going in the desired direction until something tells you otherwise. It could be a put in play, a passed ball that gets behind the catcher, or other play inducing action that forces you to move forward. With your feet in the correct position, your toes and body pointed forward, it is easier to keep moving. However, if your feet are turned squared up to the plate, like most of us are taught at a young age, then you have to waste time to change direction. Again, you are trying to maximize every possible angle, turn, and sprint that you can in order to increase our chances of success on the base path.
Aggressive Mentality
Having talked about the mechanical side of running that contributes to one's baserunning abilities, it's particularly important to stress the benefit of having an aggressive mentality. Too many times when I am watching softball, even at the collegiate level, athletes are satisfied by moving station to station and do not seem to care if they are able to take an extra base. Once you make contact with the ball, you are no longer a hitter, but now a baserunner whose only goal is to score for the team. Nothing is a given in softball, so anytime you can take an extra base, you are putting yourself in a better position to score. Below I've provided a few simple ways to work on your aggressive baserunning:
Baserunning Tips
- Always keep your head up and watch the defense, even when the ball is not in play.
- Capitalize on little tendencies, such as a pitcher's feet being out of the circle or a defender with their head down.
- Think about trying to get two bases ahead of where you are when the ball is hit.
- If you are standing on first base and a ball is hit to the outfield on the ground, depending on the strength of the outfielders' arms, push the defense to try to throw you out at third base. Often, they will expect you to stop on second and won\'t have time to recover to throw the ball to third in time.
- Don\'t rely on your coach to make all of the decisions for you.
- You have two eyes and the ability to read the defense for yourself, so take advantage of everything, including the things they may not see themselves.
- Know the field conditions you are playing on.
- If it had just rained and the field is still muddy, know that the ball might be wet when the defender picks it up. This might alter their throw and increase your chances of advancing to the next base.
Be a Game Changer
There are certain things you can do to help improve your speed, but it's important to understand that you do not have to be the fastest athlete to be a successful baserunner. However, you do have to be smart and aggressive on the bases. Ultimately, if you remember anything, just know it takes a perfect throw, a perfect catch, and a perfect tag to make a complete play. As a base runner, take chances and see what kind of chaos you can make in the process.
The Mental Game: Training a Disciplined Brain
Welcome to the first article in our mental game series! The goal of this series is to provide you with specific information on the mental game, along with easy tips and drills you can practice at home to develop the mental toughness and fortitude you need to be successful.
It\'s important to understand that YOU have control over your brain, the center of everything we think, feel and do. This means you have the ability to train it to think in ways that are helpful to you, control your emotions, and PERFORM on the field at your best. Remember though, your brain is with you ALL THE TIME, not just when it\'s game time. That means your brain is in training 24-7. The mentally tough athlete chooses to live a LIFESTYLE of personal accountability, discipline, and self-reflection.
Your Brain is Lazy
Ultimately, your brain is lazy. It doesn\'t want to work hard and it will do everything it can to keep you from feeling uncomfortable. It is on a constant hunt for the quickest and easiest form of dopamine it can get. In the simplest explanation, dopamine is a chemical in your brain that makes you feel good! It is connected with pleasure, motivation, and reward.
There are hundreds of immediate dopamine sources around us on a regular basis. The easiest forms of dopamine may feel good RIGHT NOW, but the effects are not long term. The difficult paths to dopamine may take longer, it may be uncomfortable, but the reward is greater and the effects are much more impactful.
The Disciplined Brain
Below are some examples of choices you may come across as an athlete. One option is the easier path that feels good right NOW. The other option takes work, effort, focus, and discipline; but leads to a bigger, longer-lasting reward.
- Keeping an easy pace on a timed mile vs. Pushing your pace to your limit
- Watching Netflix vs. Getting your spin reps in
- Ice cream, cookies, and sweets vs. Chicken, rice and broccoli
- Sleeping in as long as possible before school vs. Getting up early, having a nutritious breakfast, and feeling fully awake and energized before school
Every time we make a disciplined choice, our brain learns to expect the disciplined choice a little better. In other words, good habits are formed and the more disciplined an athlete you become. It\'s important to know that training your brain is a process, just like training your body. It\'s not going to happen easily right away, it takes commitment and accountability to make the disciplined choice, day after day.
Train your Brain. Discipline.
Train at Home Challenge: Immediate Purposeful Rewards
Allowing yourself to experience small, immediate rewards (in moderation) is important to help maintain a balance in life. Even the most disciplined athletes allow themselves a donut every now and then. The difference is, the disciplined athlete does it with PURPOSE.
Write down an immediate reward that tends to control you. Maybe you always go for that soda when you know you should be drinking water, or maybe you allow yourself to be distracted by your phone while you are studying. Whatever it is, write it down along with exactly when you will allow yourself to experience that reward and for how long. Be specific! Write down the date, time, and for how long. When the time comes, set a timer and allow yourself to do NOTHING else but enjoy that moment. You will find that you will savor it more, and as a result, may not feel like you need or crave it as much throughout the week.
Good luck!
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Learning to Throw a Great Curveball
Curveball: A pitch that is known for having great break, spin, and movement. A very difficult pitch to hit. Also, my FAVORITE pitch to throw, especially as a lefty.
Growing up in Orange, California I was known for throwing hard and jamming all righties as a lefty pitcher, with some up spin. I knew I could throw a curve, but I did not fully understand what my body was doing, how to throw it and how to fully use it to my advantage. But college is when I learned how to properly throw a curveball mechanically and visually. I have to give a HUGE thank you to my collegiate pitching coach, Jennifer Brundage, in my opinion, the BEST pitching coach around!
Utilizing Proper Mechanics
Before they start movement pitches a pitcher needs to MASTER a fastball with good mechanics and spotting locations. Once your pitcher masters a fastball there are many directions one can go. If your pitcher decides on a curveball, it is based off of a GREAT fastball.
Important Concepts:
- When throwing a curveball, all body movements are the same as a fastball until release.
- To release the ball properly, snap across your body, under the ball, near your belly button.
- Visualize creating a bullet spin on the top of the ball.
- Cross your stride slightly over your powerline - the straight line from the middle of the rubber to the middle of home plate.
- Lefty pitchers: Right foot over the left of the powerline
- Righty pitchers: Left foot over the right of the powerline
Crossing your Powerline
Spins and Drills
14" Ball
Zip Ball
Using the 14" ball and the Zipball will allow you to focus on creating the correct wrist positioning and spinning the ball with your fingertips. Try to master self-spins, as I demonstrate above, and then move on to throwing the 14" ball and Zipball to a catcher.
Frisbee Toss
Use the frisbee toss to maintain proper positioning and keep your palm underneath the ball as you work on your curveball spin.
- The grip can be tricky to pick up on.
- Grip the frisbee palm up.
- Place your thumb in the groove on the bottom of the frisbee and wrap your fingers along the top.
- Throw the frisbee just like you would a softball, focusing on keeping your palm under the frisbee and creating a proper wrist snap.
- The frisbee should remain flat and curve as it reaches your target.
Mastering your Curveball
As I learned my curveball, it helped me to complete visualization exercises. Everyone's visualization process might be a little different, so try to explore different types of visualization and decide what works best for you. Below, I explain how my visualization process progressed throughout my collegiate and professional career.
As you continue to learn to perfect the spin and placement of your curveball, it's important to commit to the process and keep a positive mindset throughout. Remember, struggles and successes make you who you are. The way you respond to difficult situations not only shapes how you compete in the circle, but also how you perform in life.
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