Category Archives: Pitching
Developing Fastpitch Pitchers: The Speed v Accuracy Debate
One of the age-old questions when developing fastpitch pitchers is whether coaches should prioritize speed or accuracy.
Of course the real answer is they should focus on mechanics and everything else comes from that. In other words, focus on the process and the outcomes will take care of themselves.
Still, you do need some way of measuring whether the mechanics you’re working on are helping your pitcher get better or not. The two most common are speed and accuracy.
So we again come to that question: which of those should be the priority? In my opinion, the priority for young pitchers should be speed. Here’s why.
Let’s say you choose to prioritize accuracy. Understandable, especially if you are a team coach.
You want pitchers who can get the ball over the plate and get hitters swinging. After all, you can’t defend a walk and all that, and no one likes a walkfest.
The problem is, if you sacrifice speed for accuracy your pitcher will develop a way of pitching that is totally focused on that outcome. That will get her by up until about the age of 12, especially if you’re not playing high-level ball.
But at some point she will need to gain some speed or she won’t be pitching anymore. While it may have been good enough to “just get the ball over the plate” when she was younger and the opponents didn’t hit very well, those hitters have been developing too.
And they can now crush those slow meatballs all the way toward South America.
So she’s going to have to gain some speed. The problem is, that’s going to throw off her whole way of pitching because she’s going to need to use her body differently than she’s been doing it, which means her accuracy will go down anyway. And now she’s neither fast nor accurate.
Let’s look at it from the other side. If you focus on speed first, your pitcher may have some trouble throwing strikes at first.
Young people don’t always have total command of their bodies, and some have less than others. Which means you could have arms and legs (as well as pitches) going everywhere when they try to use their full energy But…
The more they work at it at full or near-full energy level, the better they’ll be able to feel their body moving in space. Pitches that were way wide, or going to the top of the backstop, or rolling in the dirt, start getting closer to being strikes.
The zone keeps narrowing until finally the pitcher can throw reliably. Only instead of throwing meatballs she’s bringing heat.
And as she gets older, the mechanics she developed to build that speed continue to be refined, giving her better and better control without having to go back to the drawing board and re-learn how to pitch.
In the end, it comes down to what your goals for that pitcher are. If all the team coach cares about is not giving up walks to ensure a better shot at wins in the short term, it might make sense to go for accuracy.
Your pitcher will definitely get more opportunity to pitch right now.
If, however, you’re looking to develop your pitcher in a way that delivers long-term success, put the priority on speed and let accuracy come later. Because by the time a pitcher is 13, she needs a minimum level of speed to even be considered for most teams, much less given the ball when it counts.
You show up to a tryout with speed and no one cares how many batters you walked or hit when you were younger. They may even be willing to take a chance on you if you look a little wild.
But show up throwing in the mid-40s or less and you’re probably not going to be pitching much no matter how accurate you are. Because by that time accuracy will be considered table stakes, not a point of differentiation.
The #1 Measure of the Quality of a Fastpitch Pitcher
Ask a group of fastpitch softball coaches or fanatics what the best way is to measure the quality of a pitcher and you’re going to get a variety of answers. Most of which come down to the three S’s – speed, spin, spot.
The most popular, in most cases, is likely to be speed. There’s no doubt about it that speed is important (it is called FASTpitch, after all). The higher the speed, especially at the younger or less experienced levels, the harder it will be (generally) for hitters to put a bat on the ball.
Speed is also easy to measure. You set up your radar gun, turn it on, and the highest number wins. Often you can also eyeball it, particularly if there is more than a couple of miles per hour difference between pitchers.
Others will tell you that speed is less important than spin. Being able to make the ball break – not just angle or bend toward a specific location but actually change direction as the pitch comes in – can really give hitters fits.
They think the ball will be in one location and orient their swings accordingly only to realize the ball is somewhere else by the time it reaches the bat. That phenomenon can either induce a poor hit or a swing and miss, depending on the pitch and the amount of break it has.
Finally, there will be those who insist that pitchers hitting their spots, i.e., throwing the ball to the location that is called within a couple of inches of that location, is really the be-all and end-all measure of a fastpitch pitcher. These are usually coaches who 1) believe in the infallibility of their pitch calling and/or 2) are looking for a reason not to pitch a particular pitcher who is otherwise doing just fine.
In my opinion, though, none of those three S’s are the most important measure of the quality of a pitcher. So what is?
It’s simple: the ability to get hitters out. Preferably with as few pitches as possible each inning.
Think about it. What does it take for your team to come off defense and get the opportunity to put runs on the board so you can win?
You need to get three outs, hopefully in a row but definitely at some point.
You’re not awarded any outs for your pitcher hitting a particular speed with her pitches, or getting a certain number of revolutions per minute/second on her breaking pitches, or nailing her locations 8 out of 10 times. The only thing you’re given an out for is the hitter either swinging and missing up to three times or hitting the ball in a way that your fielders can get her out.
(I was going to say easily out, but while that is preferred even a difficult out is an out. But it sure is safer when they’re easier.)
To me, a perfect inning for a pitcher is when she induces three shallow pop-ups to the first baseman. Easy to field, and if the first baseman fails to catch the ball in spite of that she can still pick up the ball and step on first rather than having to make a throw.
Not to mention a pitcher who can get hitters out with just a few pitches is going to keep her pitch count low, enabling her to throw more pitches throughout the weekend.
After all, the minimum for striking out the side is nine pitches. If your pitcher can get the side out in seven or eight pitches, that difference is going to add up over time. Particularly because even the best strikeout pitchers rarely require only nine pitches inning after inning.
Outs are the currency of our game. You only get so many – 21 in a non-timed game, maybe 12 or 15 in a typical timed game – so a pitcher who can make them happen efficiently is going to be more valuable at game time than one who merely looks good on paper.
So how does a pitcher become that low-count, efficient pitcher? Really, it’s through a combination of the three S’s.
Sure, she needs some measure of speed with which to challenge hitters. But she doesn’t have to be overpowering.
One of the most effective pitchers I ever coached, a young lady whose pitch counts were typically in the 8 to 12 per inning range, never threw above 54 on my Pocket Radar. But man could she throw to a hitter’s weakness and make the ball move as well as change speeds while making every pitch look like it would be the same.
In other words, she could also spin and spot the ball. All three together were a deadly combination for her, even against quality hitters.
She wasn’t the flashiest pitcher you’ve ever seen, and she probably wouldn’t be the one most coaches would choose first if they were watching several pitchers throw in a line. But when the game or the championship was on the line, she was usually the one her team wanted in the circle.
Because she knew how to get hitters out, plain and simple.
There’s no doubt that overpowering speed is impressive, and it can often make up for deficiencies in other areas. Just ask all those bullet spin “riseball” pitchers.
But if you want to win more games, don’t make speed, or spin, or spot alone your only deciding factor.
Look for the pitcher who knows how to get hitters out, doesn’t matter how. She’ll make you look like a smarter coach.
Why Good Circle Visits Are So Critical to Pitchers’ (and Team) Success
One of the toughest decisions a coach has to make during a game is when to take a pitcher out. That decision is based on a lot of factors.
For example, it’s easier to leave a pitcher in a game to see if she can work her way out of trouble if the game doesn’t mean that much. On the other hand, if you’re in a big tournament, the pitcher is your #1 (and thus perceived to be your best chance at winning) and a loss means elimination, it can be very tempting to stick with her even if you know in your heart of hearts she’s done.
If you do decide the current pitcher needs to be replaced, however, one thing that shouldn’t be a difficult decision is deciding how to take her out. That should be handled by a circle visit, either by the head coach or the team’s designated pitching coach.
(ASIDE: If the pitcher is the head coach’s daughter, the visit should probably be handled by literally anyone else. That’s the voice of experience talking, folks.)
The reason I bring this up is I recently heard a story about a team where, when they want to change pitchers, there is no circle visit. The coach just sends the new pitcher out from the bench to tell the current one it’s time to take a seat.
That’s just wrong for so many reasons, not the least of which is the mental game wellbeing of the pitcher – a factor which will no doubt be of importance down the road. It’s also just rude.
A pitcher would have to be pretty unaware of her surroundings and what’s going on in the game to not realize she is struggling. I mean, if she’s walked the bases loaded in 12 pitches she probably has a pretty good clue that she’s not exactly on top of her game.
A circle visit gives the coach an opportunity to say, “Doesn’t look like today is your day,” or something to that effect.
If the pitcher was doing well up to that point the coach can say words to the effect of, “Looks like you’re having some trouble with the umpire. Let’s give her a different look and see if we can’t get out of this jam.” If she wasn’t, the coach can say something such as, “Rough one today. I think we need to change things up right now, but if you keep working there will be other opportunities.”
I’ve talked to many current and former players, and nearly all agree that girls are far more likely to think the worst of themselves and believe it when someone tells them they’re not very good. Even if they know it’s not true.
A few kind words when making a pitching change can help mitigate some of that thinking and bolster the pitcher’s base confidence level. And as we all know, confidence is a critical element to have when you’re playing the position that is most under the spotlight, and has so much impact on the team’s success.
But circle visits aren’t just for pitching changes. Getting out in front of problems, especially if they’re happening to your #1, can help you avoid having to make that tough decision later.
Sometimes when a pitcher starts to struggle she just needs a little positive reinforcement from the coach. Sometimes she needs the visit just to slow the game down and give her a chance to regain her composure, or her mojo. Sometimes she just needs to get out of her own head for a bit.
One time when one of pitchers was struggling I called time, walked to the circle, and said, “A horse walks into a bar and the bartender says, ‘Hey, why the long face?'” I then turned around and went back to the bench.
She was a bit stunned at first, I think, but then she realized my Dad joke was just a way of telling her A) don’t take all this too seriously, and B) you’re doing fine, just relax. It worked too – she pitched herself out of the inning with no more trouble.
A circle visit isn’t really a time to offer pitching instruction, although I was known to draw a power line or two in the dirt in my coaching days when I thought it would help. It’s a time to help pitchers deal with the mental side, whether it’s calming down so they can continue or softening the blow of taking them out so they know the situation is temporary, not permanent – and that coming out of a game mid-inning doesn’t make them a bad human being or a terrible pitcher. Everyone gets pulled sooner or later.
Now, I know at this point some of you keyboard warriors are thinking this point of view is soft, and that female pitchers need to not be such snowflakes. They need to toughen up Buttercup and just deal with it.
So for those who think this way let me ask you this: when was the last time you saw a Major League Baseball pitcher get taken out of a game without a coach coming out to the mound to do it? You can count those times on the fingers of one ear.
So if an MLB pitcher who is a fully grown adult and is getting paid millions, or tens of millions, of dollars per year to throw a ball needs a coach to come out and tell them personally that they’re done for the day, why shouldn’t a young or adolescent girl who is just playing for the love of the game be offered the same courtesy? Or a college pitcher for that matter.
If you’re a coach who is managing pitchers in-game, be smart about it. Get off your behind and talk with your pitchers when they need it – whether it’s to calm them down or make a change.
They may not like seeing you come out of the dugout but that feeling will be temporary. Because they will appreciate you showing you care about them as a person as well as a pitcher.
Proper Form? The Shadow Knows!
You’ve no doubt heard that different people learn best in different ways. The four basic learning styles are visual (watching the skill performed), audible (listening to instruction about the skill), kinesthetic (learning by doing), and reading/writing (using written words to understand).
Fastpitch softball instruction typically uses audible (coach explains) or visual (coach demonstrates, or at least tries to) learning, then expects that to translate into kinesthetic as the player tries to emulate the instruction. The idea is to get the “feel” of the movements so they can be carried forward later.
While this is important, some players have difficulty moving from visual/audio to kinesthetic learning. They are trying, but they can’t quite get the feel of it and thus go right back to old habits.
A great example is a pitcher trying to learn to keep an elbow bend down the back side of the circle to allow her arm to whip at the end. She may be trying to bend it, but as she goes into the back side her elbow straightens out and the arm becomes stiff, which means no whip.
One solution is to video the player so she can see what she is doing. Sometimes it helps, but often she has trouble translating what she sees into what she does.
A better approach is to use a mirror so she can see what she’s doing AS she tries to feel it. The combination of the two is very powerful, and often helps shortcut the learning curve.
But what if you are outside and don’t have access to a mirror? Not to worry – there is another solution: her shadow!
If you place the pitcher with her back to the sun, her body will cast a shadow. She can then watch that shadow as she moves to see if she is maintaining elbow bend or coming out of it over the top.
This quick, crude video demonstrates how that works:
Note how rather than reaching back with the hand I pulled the upper arm or elbow down, maintaining bend that leads into release. By watching the shadow while moving her arm, your pitcher can begin to feel where her arm needs to be as she practices.
She can continue to observe as she builds up speed, first without a ball and then throwing a ball into a net or screen. Over time she will feel it more and more until she no longer needs the visual cue – at which point you can really turn her loose.
This is just one example of how you can use a player’s shadow to enhance learning. For example, if she tends to drop her hands or flatten out her back too early while hitting, her shadow will show it, enabling her to make that adjustment.
If she is pulling her hand straight back while throwing instead of retracting her elbow with her scap and then letting her hand rotate behind her, that will be easy to spot in a shadow too.
Next time you’re outdoors on a sunny day and a player struggles to get the feel of a skill, give this idea a try. It’s quick, easy, and free – and the shadow always knows!
Pros and Cons of New Pitching Rule on Leaping
By now you’ve no doubt heard about a very significant change to the fastpitch softball pitching rules in the NCAA, NFHS, and various travel ball level organizations. The rule involves leaping, i.e., having both feet in the air during the stride-out portion of the pitch.
Up until this rule change leaping was illegal, which meant if a pitcher was called for it the batter would automatically be credited with a ball, even if the pitch came in fat and happy down the middle. That collective sigh of relief you heard a few weeks ago came from pitchers, their parents, their grandparents and other relatives, their team coaches, their pitching coaches, and other interested parties when it was announced that leaping will now be allowed.
Of course, no change occurs in the fastpitch softball world without some level of angst being generated, and this rule change is no exception. Some are in favor, some are against, but whatever their point of view most are passionate about whatever they think.
That’s why I thought it might be a good idea to go through the pros and cons of leaping while pitching in a more dispassionate way to help everyone understand this change a little more.
But First – Leaping v Crow Hopping
Before we get into the pros and cons I think it’s important to distinguish between leaping, which is now legal, and crow hopping, which remains illegal, because many use the terms interchangeably. Especially coaches who are complaining about an opposing pitcher.
Leaping is what happens when a pitcher strides off the pitching rubber, her back foot loses connection with the ground, and both feet are in the air at the same time until the front foot lands. Often this is the result of a late push or drive off the pitching rubber by the drive leg.
Most people consider there to be no particular advantage to leaping, and in fact it might actually reduce a pitcher’s speed a little. Leaping is now allowed since the rule change.
Crow hopping starts out the same way as a leap, with both feet off the ground. The difference, though, is that the drive leg lands first AND THEN there is a second push-off. This gives the pitcher an advantage because she is essentially starting her pitch from a much closer distance – generally six to eight feet.
This shorter closing distance gives the batter less time to react, essentially making the pitcher appear to be faster than she actually is. Crow hopping is still not allowed by the rules.
Pros of the Leaping Rule Change
The biggest pro of the change to allow leaping IMHO is it theoretically eliminates opposing coaches trying to get a successful pitcher pulled out of a game, or get into a pitcher’s head to the point where she is no longer effective, by complaining that she is leaping (or crow hopping as most say). Because what can be better than a grown man or woman playing head games with a 12 year old?
Think of all the time and animosity that will be saved by not arguing about whether a pitcher is legal or illegal because her back foot came an inch or two off the ground. In today’s world of timed games that alone will be a plus.
Another pro is it gives pitchers the opportunity to learn their craft without having to worry about whether their back foot is coming off the ground. Pitching is hard enough; removing a meaningless obstacle to learning it enables budding pitchers to focus on the mechanics that will help them develop and grow.
Finally, it saves the umpires (especially the ones working solo) from having to watch for and call pitchers for leaping. With that off their plates they can focus on things that are far more important to the outcome of the game – such as calling balls and strikes or runners leaving early on a steal or a fly ball.
Again, in my opinion and the opinions of many other pitching coaches there is no real advantage gained by a leap, so it’s essentially no harm, no foul.
Cons of the Leaping Rule Change
The biggest con to the rule change is that leaping is kind of a gateway to crow hopping. If you stop calling leaping, umpires may eventually quit calling crow hopping, which will then give pitchers an unfair advantage.
We’ve seen this in the men’s game. Many of the top men’s pitchers crow hop and don’t get called for it because umpires seem to have given up worrying about it.
Will that happen in women’s fastpitch as well? Time will tell.
Another con to leaping is that mechanics are not as efficient, which means pitchers may actually be giving up a little speed, accuracy, or movement. Many will not be able to transfer as much energy into the ball because their posture or timing (or both) is off, and they may not be able to get their arms and/or hands into the optimal position for delivery.
If no one is worried about proper leg drive because pitchers won’t be called for leaping it could lead to pitchers not achieving their full potential. Pitching coaches will quit looking for it and pitchers will never make the effort to correct it.
I fully believe that a pitcher who can keep herself stacked properly over the back side will pitch better than if she strides in a way that pulls her back foot off the ground prematurely. That’s just biomechanics and physics.
Finally, there is the health and safety issue. Pitchers who leap, especially if they go after with with enthusiasm because it’s no longer illegal, will put themselves at greater risk of ankle, knee, hip, and back injuries, particularly in the lower lumbar region.
The weight-forward, body-forward posture most leapers have will cause more strain as they collide with the ground. Over time, those repetitive out-of-balance landings can lead to injuries that could put a pitcher out of action for a month, several months, a year, or even longer.
And then she’ll have to relearn proper technique anyway to avoid future injuries. Why not just start from a safer technique and go from there?
Choose Wisely
The bottom line for me is that the rule change is a good thing from a practical, in-game point of view, but it shouldn’t be considered carte blanche to use poor technique.
I will still strive to teach my students how to drive more efficiently, with their drive foot on the ground. But if they do come up a little, I’m glad to know it’s not going to cost them the game anymore.
Don’t Just Put In the Time – Put In the Effort
One of the most common questions coaches get at the end of a lesson or practice session is, “How long and how often should my daughter practice?”
While it’s a legitimate concern – parents want to their daughters get the full benefit and they get a better return on their investment – I tend to think they’re asking the wrong question. Here’s the reason: practicing is not actual time-based; it’s quality-based.
Take two players who are at the same skill level and have been assigned the same drill(s) as “homework:”
- One diligently does the homework, being mindful of her movements and attempting to execute the skill the way she has been taught. She does this for 20 minutes three times before she has her next lesson.
- The other goes out to practice for a half hour three days a week between lessons. But she doesn’t like doing drills because it’s “boring,” so she instead just decides to pitch from full distance or take full swings or field ground balls hit by a partner etc. the whole time.
Which one do you think will show improvement in the aspect that needs the most help as well as in the overall skill?
Player two put in more time – an extra half hour to be exact. If time were the only factor that counted she should do better at the next lesson.
But I will tell you from experience, and bet you dollars to donuts, that player two will be the one who is most likely ready to advance further at the next lesson. She may not have put in as much time, but she put in more effort to solve her biggest issues – the one that is most limiting her.
So if she’s a pitcher who was straightening out her arm on the back side of the circle, she is now far more likely to have a nice elbow bend or “hook” as her arm gets ready to throw the ball. If she is a hitter who was dropping her hands straight to her waist before swinging, she’s far more likely to be keeping them up and turning the bat over to get the ball.
That’s because she mindfully worked at changing what she was doing. She is serious about improving so she put in the effort to make those changes.
Player two, on the other hand, actually put herself further away from her goals by practicing as she did, because all she did was reinforce the poor mechanics she should be trying to move away from.
Yes, she put in the time and could mark it down on a practice sheet, but she didn’t put in the effort. Without the effort to improve, the time is pretty much meaningless.
She would have ended up in exactly the same place at best if she hadn’t practiced at all. And she may have ended up further behind because now those extra reps with the wrong techniques will make it that much more difficult to get her to the right path.
If your daughter is going to spend her valuable time on practicing her softball skills, or anything else for that matter, make sure it’s on something that will help her advance her abilities forward.
Have her make the effort to concentrate specifically on the areas that need improvement rather than spending all her time making full pitches, full swings, etc. and you’ll see faster progress that leads to greater softball success.
P.S. For any parents of my students who may think I’m talking about their daughter, don’t worry. I’m not. It’s a big club. But do keep it in mind as you work with your daughter anyway!
Throw It Like You Know It
So, you’re a fastpitch pitcher and you’ve added a new pitch to your arsenal. You’ve worked weeks, or months, to learn the nuances and perfect it to the point where you throw it pretty reliably in practice.
But then, when you go to trot it out in a game, it turns into a hot mess.
If it’s a drop ball it rolls in like you’re playing bocce ball. Changeups go sailing high and wide, riseballs go over the backstop, and curveballs end up forcing your catcher to lay out after them like a wide receiver catching a pass from the third-string quarterback.
So what happened?
There’s a pretty good chance the problem isn’t from the neck-down; it’s from the neck-up. Because instead of just relaxing and throwing the pitch you practiced, you got nervous that it wasn’t going to work and started tying yourself in knots trying to make sure it did.
How did that work out for you?
That’s why, when you go to introduce a new pitch to your gametime routine, you need to clear your mind of thoughts about it being your first time, you hope it works, it was really bad last time, etc. and just throw it like you know it.
There’s a pretty good chance if you’ve been pitching for a while you don’t think much about throwing your fastball – or whatever your base pitch is. You’ve done it thousands of times by now, and you already know you can do it.
Doesn’t mean it will be perfect every time – no one’s is, not even the high-level pitchers you admire. But you’re not worried because you know if this one doesn’t work quite right the next one will.
Well, it’s the same with a new pitch. Let’s take a changeup.
You told your coach you’ve been working on it and want to throw it this game. You’ve gotten the speed and location to be right in practice but have little to no experience with in games.
When the call comes in, however, your muscles tense, your mouth gets dry, and you start to breathe a little harder and more rapidly.
There’s really no reason for that reaction, however. First of all, hopefully your coach is smart enough to call it in a situation where the outcome doesn’t matter, such as no one on base and you’re ahead in the count 0-2 or 1-2.
At that point, what’s the worst that can happen? You throw a ball and it’s now 1-2 or 2-2. You’ve thrown balls before with the fastball, so why should this particular one be treated any differently?
Oh, but you’re worried you’re going to embarrass yourself by rolling it in or sailing it over your catcher’s head. So what’s the difference here?
The count is still 1-2 or 2-2, just as it would be if you had barely missed the strike zone. No runners advanced, no one walked, a shadow didn’t fall upon the earth, seas didn’t begin to boil, the ground didn’t rupture. no one died. It’s just a ball.
Only now you’ve thrown one in a game, you know a little more what it feels like, and you’ve just taken another step forward in your pitching career. Someday, when throwing a changeup is as natural to you as breathing, you’ll probably laugh about it.
So given all that, why worry about it at all?
The better approach is to pretend like you’ve been throwing this new pitch for years and just chuck it in there – i.e., throw it like you know it. With a more positive approach like that you’re far more likely to have success, and avoid all the negative outcomes you were worried about originally.
By the way, this concept isn’t just for pitchers. Hitters should apply their new hitting mechanics rather than relying on their old ways.
Slappers, particularly converted righties, should go after their slaps as if they’ve been doing it for years. Fielders should try that new sidearm tilted toss as though it’s been part of their routine all along. And so on.
If you take the “throw it like you know it” approach you’ll find you build your confidence quickly and your game will improve exponentially. You’ll also find you’re having a lot more fun in the process.
Navigating the Maze of Fastpitch Skills Development
People often talk about the “path to greatness” when it comes to fastpitch softball skills development. But when you think about it, it’s not really a path – it’s more of a maze.
Everyone starts out in the same place – at the entrance. Everyone knows the end goal is excellence.
But it’s really not a straight-line journey, i.e., you hire a coach, join a team, or try to try to train your daughter yourself. Instead, the journey can be full of twists, turns, blind alleys, and dead ends.
Go the wrong way and you’re going to spend a lot of your time backtracking or trying to get your bearings again. Get in deep enough and you may never find your way back to a lane that will take you to your goal.
Take pitching for example. There are those who believe it doesn’t really matter what you teach to budding pitchers; they say eventually those pitchers will find their way to the mechanics that will lead to success.
I can tell you wholeheartedly that that is not true. Yes, some can overcome learning “hello elbow” (HE) when they start out, replacing them with more body-friendly internal rotation (IR) mechanics as they mature. They are usually exceptional athletes.
But that is not the case with everyone. I’ve acquired many pitching students who were taught turn the ball back toward second and push it down the back side of the circle who struggled to unlearn that early, sub-optimal teaching.
It can take them months just to learn how to keep the ball facing forward at the top of the circle (and just past it) so they can set themselves up to whip the ball through release. It’s not that they’re bad pitchers or poor athletes.
It’s just that the habit has been so ingrained into them that it’s difficult to break. They essentially got deep into the maze and then have to find their way back to nearly the beginning to get on the right track.
Hitters can have this too. They’re taught to “squish the bug” or “throw their hands/knob of the bat” at the ball or over-use their arms, or some other outdated concept.
Or maybe they’re just allowed to swing the bat however they want because they are big enough and strong enough at the younger ages that the techniques they use really aren’t important.
However they get there, they follow that path thinking they’re on their way, only to discover after their habits become ingrained that it’s been a series of blind alleys once again leading to a dead end. The other players have matched (or surpassed) them in size and strength, and suddenly what made them look like studs when they were young has them seeing more bench time today.
Just like in an actual maze, it’s important to start out in the right direction early. So how do you know which way to go when you’re just starting out so you ensure you don’t waste a whole lot of time and money that you will never recover?
Fortunately, unlike an actual maze there are plenty of signs and guideposts that will help you find the most expedient path to your goal. Some of those include:
- Watch high speed video of what actual high-level players do, then match that up to what potential coaches are teaching. If they’re not closely aligned you probably don’t want to go that way.
- Research the topics that interest you on the Internet. Yes, the Internet has as much bad information (or more) than good, but if you’re really interested in doing what’s right it shouldn’t take you too long to separate the gold from the garbage.
- Ask other parents, especially those whose daughters stand out, about their journey and what their daughter is being taught now They can help you avoid the pitfalls they themselves fell into.
- Try what’s being taught yourself to see if it makes sense. Many people actually seem to miss out on this simple test. See what it feels like to move your body the way it’s being described. Be aware of what you feel and whether it feels natural or forced. The goal is for it to feel natural and easy, because it means you’re working with your body instead of against it.
- Once you’ve gathered the data, think through it carefully to see what makes sense. Don’t just accept what Famous Player A says, because Famous Player A may not have a clue as to what she does on the field. She was probably one of those who found her way to good mechanics DESPITE what she was taught. Yet when it comes to teaching herself, she just goes back to what she was told when she was young because that’s all she consciously knows.
Starting down the wrong path in the beginning, or taking a bad detour along the way isn’t unrecoverable. But it definitely makes achieving one’s playing goals a lot more difficult because there’s going to be a lot of backtracking (and angst) before you can move forward again.
Take the time to determine which path will lead you through the maze of softball skills development more efficiently and you’ll find the entire journey to be a lot more enjoyable.
Maze photo by Tom Fisk on Pexels.com
Where Have All the Pitchers Gone?
Yes, I know, it sounds like a folk song but it’s a legitimate question. Especially now that we are hot and heavy into the softball tryout season.
If you’re following softball-oriented Facebook groups or forums such as Discuss Fastpitch you’re probably seeing this plea a lot, particularly in the older age groups: Impossibly great team looking for one more bracket pitcher to complete our outstanding roster.
With all the 8-10 year olds jumping into the pitching pool you would think there would be a cornucopia of pitching at every level. It’s not unusual to see box scores on GameChanger that show four or five pitchers each getting an inning of work on a regular basis. And it’s been that way for long before GameChanger existed.
So what happened to all those pitchers?
Well, somewhere along the way they stopped pitching. Or maybe even playing the game entirely.
Sure, some probably found that they just didn’t care for the pressure of being in the circle. And some probably found that they didn’t like all the extra work that goes with being a pitcher. All legit, and to each her own.
But I can’t help but think that the rapid shrinking of the pitching pool might in many cases also be driven by team coaches and parents who are more focused on winning 10U or 12U games or trophies than they are on ensuring their players develop properly.
Take the coach who has 5 pitchers on his/her roster but gives 90% of the innings to the #1 pitcher. Yes, it’s nice to win games and tournaments, but if you’re only really giving one pitcher an opportunity to pitch regularly the others won’t develop.
Then they won’t develop, they’ll fall farther behind, get discouraged by their lack of progress as well as their lack of opportunity, and eventually stop pitching. So now four more are out of the pitcher pool for the future.
Oh, and in the meantime the #1 develops an overuse injury and may end up not pitching either.
Then there are the coaches who set impossible standards for their young, developing pitchers. They tell them in order to pitch they need to “hit their spots” 80% of the time.
Not because it’s necessary – really the only “spots” that are important at the 10U level are ball and strike – but because they heard on TV or read an article that said that’s what college pitchers do. Or because they want to use the vague “hit your spots” as an excuse not to pitch a girl who isn’t going to walk in and dominate every game.
So again, she doesn’t get circle time, falls behind, and eventually gives it up because what’s the point of taking lessons and practicing if you never get to pitch, even in “friendlies” or pool play?
Pitching coaches who say they’re teaching 10 or 12 year olds to throw seven pitches aren’t much help either.
Most 10U and 12U pitchers have enough to do mastering a fastball and and a changeup. Having them work on five other pitches – especially with some of the crazy mechanics I’ve seen them try to use – is a recipe for disaster.
Those pitchers never master their fundamentals. So when the hitters get better all those so-called different pitches turn out to be bullet spin fastballs to different locations that are fairly easy to hit. And then they’re out of the pitching pool because they’re getting hammered all the time.
And the list goes on. If we really want to have more pitchers available at 16U and 18U, parents and coaches have to do more to encourage greater success for more pitchers at the younger levels.
Keep them pitching, keep them developing, and give them opportunities to learn their craft – even when they’re bad at it. Then maybe there won’t be so many teams begging for pitchers or fighting over the same ones at the older levels.
What to Expect When You Become a Pitcher’s Parent
Sooooo…your daughter has decided that she wants to become a pitcher.
Congratulations to her! That’s a big step, especially given the importance of the position in fastpitch softball.
The value of a quality pitcher in softball is roughly the same as the value of a quality quarterback in football. While those roles differ, both can have a huge impact on whether the team wins or loses.
Because of all of that you are excited. You can’t wait to watch your wonderful, softball-loving daughter shine in the circle and feel the glow of admiration from coaches, teammates, and fans alike.
I know. I’ve been there – twice – and have seen those feelings in the eyes and body language of countless students.
But it’s not all sunshine and unicorns, even if your daughter is a tremendous athlete and a start in other aspects of the sport. So now that that decision has been made, let me clue you newbies in on what you’re in for going forward.
Parents of pitchers, current and past, be sure to chime in down in the comments about any aspects I’ve missed. It’s been a while for me.
The Time
You know that thing they call free time? Forget about it for the next 10-15 years, depending on how old your daughter is.
Because it’s a thing of the past.
Becoming even a decent pitcher takes a lot of work, i.e., many hours spent honing the craft. So while other parents gets to unwind at the end of a long, tough work day by collapsing on the couch, perhaps with an adult beverage or two, there is no such paradise waiting for you.
Instead, you will come home, change, maybe grab a quick bite, and then head out to a field, facility, and/or lesson so your daughter can get better. You see, pitching mechanics require a tremendous degree of precision and coordination to execute, and even the slightest variance can mean more walks than strikeouts, or too many hit-by-pitches, or too many balls left too fat in the zone resulting in big hits.
Not to mention there’s always another mile per hour or two to chase. So your “free time” will be spent sitting on a bucket and/or driving somewhere so your daughter has her best chance of succeeding.
The Nerves
Ever see a crowd sitting calmly watching a softball game? Everyone there is relaxed, chatting about the game or their lives, checking their phones for messages, maybe enjoying a snack or two on a lovely evening.
What you won’t see there is the current pitcher’s parent(s). That because the parent(s) are frantically pacing up and down the sidelines, or more likely somewhere behind the outfield fence, living and dying on every pitch.
Remember how I said in the beginning it’s a huge responsibility? As a pitcher’s parent you’re going to feel all the weight of that responsibility, probably much more than your daughter does, and you’re not going to be able to do a danged thing about it.
Except pace. And mumble to yourself. And question every pitch call from your coach as well as the umpire. Then pace some more.
You are basically trapped in a hell of your own making while you try to will your daughter to hit her spots, make the ball spin, or throw as hard in a game as she does in practice.
Eventually she will get there. But then you’ll just stalk up and down the sidelines or outfield fence and fret about the outcome of every pitch anyway. Because that’s what pitcher’s parents do.
The Fighting with Your Daughter
Learning to pitch is a long, arduous process with many ups and downs. As a good parent you want to see your daughter succeed.
Unfortunately, she may not realize how much work it takes, and thus will want to live the same type of life as other girls her age. As if!
So the two of you will fight about whether she can go here or there, or whether she needs to practice first.
You will also fight about mechanics. Because you heard one thing at her last lesson and she heard another. Or you’ve been checking the Internet for advice again and want her to try whatever tip or trick you just learned.
You will fight about what happened during the game. Did she try hard enough? Did she give up too many walks? Why did she throw a changeup to a hitter who clearly couldn’t hit her faster pitches? Why didn’t she throw home to force the runner there instead of throwing to first base and letting the run score?
And so on, and so on.
Fathers and daughters in particular will fight, because that’s just natural in human dynamics. The good new is, as tough as it can be, better to be fighting about pitching than who she was with or what she was doing last night.
Oh, and if you are also her team coach as well as practice catcher, get ready for many storm clouds ahead. It’s gonna be a rough ride.
The Money
So, you thought softball was expensive before your daughter declared she wanted to be a pitcher? Those will quickly become the good old days.
It starts with lessons of course. They aren’t cheap, and they have to be done frequently to get anywhere. Like once a week or once every other week (for a longer period of time) if you want her to gain competence quickly.
You will also need the ubiquitous bucket to carry balls and a glove in, as well as to sit on during lessons (hence the term “bucket dad” or “bucket mom”). It’s not required, but unless you’re a former catcher or someone who does a lot of squats normally you’re probably going to appreciate it quickly.
Then, as your little pitcher gets better, you’re going to start needing to purchase special equipment. It starts with a catcher’s mitt because your hand can’t take it when she starts popping the glove.
Then, as she learns to throw changeups and drops, you’ll probably want a pair of shin guards, and maybe a paid of shoes with steel toes. As speed picks up and movement gets sharper, you’ll probably need a catcher’s helmet too, so at that point you may as well get a chest protector as well.
As she gets better she will be sought after by better teams that play more often and travel farther to do it. Now you’re looking at thousands more dollars for the summer alone.
Eventually what started out as a nice little diversion ends up costing as much as a decent boat. But that’s ok, because you won’t have time to enjoy a boat even if you bought one.
The Heartbreak
It’s hard to watch your child struggle at anything, much less fail. But softball is a game built on failure, and nowhere is it more painful than when your daughter is having a tough time pitching.
Sure, it’s hard to watch your daughter strike out too. But that probably only happens maybe two or three times a game. But if she’s throwing balls and hitting batters when she should be throwing strikes, or serving up meatballs like she’s working at Olive Garden, it can be devastating to her – and to you.
Basically, a pitcher’s parent tends to live and die on every pitch. Especially during a tight game or one against a major rival.
So you may find yourself dying dozens of times during a game, and even a hundred or more on the weekend. And that’s just you.
Seeing the pain on her face during or after the game is tough to take. Yet you’re probably going to have to live with that pain for a while until she gets more experienced. If you’re not ready it can come as quite a shock.
Worth It?
So yes, the struggle is real. Which begs the question, “Is it worth it?”
That’s a decision you’ll ultimately have to make. Maybe your daughter will try it, realize how hard it is (and/or how much work it really takes) and opt out.
That’s ok. The team needs a center fielder too.
But if it’s something she really wants to pursue, in my opinion the answer is yes. Because she will learn how to overcome obstacles galore and the two of you will spend plenty of quality time together (when you’re not arguing). Probably much more than you would have otherwise.
Not to mention there’s nothing like the joy in your daughter’s face when she strikes out her first batter, retires the side in a close game, pitches her to team to a championship, and earns an MVP medal or game ball for her outstanding performance.
So if one day your daughter announces that she would like to be a pitcher, it’s ok to celebrate. But be aware of what you’re getting into and strap yourself in.
Because it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
Life in the Fastpitch Lane 