Fastpitch Softball Pitching Drills

Here are a few more fastpitch softball pitching drills for you to use with your pitchers. Generating power and speed is based on how your pitcher uses her body.

The first two drills pick up with the third drill leaves off on the Softball Pitching Drills page. If the pitcher relies on her arm to generate the speed, by the third inning she will likely start to tire and the batters will start to catch up with her. These drills will help make using her body a natural part of her motion.

Name of Drill: Bungee Throw

Explanation: This drill is performed by throwing the fastball. The object of this drill is for your pitchers to complete her natural motion while being pulled back by a bungee chord that is placed around her waste. Attach the bungee chord to your pitcher's waste. Have a coach pull it taunt. The pitcher then goes threw her regular motion and throws a strike while powering through the resistance.

Worked on: This drill is to resistance training to help your pitcher generate more leg power by overcoming the pressure applied by the bungee chord.

Explanation: This drill is performed by throwing the fastball. The pitcher throws a strike from the mound. Once she does this, she takes five steps back and throws a strike from that spot. After throwing a strike, she takes another five steps back, and again, using her natural motion, throws another strike. She continues doing this until she reaches the second base area, each five step backwards throwing a strike. Once she reaches second base, now she takes five steps in, throws a strike and repeats until she reaches the pitchers mound and throws a strike. Repeat this process three times.

Worked on: This drill is forcing more leg drive to continue throwing strikes from further distances. If she does not continue to increase her leg drive, she will not reach the plate. Similar to drill 1, except using distance vs. resistance to force the pitcher to use her body more. This should also increase the velocity of the pitch with this increased leg drive. This will be most noticeable when she is back pitching from the mound.

Game: Have each of your pitchers perform the drill and see who can be successful throwing more strikes with fewer pitches.

Explanation: This drill is used to help with added control of the drop ball. Run a piece of tape (or tie a rope) between two batting tees and place on either side of home plate (where the batters usually stand). Place a bucket in front of the two hitting tees and tape/rope on the front of home plate. Have your pitcher go to the mound to throw a drop ball. The pitcher, when throwing the drop ball, must clear the tape/rope without hitting the bucket. Move the bucket/tape/rope to various parts of home plate (front/middle/back) so that she can work on her control of the drop ball.

Worked on: This fastpitch softball pitching drill is teaching the pitcher control of the drop ball. Depending on where the batter is standing in the box, the pitcher wants to throw her drop ball so it drops at the last possible moment and fools the batter into thinking it is strike, hence the reason for moving the rope/tape/bucket back and forth on home plate.

What Works for Your Pitchers?

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Below you will find additional sources for fastpitch softball pitching drills and catching resources and catcher's equipment. Click on the picture to take you to the page. Remember, if you do not see exactly what you are looking for, click on the name next to "store" where you will be able to make a more detailed search for exactly what you want.

Pitching & Catching Guides

Catchers Equipment

Catchers Mitts

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