In this week’s video I explain and demonstrate how to warm up when the ground is wet. It’s very important to create a stable warm up that can be used on sunny days and rainy days so you can keep the pre-game routine, routine.
Read MoreToday I’m going to talk about a couple of pet peeves I have when it comes to teaching/learning windmill pitching, though what I say can be applied to any skill. The key concept I want to underline is that every athlete is not the same. Every athlete has a slightly different body type, different physical strengths and weaknesses, and different ways of mentally processing information. What do we, as both instructors and students, need to take away from this?
Read MoreWhen you’re warming up to pitch before a game, it’s very important to prepare yourself mentally as well as physically. Check out the video for more!
Read MoreWhen’s the last time you heard anyone say “Softball’s a great workout”? Face it, playing sports is not an adequate stimulus to develop and maintain the physical capacities such as strength and flexibility that allow athletes to perform at a HIGH level SAFELY season after season. But scheduling workouts during the season is tough! In this video I review the physical consequences of a long competitive season and provide some guidance on how arrange workouts around practices and games.
Read MoreI had a conversation with a parent last week whose daughter, a 10U pitcher, is in a transition phase with her pitching mechanics and struggling. It occurred to me that her dilemma probably applies to many of you, so I want to talk about it a bit.
Read MoreToday I just wanted to talk a little about learning new skills in general. Especially when it comes to athletics, there are often little things you can do to make certain skills easier but still sort of get the job done. But do you want to just get the job done, or do you want to excel at it? Though it may be tough, and the learning curve may be steep, there are no shortcuts to optimal technique in any skill. More in the video!
Read MoreLast week I discussed what pitches are necessary for pitching in college, and the answer was to play to your strengths, develop the pitches that allow YOU to get batters out most effectively, and not worry so much that a particular pitch isn’t working for you. This, like all skills that take work and practice, is easier said than done. I’ve discussed some of the challenges facing young pitchers trying to learn movement pitches and I know it can be a frustrating process. As I said in the aforementioned articles, you may have to learn all the pitches before you can determine which one or two will be your strength. But how do you know when to abandon a pitch or when to keep going?
Read MoreWe shared this hitting drill in a newsletter several months ago (subscribe to get these things early!), but the beginning of the high school softball season has reminded me just how many softball players swing their bats with a short follow through right after contact with the ball. ACCELERATING and EXTENDING the bat through the point of contact, rather, is critical to hitting with power and to all parts of the field.
Read MoreUnfortunately, nowadays, athletes feel they don’t have enough time to fit in workouts during the season. They, and their coaches, also fear working out will lead to sore and stiff muscles. In this video, I explain how to schedule workouts appropriately around your in-season commitments, and demonstrate a few new exercises that are less likely to leave you sore, while building total body strength.
Read MoreYou’ve probably heard a lot about what pitches you absolutely need to be able to throw in order to make a college softball team. If you’ve bounced around between different pitching coaches or different travel teams, you’ve probably even heard a lot of conflicting information—that college coaches never call fastballs, that you absolutely must have a rise ball, blah blah blah. Well, today I’m going to tell you the truth!
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