Getting Started With Fastpitch Power’s Pitching Style: A Guide

By Carly | May 27, 2013 |

I got an email last week from a reader asking if our pitching articles followed a particular progression. I thought it would be very useful to compile some of our pitching articles and videos into a guide that could be used either by a complete beginner or by a pitcher who is transitioning from a different style to the one we teach. Reader, if you’re seeing this, thanks for the suggestion! Your email kept bouncing back so I’m sorry I was only able to reply this way. But now, everyone can benefit!

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Learning to Whip your Arm When it Doesn’t Come Naturally

By Carly | April 29, 2013 |
Yukiko Ueno's arm whip

Loose arm whip is absolutely critical to pitching fast. It’s not a stylistic choice; every single elite pitcher whips her arm, regardless of how she was taught to follow through after the arm whip takes place. Some lucky windmill pitchers begin whipping their arms within the first few days of learning; it just comes naturally to them. To many, however, it does not come naturally, and in those cases I believe teaching the arm to whip is the hardest thing for a young pitcher to do. BUT, it’s not impossible. It’s a long and arduous process that requires a lot of dedication and patience, but it’s not impossible. For those who are trying to learn arm whip and aren’t quite getting it, or for those who have learned a different way to pitch and are now trying to switch to the arm whip, I will compile some resources that you can use to help get the job done.

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Sticking the Finish

By Phil | April 19, 2013

In today’s video, I’m going to show you a great self-help tool that will enable you to diagnose your own pitching mechanics. NOTE: this method should be reserved for practice only. For safety reasons, in a game you must quickly prepare yourself to field your position after releasing the ball.

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Make This Quick Change to Pitch Faster Right Now

By Carly | December 17, 2012 |

There are a number of things a windmill pitcher could be doing—locking the arm, driving through improperly, leaning forward, etc.—that could be robbing her of speed. Pitchers will hear an awful lot about their mechanics during their pitching lessons, but there is one major speed factor that doesn’t get talked about as much…yet, it affects more than half of the pitchers I have seen.

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Reach, Track, Fire and Drive

By Phil | August 10, 2012 |

What follows is one of my favorite muscle memory drills which helps pitchers see and feel their bodies at various, crucial points in the delivery. Please note the following when performing this drill:

1. The pitcher should be 25 – 35 feet from the catcher, depending on age and level.

2. Coaches commands should be a minimum of 2 to 3 seconds apart to allow the pitcher to sense and adjust any mechanical flaws, as well as keep her balance (if she cannot keep her balance, it’s an indication that she needs to strength train).

3. This video is a demonstration for a fastball. The drill can be adapted for any pitch. Look to future posts for other pitches.

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Pitching Drills for a Smoother Drive-through

By Carly | June 11, 2012 |

A little while ago I received an email from a Fastpitch Power reader asking for specific windmill pitching drills to address the issues of turning the load foot and dragging it during the drive-through. The reader was right; though we’ve discussed these issues at length, we’ve been a little light on info regarding how to fix them. I see more pitchers every day having problems dragging their feet, and since it’s so prevalent, I want to share my response with all of you.

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