Softball Off Season Leg Strength Program

Preparation for the spring season starts NOW. Here is a five-month leg strength development program for middle school and high school softball players. It requires only the athlete’s bodyweight and one additional piece of equipment that can be purchased through our store.

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Medicine Ball Exercises for Softball Pitching

In this video, I explain and demonstrate proper technique for throwing medicine balls to improve pitching performance. Simply twisting and throwing heavy medicine balls is not enough to improve pitching-specific capacity. These exercises should reinforce proper pitching mechanics, and improve pitching-specific mechanics that many young pitchers struggle to command.

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Exercises That Correct Drive Foot Turn Out

Does your pitcher seem to lack extension or power as she drives away from the rubber? In these videos, Joe explains how lack of strength and flexibility contribute to poor execution and acquisition of drive through mechanics, and demonstrates four exercises that every pitcher can benefit from.

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Correcting Drive Foot Turn Out Part 1

Drive foot turn out can be a doorstop in a young softball pitcher’s development. The consequences are obvious, but the cause is much more difficult to derive. In this video, Joe explains how lack of physical strength and flexibility contribute to one of the most common technical mistakes in young pitchers.

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A Closer Look at Forearm Fire

Forearm fire is the terminology that we at Fastpitch Power use to describe the proper release of the ball in windmill pitching. Some of you may have heard part of it referred to as “internal rotation,” describing the positioning and movement of the pitching arm, elbow, and wrist as they travel down the back side of the arm circle and move through the throw zone. It’s a natural and powerful movement, and we believe it is critical to pitching with maximum velocity and command while minimizing the chance of injury. Because forearm fire utilizes the arm’s natural articulation together with gravity, many pitchers just do it without thinking about it. For those who don’t, it can be frustrating to learn. Today’s video provides a breakdown, and an explanation of its advantages over upward elbow snap, sometimes referred to as “hello elbow.”

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The Best Flexibility Exercises for Softball Players (Video)

Young female athletes tend to lose flexibility secondary to loss of stability as they grow. Muscles can either be placed under tension as the bones grow or they protectively contract in attempt to control the larger skeleton. A proper stretching routine should enhance body stability as well as flexibility. In this week’s video, I demonstrate my favorite active flexibility exercises for softball players.

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Video: G-flop Drill for Windmill Pitching Acceleration

Acceleration in the windmill pitching motion is critical to the success of the pitch. It’s logical: if you’re not accelerating your arm at delivery, you will not release the ball with maximum speed. Despite this, so many pitchers get into the habit of slowing down or even stopping their hands at the delivery of the pitch, resulting in compromised velocity and accuracy.

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